AliSQL overview

AliSQL is Alibaba's open-source MySQL branch, maintained by Alibaba Cloud Database Team. The current feature release, AliSQL 8.0.44-2, keeps MySQL 8.0.44 and InnoDB as the transactional foundation while integrating DuckDB 1.4.4 as a parallel analytical path.

Transactional baseMySQL 8.0.44

Analytical coreDuckDB 1.4.4

Project licenseGPL-2.0

One server, two workload paths

Applications retain the MySQL protocol and familiar client entry. Inside AliSQL, transactional work stays on InnoDB while analytical tables and replicas can use DuckDB's columnar storage and vectorized execution.

Transactional pathMySQL / InnoDB

Authoritative row storage, transactions, recovery, native vector indexes, historical reads, and binlog engineering.

Explore the kernel path →Analytical pathDuckDB

Columnar tables and scans surrounded by MySQL-facing SQL adaptation, conversion, replication, recovery, and resource controls.

Explore the analytical path →

One protocol does not mean identical engine semantics

DuckDB tables use the MySQL-facing SQL and client entry, but DuckDB behavior is not identical to MySQL. Validate functions, data types, collations, DDL, replication, and operational tooling against the exact release you plan to deploy.

Capabilities beyond storage-engine integration

AliSQL extends its MySQL-compatible foundation with native retrieval, historical-query, commit, and analytical paths:

RetrievalNative vector search

VECTOR(N), HNSW, InnoDB persistence, transaction-aware caches, and SIMD computation.

Historical readsNative Flashback

AS OF TIMESTAMP views reconstructed from recorded snapshots and retained InnoDB undo.

Commit engineeringBinlog paths

Redo-backed binlog persistence and large-cache promotion with explicit eligibility and fallback.

Architecture mapAliSQL technology

Navigate the MySQL / InnoDB and DuckDB paths side by side instead of reading a flat feature list.

Default state

Most new execution paths in AliSQL 8.0.44-2 are opt-in:

Capability	Open-source default	Why it stays explicit
DuckDB storage engine	duckdb_mode=NONE	Engine mode is selected at startup
Native vector index	vidx_disabled=ON	Indexed operations have isolation and resource requirements
Native Flashback history	Snapshot task OFF; undo retention 0	Historical coverage consumes retained undo and storage
Persist Binlog Into Redo V2	OFF	Commit-order, durability, size, and 2PC guards apply
Binlog Cache Free Flush	OFF	Only eligible spilled large transactions can use the path

The AliSQL 8.0.44-2 release page connects each capability to its configuration and primary source.

Choose the next step

Run itBuild from source

Compile the current tree and verify InnoDB, DuckDB, and vector paths independently.

Understand itRead the architecture

Start with the two workload paths, then move into implementation and operating boundaries.

Inspect itOpen the repository

Read the source, release notes, wiki, and issues on GitHub.