# Key Features & Capabilities

## Key Features of MariaDB Cloud

### Advanced Scalability

* **Serverless Scaling:** Provides near instantaneous scaling from zero to defined upper limit and back down to zero, adapting dynamically to workloads without manual intervention.
* **Intelligent Load Balancing:** Maintains consistency via smart proxy-based load balancing and read-write splitting.
* **Flexible Consistency:** Offers both causal and strong global consistency models.
* **Custom Query Routing:** Allows fine-tuned performance optimization through customizable routing rules.

### Integrated AI Agents

* **Semi Autonomous Agent Builder:** Create domain specific AI agents to ask questions of your data with human in the loop validation via UI interface
* **App Integration:** Embed conversational interfaces into your apps with the associated agent REST API endpoints
* **Built-in Developer and DBA Copilot Agents:** Improves productivity with general MariaDB Cloud questions, query performance tuning, and troubleshooting guidance.

### Global Multi-Cloud Presence

* Available in 40+ regions across AWS, GCP, and Azure, offering unparalleled flexibility and reach.

### Robust High Availability (HA

* **Resilient Infrastructure:** Multi-layered protection across disks, compute, zones/regions, network, and load balancing.
* **Intelligent Proxy through MaxScale:** Ensures seamless failover and monitors replication lag, maintaining service continuity.
* **Rapid Failover:** Employs real-time health checks for swift, automated recovery.
* **Synchronous Replication:** Provision multi-node MariaDB Enterprise cluster for workloads demanding absolute data consistency, multi-primary capabilities, and zero data loss. *(Available exclusively on the PowerPlus tier).*

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Tech Preview Limitation** 

MariaDB Enterprise Clusters are currently [available as a *Tech Preview*](https://mariadb.com/docs/mariadb-cloud/quickstart/enterprise-cluster). During this phase, MaxScale is configured to route all write traffic to a single active writer node to ensure maximum stability. Multi-primary write routing will be unlocked in a future phase.
{% endhint %}

### Disaster Recovery

* **Multi-Region Replication:** Spans across regions and cloud providers for maximum resilience.
* **Flexible External Replication:** Supports custom external replica setups for enhanced redundancy and disaster recovery.

### State-of-the-Art Data Protection

* **Comprehensive Backup Solutions:** Goes beyond nightly backups with incremental, snapshot, and binlog backup options to both MariaDB Cloud and customer-managed storage.
* **Near-Zero RPO:** Achieves minimal data loss with continuous binlog streaming.

### Dynamic Auto-scaling

* **Predictive Scaling:** Anticipates and adjusts storage needs based on usage patterns.
* **Cost-Efficient Scaling:** Proactively scales resources up and down to match demand and optimize costs.

### Fractional DBA Service

* **CloudDBA Service:** Provides access to skilled DBAs for proactive database optimization.
* **Continuous Performance Monitoring:** Ensures peak efficiency through ongoing monitoring and rapid issue resolution.

### Versatile Interoperability

* **Multi-Protocol Support:** Supports both JSON and SQL operations from a single data source.
* **Native MongoDB/MariaDB/MySQL Support:** Seamlessly integrates with existing applications via native MongoDB and MariaDB/MySQL protocol support.

For more detailed information, you can refer to this [blog post](https://skysql.com/2024/03/12/optimizing-database-resilience-and-cost-a-deep-dive-into-skysqls-unique-features/).