MariaDB Enterprise Kubernetes Operator 25.08: Next-Level Disaster Recovery and Expanded Platform Support

Posted on August 28, 2025 by
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Running databases effectively on Kubernetes presents a unique set of challenges. Your focus should be on building applications, not wrestling with the complexities of database storage, backups, and lifecycle management. The MariaDB Enterprise Kubernetes Operator is designed to automate these operations, giving you a reliable and efficient data layer.

We are excited to announce the 25.08 release of the Enterprise Operator. This version addresses your critical operational challenges with powerful new features focused on enhancing disaster recovery and platform flexibility.

Disaster Recovery with Physical Backups

This release addresses the need for faster recovery by introducing a native PhysicalBackup Custom Resource (CR). It is designed to bring the power and speed of physical backups directly into your Kubernetes workflow and dramatically reduce your Recovery Time Objective (RTO). Unlike logical backups that replay SQL statements, physical backups work at the file and directory level, offering a much more efficient path to recovery, especially for large datasets.

This new capability is delivered in two powerful ways:

  • mariadb-backup Integration: MariaDB’s native backup tool, mariadb-backup, can now be used directly through the Operator. You can define PhysicalBackup CRs to schedule backups, manage retention, apply compression, and even specify S3-compatible storage. The restoration process is straightforward: simply reference the PhysicalBackup in a new MariaDB resource bootstrapFrom field, and the Operator handles the rest.
  • Kubernetes-Native VolumeSnapshots: If your Kubernetes environment is equipped with CSI drivers that support VolumeSnapshots, physical backups can now be created directly at the storage level. This declarative method creates consistent, point-in-time snapshots of MariaDB’s data volumes. Restoring from a VolumeSnapshot is equally simple and is a powerful feature for quickly provisioning new database clusters.

For mission-critical production environments, the MariaDB Enterprise Operator enhances MariaDB Community Operator’s physical backup capabilities with non-blocking physical backups. By leveraging MariaDB’s native BACKUP STAGE feature, the Enterprise Operator performs backups without long read locks or service interruptions. This provides consistent, production-grade backups with minimal impact on running workloads—a critical requirement for high-availability and performance-sensitive systems.

Support for IBM Power (ppc64le) Architecture

This release adds full support for the ppc64le architecture, a key enhancement for enterprises running on IBM Power Systems. You can now deploy and manage containerized MariaDB Enterprise Server and MaxScale on Power with the same streamlined experience you get on x86_64 and arm64, including certified images with Red Hat OpenShift for ppc64le.

Compatibility with CNCF-Certified Kubernetes Distributions

The Enterprise Kubernetes Operator supports the three latest Kubernetes versions across all CNCF-certified distributions. While our primary validation is performed on upstream Kubernetes, this conformance-based approach ensures broad compatibility with leading platforms like GKE, EKS, and AKS.

Validated for OpenShift 4.16 EUS

We continue our strong commitment to the Red Hat ecosystem by validating the Enterprise Operator with OpenShift 4.16. This ensures compatibility with the two most recent OpenShift Extended Update Support (EUS) versions, allowing platform teams to deploy and manage MariaDB while staying aligned with Red Hat’s recommended upgrade path.


What’s Coming Next: A Look Ahead

The powerful features in today’s 25.08 release are just the beginning of our current innovation cycle. Our next major milestone is a new MariaDB Enterprise Platform release which will feature the General Availability of MariaDB Enterprise Server 11.8 and accompanied by a new version of the Enterprise Operator. 

Get Started

The MariaDB Enterprise Kubernetes Operator 25.08 is here to provide the speed, resilience, and flexibility your modern applications demand. It is available with a MariaDB Enterprise Platform Plus Subscription. Contact us to find out how you can get started.

For a deeper dive into the new features, check out the official documentation or join the conversation with our engineers on our MariaDB Community Slack.