What Our Customers Deserve: Introducing MariaDB Enterprise Documentation

MariaDB Corporation recently announced the launch of MariaDB Enterprise Server, an enterprise build of MariaDB Community Server enhanced with enterprise-focused features, an enterprise-appropriate lifecycle, and defaults aligned to enterprise use cases.

We have simultaneously launched MariaDB Enterprise Documentation, which you can see at: https://mariadb.com/docs/.

  • MariaDB Enterprise Documentation is focused on enterprise challenges — operating at scale, with compliance requirements, and with cost and time constraints.
  • MariaDB Enterprise Documentation focuses on using the whole MariaDB Platform in concert — when we talk about MariaDB Enterprise Server in replicated environments, we also talk about using MariaDB MaxScale for failover.
  • MariaDB Enterprise Documentation contains reference content, but also introductory content and usability content to help our customers understand best practices and typical enterprise use cases for MariaDB Platform.
  • MariaDB Enterprise Documentation recognizes that the enterprise user may be a DBA, but could also be a developer, an operator, an IT manager, auditor, or infosec professional. We cover topics for all of these roles, enabling a shared understanding to allow the collaboration around our products.
  • MariaDB Enterprise Documentation bridges the user from marketed features to product experiences, and from product experiences to related features and services. We recognize documentation is used during deployment and operation, but also during vendor selection and application design.

Since this blog is typically read by folks in technical disciplines, here are a few details of our implementation you may find interesting:

  • Recognizing the extensive experience held across MariaDB Corporation, we included more than 50 of our peers across the company in forming our design. By leveraging our in-house expertise, we ensure we meet the needs of the Developers, DBAs, Operators, and other IT professionals they serve every day.
  • In collaboration with MariaDB Corporation Engineering, we implemented a novel approach to reference documentation. Enterprise Documentation begins with 100% coverage of MariaDB Enterprise Server in our reference tables.
  • Enterprise Documentation was produced by materializing over 100 individual lightweight prototypes, underwent extensive User Testing (UT), and decisions were backed with User Research. Our Documentation team is multidisciplinary, and includes UX (User Experience) professionals, CX (Customer Experience) professionals, technical writers, and IT professionals.
  • We practice “Docs as Code” or “Docs like Code“, with Git and ticketing, continuous integration, continuous deployment, Lean-Kanban-Kaizen which enables us to work with multiple Engineering teams and other stakeholder teams for just-in-time deployment. We also leverage open source software extensively in producing documentation.
  • We’ve focused on things we know matter to our technical audience. Things like:

– Unobtrusive design that renders properly on phones and even with w3m/links/lynx.
– Well-defined and implemented hierarchical Information Architecture.
– Search present on every page, optimized for meaningful results, and capable of finding even SQL operators: OR && AND ||
– Initial content focused on Deployment, and key features such as Enterprise Audit and Enterprise Backup.

Just as with the initial launch of MariaDB Enterprise Server, we expect this is the start of something wonderful. We appreciate your continued support and feedback, and look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our customers.

 

For more information about MariaDB Enterprise Server, contact us.Â