---
title: "Introducing MariaDB MaxScale 2.2.1 Beta – automation, security and more!"
publish_date: 2018-01-16
updated_date: 2024-03-19
author: "MariaDB"
tags:
  - name: "2.2.1"
    url: "/resources/blog/tag/2-2-1.md"
  - name: "automation"
    url: "/resources/blog/tag/automation.md"
  - name: "Beta"
    url: "/resources/blog/tag/beta.md"
  - name: "database proxy"
    url: "/resources/blog/tag/database-proxy.md"
  - name: "MaxScale"
    url: "/resources/blog/tag/maxscale.md"
  - name: "Security"
    url: "/resources/blog/tag/security.md"
  - name: "support"
    url: "/resources/blog/tag/support.md"
---

# Introducing MariaDB MaxScale 2.2.1 Beta – automation, security and more!

We are happy to announce that 2.2.1 beta of [MariaDB MaxScale](https://mariadb.com/products/mariadb-maxscale), the next generation database proxy for MariaDB is now available. Beta is an important time in our release and we encourage you to [download this release](https://mariadb.com/downloads/mariadb-tx/maxscale) today!

The goal of this MariaDB MaxScale release is self-healing automation, hardened database security, preparing for new capabilities for the upcoming MariaDB Server 10.3 release, while at the same time, making it easier to manage.

**MariaDB MaxScale 2.2.1 introduces the following key new capabilities:**

- [Automatic failover, manual failover and switchover for MariaDB Master/Slave Clusters](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-enterprise/mariadb-maxscale-22-automatic-failover-with-mariadb-monitor/): 
    - MaxScale can now automatically select and promote a slave to master when the master node fails.
    - MaxScale now provides the user to administratively switchover a slave to master.
    - MaxScale allows a suitable server to be added to a running Master/Slave cluster as slave.

**MariaDB Server feature support:**

- Proxy protocol support for backend connections, a MariaDB Server 10.3 feature. This makes it easy to configure authorized use between the Client, MaxScale and Server.
- PL/SQL Compatibility syntax support for upcoming MariaDB Server 10.3 support.
- Support of window functions and CTEs processing.
- Binlog router supports MariaDB 10 GTID at both the master and slave side.

**Management Interface:**

- [REST-API ](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-enterprise/maxscale-22-rest-api/)for obtaining information about and managing the resources of MaxScale.
- [MaxCtrl](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-enterprise/mariadb-maxscale-22-maxctrl/), a new command line client for administering MaxScale implemented using the REST-API, for managing an individual MaxScale as well as a cluster of MaxScales

**Security:**

- The [Masking filter](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-enterprise/mariadb-maxscale-22-masking/) can now both obfuscate and partially mask a column for the GDPR pseudo-anonymization requirement.
- [Database firewall filter](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-enterprise/mariadb-maxscale-22-database-firewall-filter/) can now prevent the use of functions by columns.=
- Limited support of [Pluggable Authentication Modules](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-enterprise/mariadb-maxscale-22-pam-authenticator/) (PAM).

**Reliability:**

- MariaDB Server states are persisted, so in the case of a crash and a restart of MaxScale, it has the correct server state, quicker.
- Monitor scripts are executed synchronously, so they can safely perform actions that change the server states.
- Prepared statements are now parsed and the execution of read only ones will be routed to slaves.
- KILL CONNECTION can now be used through MaxScale.

The release notes for MariaDB MaxScale 2.2.1 can be found [here](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-enterprise/maxscale-22-release-notes/) and the list of bugs fixed can be found in the release notes. Binaries for MaxScale 2.2.1 Beta are available for download [here](https://mariadb.com/downloads/mariadb-tx/maxscale). MaxScale documentation can be found in the [Knowledge Base](https://mariadb.com/kb/en/mariadb-enterprise/mariadb-maxscale/). In case you want to build the binaries yourself, the source can be found on GitHub, tagged with [maxscale-2.2.1.](https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/MaxScale/tree/maxscale-2.2.1)

We are very excited about this release and look forward to hearing from our users about their feedback and experiences. If you have any questions or feedback, please email me <dipti.joshi@mariadb.com> or reach out through our [community group](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/maxscale).