Aerospike Database 5.3 introduces Expression-based XDR Filtering, which allows for dynamic filtering of records shipped to XDR destinations based on Expressions and metadata access. This feature can significantly reduce network traffic, storage requirements, and egress costs by enforcing geographic restrictions, GDPR compliance, and other user privacy regulations. Additionally, Aerospike 5.3 expands Multi-Site Clustering with the introduction of a dynamic configuration parameter 'connect-timeout-ms', allowing for more flexible cluster configurations and improved RTT latency estimates. Minor features include fetching configuration items from environment variables and programmatic access to record size, enabling more efficient cluster management and data analysis.