ScyllaDB release: version 1.7

ScyllaDB 1.7, a minor release of the open-source NoSQL database compatible with Apache Cassandra, introduces several enhancements and new features aimed at improving performance and compatibility. Key updates include the support for experimental Counters as a native data type, an upgrade of Java tools to align with Cassandra 3.0, and a CQL update to version 3.3.1, which introduces new data types like tinyint, smallint, date, and time. The release also debuts a new intra-node sharding algorithm designed to enhance performance across large clusters by better distributing data among cores. Debian support has moved from experimental to production-ready status. Numerous bug fixes address issues such as early memtable flushing on many-core machines, ensuring better disk usage, and several CQL-related improvements, including support for floating-point data types in aggregate functions. The release notes also highlight changes to metrics, urging users to update their monitoring dashboards, and provide detailed instructions for upgrading and configuring systems to utilize the new features effectively.