ScyllaDB’s Path to Strong Consistency: A New Milestone

ScyllaDB's upgrade to version 5.2 marks a significant shift towards strong consistency by employing the Raft consensus algorithm, particularly for schema management, enhancing the reliability and speed of schema changes. Previously relying on eventual consistency, ScyllaDB now uses Raft to ensure that schema changes are propagated quickly and without conflict, requiring a majority of nodes to acknowledge changes, thus increasing stability during concurrent operations. The upgrade introduces features like consistent cluster management, disaster recovery options, and support for IP address changes, facilitating seamless operations in environments like Kubernetes. Although Raft is taking over several functionalities, the Gossip protocol remains integral for tasks such as node liveness detection, albeit with reduced responsibilities. This transition aims to make ScyllaDB more robust and efficient, while maintaining compatibility with existing tools and operations.