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Version Overview

This page provides a comprehensive overview of FoundationDB versions, their status, and guidance for choosing the right version for your deployment.

Supported Versions

Version Status Docker Tag Recommended For
7.3 Stable foundationdb/foundationdb:7.3.71 New deployments
7.4 Pre-release foundationdb/foundationdb:7.4.6 Testing & evaluation
7.1 Legacy foundationdb/foundationdb:7.1.67 Existing deployments

Version Lifecycle

Understanding version status helps you make informed deployment decisions:

Stable
The recommended version for production deployments. Receives bug fixes and security updates. Currently: 7.3.
Pre-release
Contains new features under development. Not recommended for production. Use for testing upcoming capabilities. Currently: 7.4.
Legacy
Previous stable releases. Still supported but users should plan upgrades. Currently: 7.1.

Version Documentation

Each version has dedicated documentation reflecting its specific features and configuration:

Key Differences Between Versions

Storage Engine Names

The Redwood storage engine was renamed between versions:

Engine 7.1 7.3 / 7.4
Redwood ssd-redwood-1-experimental ssd-redwood-1
RocksDB ssd-rocksdb-v1 (experimental) ssd-rocksdb-v1 (experimental)
SQLite ssd-2 (default) ssd-2 (default)

Redwood in 7.1

Despite the -experimental suffix in 7.1, Redwood is production-ready in all supported versions.

Version-Specific Features

  • Backup V2: 50% reduction in write amplification during backups
  • Bulk Loading: Experimental support for efficient data loading
  • Go Binding Change: Close() now required on Database objects
  • All 7.3 features
  • Redwood Production Ready: Storage engine name changed from ssd-redwood-1-experimental to ssd-redwood-1
  • Improved Stability: Enhanced reliability and performance tuning
  • Better Monitoring: Additional metrics and status reporting
  • All 7.1 features
  • GetMappedRange: Advanced range query capabilities for secondary indexes
  • Version Vector: Enhanced conflict detection for improved transaction throughput
  • RocksDB: Experimental storage engine support

Feature Availability Matrix

Feature 7.1 7.3 7.4
Redwood Storage Engine ✅ (experimental) ✅ (production) ✅ (production)
RocksDB Storage Engine ✅ (experimental) ✅ (experimental) ✅ (experimental)
GetMappedRange ✅ ✅ ✅
Version Vectors ✅ ✅ ✅
Backup V2 ❌ ❌ ✅
Bulk Loading ❌ ❌ ✅ (experimental)

Storage Engine Compatibility

Engine 7.1 7.3 7.4 Production Ready
SQLite (ssd-2) ✅ ✅ ✅ Yes
Redwood ✅ ✅ ✅ Yes
RocksDB ✅ ✅ ✅ No (experimental)

Choosing a Storage Engine

Redwood is recommended for most deployments. It offers better performance than SQLite and is production-ready. Use SQLite for small deployments or when disk space is limited.

Upgrade Paths

graph LR
    A[7.1] -->|Upgrade| B[7.3]
    B -->|Upgrade| C[7.4]
    style B fill:#4caf50,color:white
    style C fill:#ff9800,color:white
    style A fill:#9e9e9e,color:white

Upgrade Considerations

From To Notes
7.1 7.3 Safe direct upgrade. Review storage engine name changes.
7.3 7.4 Pre-release only. Wait for stable release for production.
7.1 7.4 Not recommended. Upgrade to 7.3 first.

Pre-release Warning

Version 7.4 is a pre-release and should not be used in production environments. Wait for the stable release before upgrading production clusters.

API Version Compatibility

FoundationDB uses API versioning to maintain backward compatibility. Clients specify which API version they target:

FDB Version API Version Min Supported API Notes
7.4 740 510 Latest API features
7.3 730 510 Stable API
7.1 710 510 Legacy API

API Version Best Practice

Always specify an explicit API version when opening a database connection. This ensures your application behaves consistently even when the underlying client library is upgraded.

Python
import fdb
fdb.api_version(730)  # Lock to 7.3 API behavior

Client Library Versions

Always match your client library version to your cluster version:

Cluster Version Python Java Go
7.1.x 7.1.x org.foundationdb:fdb-java:7.1.x github.com/apple/foundationdb/bindings/go@v7.1.x
7.3.x 7.3.x org.foundationdb:fdb-java:7.3.x github.com/apple/foundationdb/bindings/go@v7.3.x
7.4.x 7.4.x org.foundationdb:fdb-java:7.4.x github.com/apple/foundationdb/bindings/go@v7.4.x

Go Binding Breaking Change (7.4+)

Go Binding: Close() Required in 7.4+

Starting in version 7.4, the Go binding requires calling Close() on the Database object when you're done using it. Failure to call Close() will result in resource leaks.

Before 7.4:

Go
db := fdb.MustOpenDefault()
// Use db... no Close() needed

7.4 and later:

Go
db := fdb.MustOpenDefault()
defer db.Close()  // Required!
// Use db...

This change was made to properly release native resources and prevent memory leaks in long-running applications.

Next Steps