TL;DR:
Couchbase 4.0 with the N1QL Query Language and a new Global Secondary Indexing service among many other features is now available. The downloads are at the usual place along with the release notes. Either hit the simple getting started path or the Concepts and architecture or the Developer guide for more info.
More detail:
Couchbase Server 4.0 being a major release, it includes major new functionality. Developer productivity and agility, while continuing to scale and perform were the major themes among a multitude of other features. Allow me to describe just a little further.
Across the new generation of ‘NoSQL’ databases, the team at Couchbase had noticed that frequently developers had to compromise either the way they model their data or twist the system in unusual ways to really be able to access the data the way people think. To solve this, Couchbase 4.0 does something different; it brings SQL back to NoSQL in something we call N1QL. Through N1QL, developers now have the flexibility and agility of working with JSON combined with a newfound agility of querying data as you see fit on a distributed system. Oh, and by the way, that includes language level support for Java, an implementation of LINQ for .NET, higher level frameworks like Ottoman for Node.js and even JDBC and ODBC connectors for those who want to use existing tools expecting those interfaces.
Performing and scaling these new capabilities at the level our users have come to expect is non-trivial, but we think we have the right architecture and we are really happy with our results so far. A new secondary indexing service with a unique approach to distributing indexes with what we call Global Secondary Indexes gives queries the power they need to be flexible and responsive to your demands as a developer. While at it, we also came up with a way to make it easy to scale services independently on the cluster. We call this Multidimensional Scaling.
There is, of course, much more but that’s what the new developer.couchbase.com exists to describe. So, to get started…
Download Couchbase 4.0, check out the Release Notes to get the highlights on what has changed or read Anil’s blog. If you’re new, try walking through the Getting Started followed by one of the tutorials (like Java, .NET or Node.js). Post questions and feedback here on the blog.
Before I close, I’d like to extend a very humble thanks to all of those who have given us feedback over the course of the preview, beta and release candidate. With your help, I know we’ve turned out an awesome release and I can’t wait to see what you will deploy using 4.0.
Thanks,
Matt