Obsolete programs are powering 97% of US database systems — and the reason why won't surprise anyone
Nearly all US database administrators say they're running at least some outdated software as the security risks rise.
The majority (97%) of US database administrators are still using obsolete software, according to a new report by Percona. Despite this, businesses are hesitant to upgrade due to the perceived risks and costs involved. Percona warns that upgrading production databases can actually be a risky project, potentially introducing more operational issues than running unsupported software.
The biggest barriers to upgrading include cost, complexity, cloud costs, licensing fees, tool sprawl, and vendor lock-in. MySQL serves as a prime example, with its major architectural changes posing a significant challenge for users trying to update from version 5.7. While upgrading can be costly, it also poses security risks due to the sensitive information databases often hold.
However, 42% of Percona's respondents cited inefficiency as a current drawback, with downtime and latency further slowing them down. To address this, organizations must begin planning their migrations, starting the process of consolidation and improving operational efficiency and costs.
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