Liquibase Unveils Liquibase Secure and Version 5.0: A New Era for Database Management
Liquibase, a pioneering name in the realm of database management, has recently launched Liquibase Secure, a comprehensive enterprise platform, alongside Liquibase 5.0. This significant release introduces two distinctive paths for the user community, reflecting the diverse needs of developers and enterprises alike.
Introducing Liquibase Secure
Liquibase Secure builds upon the foundation of the previous Liquibase Pro offering. It provides a unified solution structured around three critical pillars: Developer Productivity, Secure Automation, and Change Insights. This product is geared towards mission-critical applications and data products, emphasizing the importance of governance, security, and compliance.
New Distributions: Community vs. Secure
With the debut of Liquibase 5.0, users now have two product distributions at their disposal. Liquibase Community, which remains free and open source, has garnered over 100 million downloads, establishing it as a trusted tool among developers. Conversely, Liquibase Secure targets enterprise-grade environments, offering a suite of features including certified packaging, policy enforcement, drift detection, observability, and dedicated enterprise support.
Pete Pickerill, Co-Founder of Liquibase, succinctly explains the differentiation:
“Liquibase 5.0 formalizes the two paths we’ve seen in our community for years. Liquibase Community is for developers who want freedom and flexibility to manage database change on their own terms. Liquibase Secure is for enterprises that need speed with enterprise controls for governance, security, and compliance…”
Open Source Licensing and Its Implications
Liquibase has adopted the Functional Source License (FSL) for its Community version, aligning with other forward-thinking companies like Sentry and Codecov. This licensing model aims to keep the software free for developers while ensuring that third parties cannot monetize it without contributing to the project.
Patti Soch, CEO of Liquibase, emphasizes the significance of this decision:
“By adopting the Functional Source License, we are protecting the collaborative foundation of Liquibase while ensuring the project remains sustainable for the future.”
The Pillars of Liquibase Secure
Liquibase Secure is built around the three core pillars which embody the product’s vision:
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Developer Productivity: This pillar focuses on providing developers with autonomy while embedding essential guardrails in their workflows.
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Secure Automation: Ensures governance, security, and compliance are automatically integrated into database changes.
- Change Insights: Facilitates audit-ready visibility, making changes trustworthy, explainable, and observable.
Liquibase recognizes that while many security tools concentrate on runtime data access, few regulate the governance of structural changes to databases. Liquibase Secure addresses this by enforcing policy checks with each schema change and generating tamper-evident audit trails, making it tailored for organizations navigating complex regulatory frameworks.
AI-Ready Capabilities
In a landscape increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, Liquibase Secure is designed to ensure databases are AI-ready. By enforcing schema standards and maintaining version control across more than 60 data platforms, Liquibase enables organizations to uphold reliable and compliant data structures suitable for AI applications.
Additionally, the introduction of the Liquibase AI Changelog Generator—currently in private preview—translates natural language descriptions into production-ready Liquibase XML changes. This innovation is set to streamline DevOps workflows and minimize manual effort.
Developer Self-Service Enhancements
To boost developer independence, Liquibase Secure 5.0 introduces the Liquibase Secure Developer extension for Visual Studio Code. This integration allows developers to manage schemas, review histories, and enforce policies directly within their development environment. Features like Liquibase Flows and Policy Checks empower developers while ensuring oversight from compliance teams.
To facilitate better onboarding experiences, Liquibase has revitalized its documentation, providing a user-friendly Get Started guide and improving navigation for teams transitioning between Community and Secure offerings.
Application-Based Pricing
Transitioning to a more user-centric pricing model, Liquibase Secure employs application-based pricing. This system aims to align costs with the operational dynamics of development teams, rather than the traditional infrastructure-based charges. This shift offers organizations the flexibility to scale their use of the platform as they centralize change management and unify delivery across the enterprise.
Availability of Liquibase Secure and Version 5.0
Both Liquibase Secure and Liquibase 5.0 are now available, with comprehensive details accessible through the company’s documentation and product pages. This launch marks a significant milestone for Liquibase, solidifying its commitment to equipping developers and enterprises with the tools necessary for modern database management.
