Open source cloud native SQL database CockroachDB announced modify open source protocol , adding restrictions for commercial use.
The situation before and MongoDB because of dissatisfaction with AWS and other cloud vendors beneficiary of the modified open source license similar , Cockroach official said in the past and open source software combined with standardized business model of a company may not have a large platform in the circumstances surrounding an open source core products to build their businesses and to provide the goods and services (XX as a service), but now the situation has changed, some large companies can directly highly integrated competitor in the open source core software business, and the service of its form (XX as a Service) provided to the user .
In response to this type of competition, Cockroach core source code open source license to modify, change from the original Apache-2.0 protocol BSL (Bussiness Source License), under the agreement, CockroachDB users can expand to any number of nodes CockroachDB you can use CockroachDB or embed it into their applications, whether those applications will be distributed to customers or to run as a service, it can even internally run as a service. But the only can not do that in the absence of authorization provided in the form of a commercial database as a service (DBaaS) with CockroachDB .
Today, we’re adopting an extremely permissive version of the Business Source License (BSL). CockroachDB users can scale CockroachDB to any number of nodes. They can use CockroachDB or embed it in their applications (whether they ship those applications to customers or run them as a service). They can even run it as a service internally. The one and only thing that you cannot do is offer a commercial version of CockroachDB as a service without buying a license.
At the same time, also has a rolling BSL time limit, in particular to CockroachDB, each version released after three years based BSL, License switches open protocol standard definition Apache-2.0. This initiative on the one hand can make CockroachDB official to maintain a competitive DBaaS, on the other hand also ensures CockroachDB core or purely open source projects.
BSL is a MariaDB's License, it is essentially closed source and open source model Open Core "middle mode", but also has been recognized by Bruce Perens, founder of OSI. Under the BSL, the source is always free, and ensure that at some point in time will become "true" open source (OSI open source definition), this time node is "rolling time limit" mentioned earlier, the performance CockroachDB version is released three years.
BSL below the level specified in always completely free of charge, over a specified level of use requires a commercial license until the rolling time limit expires, then all usage behavior of the project are free.
DETAILED CockroachDB explained:
Our current code BSL protection CockroachDB not be used as DBaaS without the authorization of the company for three years. Three years later, this limit is invalid, the code becomes open source (based on our current Apache open source license), it can be used for any purpose.
We refer to this License applies to CockroachDB kernel version (ie, the current code under the Apache 2.0 open source license), which means that no longer core CockroachDB the OSI open source definition, although the full source code is still available, and in addition to the construction of DBaaS In addition, allows any commercial purposes.
For more information about BSL, you can view: