MariaDB is an open-source relational database management system that was created to be more open and community-focused than its predecessor, MySQL. It was founded in 2009 by the original developers of MySQL after Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems. MariaDB aims to preserve the open nature of MySQL by using an open governance model and keeping its code open source under GPL. It has become the default database in several major Linux distributions and is available on major cloud platforms. MariaDB provides an enterprise-grade database with high availability, performance, scalability and security features.