IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

AliSQL: Alibaba's open-source MySQL with vector and DuckDB engines

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Key takeaways from the discussion

Theme What users said
Embedded columnar analytics boost productivity “having an embedded column database for analytics in your traditional db is a massive win for productivity + operations simplicity.” – dzonga
Choosing a column‑store solution “One option is TiDB. It has support for columnar data alongside row based data.” – travem
“Can tiger data be used just as a simple column store?” – tempest_
“pg_duckdb seems pretty clean, due to Postgres’ powerful extension mechanisms.” – linuxhansl
Integration & compatibility concerns “It is MySQL compatible, but not based on MySQL code so not quite what you asked for.” – travem
“All I want is effectively what clickhouse does in PG. I have a single table that I need fast counts on and clickhouse can do the counts fast but I have to go through the entire sync/replication to do that.” – tempest_

These three points capture the main opinions: the value of columnar analytics inside a relational DB, the available options and their trade‑offs, and the practical issues of compatibility and data movement.

🚀 Project Ideas

Generating project ideas…

PG‑ColumnStore

Summary

  • An open‑source PostgreSQL extension that adds a native columnar storage layer for selected tables, enabling sub‑second analytic queries without replication.
  • Provides a simple SQL interface, zero‑copy data movement, and native support for aggregates and bitmap indexes.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience PostgreSQL developers and ops teams needing fast analytics on existing tables.
Core Feature In‑process columnar storage engine with automatic compression and vectorized execution.
Tech Stack C/C++, PostgreSQL extension API, SIMD, optional Rust for safety.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue‑ready: subscription for enterprise support and managed hosting.

Notes

  • HN commenters want “fast counts on a single table” without replication; this extension delivers that directly inside PG.
  • The extension can be toggled per table, so legacy workloads remain unaffected.
  • Discussion potential: comparing performance vs pg_duckdb, Tiger Data, and TiDB.

MySQL ColumnStore

Summary

  • A MySQL storage engine plugin that implements a columnar data layout, providing ClickHouse‑style analytics while remaining MySQL‑compatible.
  • Eliminates the need for external replication or separate analytics clusters.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience MySQL users needing fast analytic queries on large tables.
Core Feature Columnar storage engine with vectorized query execution and bitmap indexes.
Tech Stack C++, MySQL storage engine API, optional Go for tooling.
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue‑ready: licensing for enterprise features and cloud‑managed service.

Notes

  • Addresses the frustration of “no MySQL equivalent to Tiger Data”.
  • Supports standard MySQL syntax; users can switch engines per table.
  • Could spark debate on MySQL vs TiDB compatibility.

DuckDB‑FDW

Summary

  • A PostgreSQL foreign data wrapper that embeds DuckDB as an in‑process analytics engine, allowing instant columnar queries on existing tables without replication.
  • Offers a drop‑in replacement for pg_duckdb with tighter integration and lower overhead.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience PostgreSQL admins who want fast analytics without external services.
Core Feature In‑process DuckDB engine accessed via FDW, supporting vectorized aggregates and bitmap indexes.
Tech Stack Rust (DuckDB core), PostgreSQL FDW API, C++.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby (open source) with optional paid support.

Notes

  • HN users mention “pg_duckdb seems pretty clean”; this wrapper improves on that by eliminating the FDW layer and providing native performance.
  • Enables quick “scan of TimeSeries” without complex setup.
  • Discussion potential: performance comparison, ease of use, and integration with existing pipelines.

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