"State of XTDB" by Jon Pither

XTDB is an immutable database implemented in Clojure. Inspired by Datomic, but a different animal. Launched in 2019, it's bitemporal and document-based, built with the 'database inside-out' mantra of exposing internal components as swappable parts.
We've learned a lot, first and foremost that building a database is hard! Clojure has been a true super-weapon, allowing us to iterate quickly and prototype new approaches with ease. It's what's made this epic task - building something as complex as a database with a small dedicated team - actually possible.
XTDB is evolving. We've been proving concepts through a research project code-named "Core 2" (www.xtdb.com/v2), with a new query engine, new storage mode, and more powerful temporal functionality. Our goal is to advance XTDB, given all that we've learned, and to make a database that gives users new fundamental capabilities.
In the talk I'll reflect on what we've learned so far building XTDB, and where we're taking XTDB next.