Question MariaDB upgrade 11.4 from 10.11.13

[tanasis]

Server operating system version

AlmaLinux 8.10 (Cerulean Leopard)

Plesk version and microupdate number

Plesk Obsidian 18.0.71 Update #2

Hello everyone,


I’m currently running Plesk Obsidian 18.0.71 on AlmaLinux 8.10 with MariaDB 10.11.13 (LTS).
The Plesk interface is offering me an upgrade to MariaDB 11.4 LTS.


On my server, I host multiple websites:

• OpenCart 2.x (not to many...)
• OpenCart 3.x
• WordPress sites

From what I can see, MariaDB 11.4 offers improvements like a new cost-based optimizer, replication improvements, and extended TIMESTAMP ranges. However, I’m aware that sometimes major version upgrades can introduce compatibility issues, especially with older platforms like OpenCart 2.x.


My questions:

1. For my setup (OC 2.x, OC 3.x, and WP), is it worth upgrading now to 11.4 LTS?
2. Or should I wait a bit longer for more minor releases (11.4.x) to ensure maximum stability?
3. Have you experienced any compatibility issues or noticeable performance changes after upgrading from 10.11 to 11.4 in similar environments?

Any feedback, experiences, or best practices are highly appreciated.


Thanks in advance!

 

[scsa20]

Anything that's LTS is always stable, why Plesk never releases anything that isn't in LTS to ensure stability. The question is, does the features it offers something you want to upgrade to? It also depends on your overall environment.

I, personally, just like to make sure I'm on the latest versions to ensure everything is patched and have the features available. I personally haven't noticed any difference between 10.11 and 11.4 and acts just as normal.

 

[ethereal]

I upgraded several dedicated servers running Ubuntu 24 from MariaDB 10.11.13 to MariaDB 11.4.8, and the process went very smoothly.

 

[tristansilkstream]

In a production environment with high traffic sites, I tend to avoid major version increments until nearing end of life or I need newer features. I manage a lot of bespoke systems which really need testing on newer SQL versions so I'd rather not have to deal with upgrade issues. If you're using open source software, this probably doesn't apply to you, just check that the versions of Wordpress and OpenCart you're using will support MariaDB 11.4.

If your SQL performance is slower than desired or you use replication, it might be worth upgrading. The extended TIMESTAMP ranges are also a nice bit of future proofing but I expect you'd upgrade the database before 2038 regardless.