Nextgen Database Performance - Speed and Scale
As enterprise workloads grow in complexity and scale, ServiceNow is making a strategic shift in its data layer with the introduction of RaptorDB Professional, a next-generation database engineered specifically for the Now Platform. This evolution marks a transition from the earlier MariaDB-based architecture to a modern, high-performance database built for speed, scale, and real-time intelligence.
From MariaDB to RaptorDB: Why the Shift?
MariaDB served as a reliable transactional database for traditional ServiceNow workloads. However, with increasing demand for real-time analytics, AI-driven insights, and large-scale data processing, enterprises require a database capable of handling both transactional and analytical workloads simultaneously.
RaptorDB addresses this gap by introducing a Hybrid Transactional Analytical Processing (HTAP) model eliminating the need for separate analytics systems, complex integrations, and data replication layers. It is built on PostgreSQL with proprietary enhancements, making it more future-ready and scalable than traditional relational architectures.
Key Innovations in RaptorDB
RaptorDB brings several powerful capabilities:
- Integrated Column-Store Index: Efficiently indexes and compresses large datasets, enabling up to 27X faster analytics and reporting
- Parallel Processing: Distributes workloads across CPUs, improving performance and enabling large-scale concurrent analytics
- HTAP Architecture: Runs transactions and analytics on the same dataset, reducing data silos and integration overhead
Performance Breakthroughs
Organizations upgrading to RaptorDB can expect tangible performance improvements:
- Up to 53% faster transaction times
- Up to 27X faster reports, dashboards, and list views
- Up to 3X increase in transactional throughput, supporting more users and workflows
Customer Benefits
The upgrade to RaptorDB is largely seamless for customers but delivers significant value:
- Real-Time Decision Making: Run analytics directly on live operational data without delays
- Improved User Experience: Faster dashboards, quicker searches, and smoother workflows
- Reduced Complexity: Elimination of separate data warehouses and BI integrations
- Scalability for Growth: Confidently onboard more applications, users, and datasets without performance degradation
- Enhanced Productivity: Analysts and business users can query large datasets instantly and gain insights in seconds
How ServiceNow is Handling the Upgrade
ServiceNow is rolling out RaptorDB upgrades transparently and incrementally across instances, ensuring minimal disruption to customers. Applications, configurations, and data models remain intact, allowing organizations to benefit from enhanced performance without redevelopment.
RaptorDB Standard Vs Professional
For latest information always refer to ServiceNow Product Documentation
Conclusion
RaptorDB is not just a database upgrade—it is a foundational transformation of the ServiceNow data architecture. By converging transactions and analytics into a single, high-performance engine, ServiceNow empowers organizations to operate faster, scale efficiently, and unlock real-time insights from their data.
For ServiceNow customers, this means one thing: a smarter, faster, and more scalable Now Platform ready for the future.
Check the status in your instance
To check if your ServiceNow instance is running on RaptorDB or still on MariaDB. Please follow the below steps:
- As admin, log in your instance
- Add /replication.do to your instance URL
Value = postgresql -> #RaptorDB
Value = mySQL -> MariaDB
