📊 HiddenMerit Daily · Issue 42

Focus on Database Frontiers, Practical Insights for DBAs June 12, 2026 ｜ 5 Selected Global Breaking News

01｜AI Reshapes the Underlying Logic of Databases: Industry Evolves from “Warehouse” to “Intelligent Infrastructure”

On June 11, Xinhua Finance published an in‑depth report titled “AI Reshapes the Underlying Logic, Databases Ride the Wind Again.” The report points out that when enterprises no longer just ask “can we store the data,” but “can large models directly use my data to answer questions,” databases – seemingly mundane foundational software – are once again riding the wind.

Core Views:

• Agents are the New Users: Wang Yicheng, Vice President of Tencent Cloud, stated that the industry is redesigning database product capability systems with agents as the new users, and the database industry is entering the AI 3.0 era.
• Profound Change in the Database Mission: In the past, databases served programmers, BI systems, and deterministic business processes. In the future, a more important task is to enable data to be understood and used by hundreds or thousands of agents.
• “Agent + Database” is the Future Software Paradigm: Zhou Aoying, Fellow of the CCF and Director of the Database Committee, pointed out that future software will be “agent + database,” and databases should become a reliable, accessible, and efficient infrastructure like the power grid.

Two Major Technology Paths in the Industry:

1. AI‑Integrated: Adding AI capabilities to traditional relational databases. Representative products include Dameng DM9, Alibaba Cloud PolarDB, OceanBase, and Tencent Cloud TDSQL.
2. AI‑Native Vector Databases: Designed from scratch, converting text and images into “digital fingerprints” for semantic retrieval. Representative products include Tencent Cloud Vector Database, Zilliz, etc.

Market Size Forecast: According to data from the “AI‑Native Database Development Trends White Paper” jointly released by IDC and Mobile Cloud, the Chinese database market is projected to reach $10.6 billion in 2026, with the domestic replacement rate exceeding 70%, shifting from “Xinchuang replacement” to “AI‑driven incremental support.”

• DBA Perspective: This report provides DBAs with a macro framework for understanding industry change. The judgement that “agents are the new users” echoes the concept of “taking agents as new users” reported in Issues 39 and 41 of our publication. For DBAs, this means that the primary access subjects of databases in the future will shift from “humans” to “AI agents,” requiring DBAs to redesign database permission governance systems, audit tracking mechanisms, and resource isolation strategies. The report’s statement that “databases should become infrastructure like the power grid” means the DBA role will evolve from “administrator” to “infrastructure architect.”

• CTO Perspective: The IDC forecast of a $10.6 billion Chinese database market with a domestic replacement rate exceeding 70% provides CTOs with a macro‑quantitative basis for formulating medium‑ to long‑term Xinchuang plans. The comparison of the two technology paths in the report – AI‑integrated vs. AI‑native vector databases – also provides CTOs with a clear decision‑making framework for technology selection.

• Investor Perspective: The shift of databases from “Xinchuang replacement” to “AI‑driven incremental support” means that the valuation logic for domestic database vendors is upgrading from “policy‑driven” to “technology‑driven.” With the market projected to reach $10.6 billion in 2026, the growth space for leading vendors remains vast. The technology path choices of leading players such as Tencent Cloud, Dameng, and OceanBase in this AI transformation will determine their valuation differentiation in the capital market.

Source: China Financial Information Network / Shanghai Securities News

02｜OceanBase Launches “AI‑Integrated Data Solution for Central and State‑owned Enterprises,” Over 30 Central SOEs Entrust Core Systems to OceanBase

On June 11, at the “2026 Information Technology Application Innovation Development Conference” held in Jinan, Shandong, OceanBase’s “Provincial Government Cloud Integrated Database Platform Solution” was selected as a “Typical Solution” in the “2025 Information Technology Application Innovation Solutions” category, receiving authoritative recognition from the Cybersecurity Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). On the same day, OceanBase officially launched its “AI‑Integrated Data Solution for Central and State‑owned Enterprises.”

Key Data:

• Coverage of Central SOEs: Among nearly 100 central SOEs nationwide, over 30 have entrusted their core systems to OceanBase, with hundreds of central and state‑owned enterprises using OceanBase to run key business systems, covering industries such as telecommunications, transportation, and energy.
• Civil Aviation Sector: China Travelsky’s core system has been upgraded to a distributed domestic system based on OceanBase, ensuring safe travel for over 700 million air passengers annually, covering the entire process from booking and check‑in to boarding. China Southern Airlines and Sichuan Airlines have subsequently followed suit.
• Telecommunications Industry: OceanBase serves one‑third of China Mobile’s provincial companies, supporting the daily communications of nearly 600 million users. Through cooperation with China Unicom, it covers over 1,000 nodes and more than 300 core systems.
• Energy Sector: Sinopec’s new generation smart fuel card system runs on OceanBase, covering nearly 30,000 gas stations nationwide, processing 50,000 transactions per minute, and achieving 8‑fold savings in storage costs.
• Electric Power Industry: Achieves full‑chain coverage from power generation and transmission to consumption, stably supporting critical businesses such as power market trading and equipment management.

Core of the Solution: Building a unified digital foundation based on an “AI database” to support a range of AI‑driven innovation scenarios, including business management and control, supply chains, asset operations, and data intelligence, helping central and state‑owned enterprises upgrade from ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) to DRP (Data Resource Planning) . According to a CCID Consulting report, OceanBase was rated as the “Number One Local Vendor in Development Capability and Market Position for Central and State‑owned Enterprises.”

• DBA Perspective: Over 30 central SOEs choosing OceanBase for their core systems means that large‑scale replacement by domestic distributed databases in key sectors of the national economy has moved from “pilot projects” to “batch delivery.” For DBAs, this means that O&M positions for domestic databases are shifting from “edge systems” to “core systems.” The data from Sinopec – 30,000 gas stations and 50,000 transactions per minute – is an important reference for DBAs evaluating OceanBase’s stability in high‑concurrency scenarios. The case of 8‑fold storage cost savings also provides a quantitative basis for DBAs conducting TCO analysis during technology selection.

• CTO Perspective: OceanBase’s penetration rate in central SOE core systems (over 30 out of nearly 100) has exceeded 30%, confirming that the reliability of domestic distributed databases in vital industries such as telecommunications, transportation, and energy has been validated by leading users. The case of Travelsky ensuring travel for 700 million passengers provides a benchmark reference for CTOs making selections in high‑availability scenarios such as civil aviation and transportation. The concept of upgrading from ERP to DRP (Data Resource Planning) is also worth deep consideration by CTOs when planning enterprise data strategies.

• Investor Perspective: OceanBase receiving the “Typical Solution” certification from the MIIT Cybersecurity Center, combined with the data of over 30 central SOEs entrusting their core systems, further solidifies its leading position in the Xinchuang market. Its horizontal expansion path from government services (covering 22 provinces) to central and state‑owned enterprises (30+ central SOEs) is clear. CCID Consulting’s “Number One Local Vendor” evaluation provides authoritative endorsement for OceanBase’s valuation in the capital market.

Source: IT168 & CNR

03｜DB-Engines H1 2026 Database Growth Ranking: PostgreSQL Leads, Followed by Databricks, MongoDB, Snowflake

On June 10, DB-Engines released its H1 2026 database technology growth ranking. PostgreSQL topped the list with a score increase of +21.97 , becoming the fastest‑growing database technology in the first half of the year.

Full Top 10 List:

Trend Interpretation: PostgreSQL continues to solidify its position as the leading open‑source database platform. The strong performance of Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, and Snowflake reflects growing market demand for unified data platforms capable of supporting advanced analytics and AI‑driven workloads. Redgate advocate Kellyn Gorman commented: “PostgreSQL’s continued growth is not surprising; it’s a testament to the progress of open‑source technology. The performance of Databricks, Fabric, and Snowflake tells us an important story: organisations are no longer just thinking about databases – they are thinking about the entire data and analytics ecosystem.”

• DBA Perspective: PostgreSQL’s leadership in the H1 growth ranking confirms our repeated judgement in previous issues – PostgreSQL is becoming the data foundation winner in the AI era. For DBAs, this means PostgreSQL skills will be one of the most “value‑preserving and enhancing” technical储备 over the next 3‑5 years. The rise of cloud data platforms such as Databricks and Snowflake also indicates that DBAs need to include “cloud‑native data platforms” in their skill tree expansion.

• CTO Perspective: In the top five of the ranking, five different technology paths – PostgreSQL (open‑source relational), Databricks (lakehouse), MongoDB (document), Fabric (unified analytics platform), and Snowflake (cloud data warehouse) – all appear, indicating that the database market is in a diversified development stage with “a hundred flowers blooming.” When selecting technology, CTOs should prioritise technology stacks with high community activity and strong growth momentum.

• Investor Perspective: The inclusion of Databricks (+16.04) and Snowflake (+6.78) in the ranking echoes the high valuations of the two companies in the capital market. PostgreSQL’s continued growth provides a vast market space for commercial service companies in the PG ecosystem. Investors should focus on companies providing managed services, migration tools, and performance optimisation products in the PG ecosystem.

Source: Redgate (DB-Engines Official Press Release)

04｜Dameng Continues to Apply for AI Database Patents, Comprehensive Layout from “Intelligent O&M” to “Online Data Editing”

On June 10, information from the China National Intellectual Property Administration showed that Wuhan Dameng Database Co., Ltd. has recently公开 multiple patents:

“An AI‑Based Database Intelligent Operation and Maintenance Method and Device” (CN122173469A) :

• Multi‑dimensional data collection: performance metrics, system logs, SQL execution statistics, etc.;
• Feature integration and collaborative analysis: integrates multi‑dimensional features into feature vectors, performs collaborative analysis to obtain detection results, predicted events, and anomaly events;
• Root cause reasoning: performs reasoning on anomaly events to determine the root cause;
• Self‑healing execution: dynamically selects a self‑healing strategy from a strategy library and uses automated scripts to restore the database.

“A Database‑Based Online Data Editing Method and Device” (CN122173586A) .

“A Distributed Exploration Method and Device for Multi‑Source Heterogeneous Spatial Data in a Database” (CN122112099A) .

Dameng, founded in 2000 and listed on the STAR Market in June 2024, is a leading domestic database product development service provider. In 2025, its revenue was RMB 1.306 billion, net profit RMB 515 million, with software product usage authorisation revenue accounting for 92.55% of total revenue.

• DBA Perspective: Dameng’s AI intelligent O&M patent represents a paradigm shift in database operations from “passive firefighting” to “active self‑healing.” The “root cause reasoning + dynamic self‑healing strategy selection” mechanism proposed in the patent means that future databases will have “self‑diagnosis” and “self‑repair” capabilities. For DBAs, the focus of work will shift from “repetitive troubleshooting” to “strategy library construction” – defining what anomalies trigger what self‑healing strategies, setting circuit‑breaker boundaries for self‑healing operations, and auditing the execution traces of AI self‑healing.

• CTO Perspective: Dameng’s patent layout in the AI O&M direction complements the technical approach of Tencent Cloud’s DatabaseClaw (AI Agent takeover of O&M) reported in previous issues. Dameng’s chosen “root cause reasoning + self‑healing execution” route focuses more on automation closed loops at the database kernel level. When planning intelligent database O&M systems, CTOs can choose different paths based on their technology stack characteristics.

• Investor Perspective: Dameng’s continued patent investment in the AI direction one year after its listing is a signal that domestic databases are transitioning from “domestic replacement” to “technology leadership.” The design concept of the “self‑healing strategy library” in the patent essentially productises and makes replicable the expert experience of DBAs, which will lower the O&M barrier for enterprises using domestic databases. The 2025 net profit of RMB 515 million also provides strong valuation support for Dameng in the domestic database track.

Source: China National Intellectual Property Administration & Sina Finance

05｜CITIC Securities Research Report: Database’s Position as Software‑Layer AI Infrastructure Difficult to Replace

On June 9, CITIC Securities released a research report stating that in the context of large models reshaping the traditional software development process, the position of databases as software‑layer AI infrastructure is difficult to replace. Soft‑hard integrated infrastructure companies providing compute hardware and compute scheduling software are worth attention. At the same time, as an industry accompanying large models, companies engaged in data collection, annotation, cleaning, and upper‑layer applications and knowledge graph development are expected to see project opportunities explode.

Core Views:

• Databases are a key part of AI infrastructure; their core capabilities of storage, query, and transaction processing cannot be replaced by large models.
• Soft‑hard integrated infrastructure companies (providing compute hardware + compute scheduling software) have differentiated competitive advantages in the AI era.
• The data services industry chain (collection, annotation, cleaning, knowledge graphs), as an industry accompanying large models, is expected to see a project explosion.

The research report recommends focusing on databases, soft‑hard integrated infrastructure, and data services industry chain companies.

• DBA Perspective: The judgement in the CITIC Securities research report that “database’s position as software‑layer AI infrastructure is difficult to replace” provides macro‑level endorsement for DBAs’ career security. AI will not make DBAs unemployed, but will redefine the content of DBAs’ work – shifting from “manual O&M” to “AI infrastructure strategy management.”

• CTO Perspective: The research report’s emphasis on “soft‑hard integrated infrastructure” echoes the full‑stack Xinchuang procurement model of “domestic CPU + domestic OS + domestic DB + domestic middleware” at Jieyang Third Hospital reported in previous issues. When planning AI infrastructure, CTOs should prioritise the compatibility and long‑term evolution capability of soft‑hard integrated solutions.

• Investor Perspective: The endorsement of the database’s AI infrastructure position by a leading brokerage research report provides authoritative backing for the investment logic in the database track. It is recommended to focus on companies with “soft‑hard integrated” delivery capabilities and a complete data services industry chain layout.

Source: Securities Times / People Fintech

📚 SQL Little Knowledge Point

This Issue’s Knowledge Point: What is DRP (Data Resource Planning)?

DRP (Data Resource Planning) is a new concept proposed by OceanBase in its “AI‑Integrated Data Solution for Central and State‑owned Enterprises,” aiming to replace traditional ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning).

The Essential Difference Between ERP and DRP:

The Three Core Capabilities of DRP:

1. Full Circulation of Data Assets: Breaks down departmental data silos, enabling cross‑system, cross‑level data sharing.
2. Transparent Supervision: Full‑chain traceability and auditability from underlying data to upper‑level decisions.
3. AI‑Native Support: Provides real‑time, integrated, multi‑modal data foundations for AI agents.

Significance for DBAs: In the DRP era, DBAs will no longer be just “database administrators,” but “data asset architects” – responsible for designing data circulation paths, formulating data governance rules, and ensuring data quality and security.

The concept of moving “from ERP to DRP” proposed by OceanBase essentially upgrades the database from a “backend storage system” to “core enterprise decision infrastructure.”

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