Apache ShardingSphere is positioned as a Database Plus, and aims at building a new criterion and ecosystem above multi-model databases. [02]

It focuses on how to reuse existing databases and their respective upper layer, rather than creating a new database.

The concepts at the core of the project are Connect, Enhance and Pluggable:

• Connect: flexible adaptation of database protocol, SQL dialect and database storage. It can quickly connect applications and multi-mode heterogeneous databases.

• Enhance: capture database access entry to provide additional features transparently, such as: redirect (sharding, readwrite-splitting and shadow), transform (data encrypt and mask), authentication (security, audit and authority), governance (circuit breaker and access limitation and analyze, QoS and observability).

• Pluggable: Leveraging the micro kernel and 3 layers pluggable mode, features and database ecosystem can be embedded flexibily. Developers can customize their ShardingSphere just like building with LEGO blocks.

ShardingSphere became an Apache Top-Level Project on April 16, 2020.