SirixDB addresses the challenge of managing historical data in databases, where traditional systems overwrite or complicate access to past states. It offers an embeddable, bitemporal, append-only database system that stores immutable, space-efficient snapshots of every resource revision. This allows users, from engineers to researchers, to query any historical state as quickly as the latest, providing a robust solution for audit trails, versioning, and temporal analytics.

How It Works

SirixDB employs an append-only, log-structured storage mechanism combined with structural sharing via copy-on-write. When data is modified, only changed pages are written, while unchanged pages are referenced from previous revisions. This approach ensures that every revision is a first-class, queryable citizen, eliminating the need for event replay or log scanning. The system uniquely supports bitemporal data, tracking both transaction time (when data was committed) and valid time (when data was true in the real world), enabling precise historical and temporal queries.

Quick Start & Requirements

SirixDB can be deployed via native CLI binaries (sirix-cli, sirix-shell), a Dockerized REST server, or as an embedded Java library. Building native binaries requires GraalVM, while general development necessitates Java 25+ and Gradle 9.1+. The REST API includes a bundled Keycloak instance for local development, requiring self-signed certificate handling (curl -k). Official documentation, website, Discord, and forum links are available for detailed setup and usage.

Highlighted Details

• Bitemporal Data: Built-in support for tracking both transaction time and valid time, enabling complex historical queries.
• Query Language: Extends JSONiq/XQuery with temporal axis functions for navigating and querying historical data.
• AI Agent Integration: Features a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for direct integration with AI agents, offering O(1) disposable snapshots and time-travel reads.
• Web Interface: A dedicated GUI visualizes revision history and diffs, accessible via Docker.
• Merkle Hash Verification: Optional feature for tamper detection and efficient change tracking.

Maintenance & Community

The project is actively developed, currently at version 1.0.0-alpha, with APIs stabilizing towards a 1.0 release. It is maintained by Johannes Lichtenberger and the open-source community, originating from a university research project. Community support is available via Discord, a Forum, and GitHub Issues. Sponsorship opportunities are listed on Open Collective.

Licensing & Compatibility

SirixDB is released under the permissive BSD 3-Clause License, allowing for broad compatibility with commercial and closed-source applications.

Limitations & Caveats

As a 1.0.0-alpha release, the on-disk format and public APIs are still stabilizing, indicating potential for future breaking changes. The bundled security components (Keycloak, demo users, self-signed certificate) are explicitly for local development and require replacement for production deployments. Building native binaries requires a specific GraalVM setup, and the build requirements specify relatively recent versions of Java (25+) and Gradle (9.1+).