Let me start-off with the big news first. Couchbase Server 2.0 is here!  I am thrilled to announce the availability of this major release. Couchbase Server 2.0 transforms Couchbase into a document database allowing users to build richer and more powerful web and mobile applications.  You can now use Couchbase either as a key-value store or a document database based on your application requirements.

So what are the new features? 2.0 adds a flexible data model with native support for JSON documents. Using documents, you can model your data exactly as it’s represented in the application, as objects and entities. In addition, you can easily index and query JSON documents.  Users can filter documents by specific values, or range of values. Indexing in 2.0 supports several use cases including primary index, secondary indexes and complex indexes using composite keys. Also, using incremental Map Reduce you can compute basic aggregation using built-in reduce functions, time-based rollups and infuse your apps simple real-time analytical features. Our updated SDKs include new APIs for indexing and querying data as well. 

Couchbase Server 2.0 also adds support for Cross Data Center Replication (XDCR), a feature that many, many users have asked for. XDCR will help you get your data closer to your users no matter where in the world they are. Plus, you no longer have to worry about disasters taking your entire data center down. Now you can replicate all your data across clusters in multiple datacenters for disaster recovery or data aggregation. We support both unidirectional and bi-directional replication with a master-master setup.

It’s exciting to see all the different applications Couchbase Server 2.0 will power. Throughout our Beta program, we have received early feedback about the product from several of our customers like McGraw Hill Education, Tencent and Orbitz. McGraw Hill Education for example is trying out new approaches to technology to pioneer new ways of teaching and learning.  They are particularly excited about Couchbase’s flexible data model with features like indexing and querying, full-text search integration and incremental Map Reduce on which they can develop content-rich, highly dynamic applications.

Orbitz on the other hand is looking at expanding their highly available applications across multiple data centers. XDCR will allow them to easily distribute information across data centers – protecting them against data center outages and also bringing information closer to their users for a better user experience.

I hope to see many more applications using Couchbase Server 2.0 in the coming months. To learn more, join me at our upcoming webinar that introduces Couchbase Server 2.0 with a tour of the product and live demo.

Till then, here are some resources to get you started.

• Download 2.0 - http://www.couchbase.com/download 
• Get started - http://www.couchbase.com/docs/couchbase-manual-2.0/couchbase-getting-started.html
• Learn more about 2.0 - http://www.couchbase.com/couchbase-server/overview
• Register for the Tour and Demo webinar - http://info.couchbase.com/Introducing-Couchbase-Server_2.html
• 2.0 documentation - http://www.couchbase.com/docs/couchbase-manual-2.0/index.html
• 2.0 developer guide – http://www.couchbase.com/docs/couchbase-devguide-2.0/index.html
• 2.0 SDKs - http://www.couchbase.com/develop
• New in 2 whitepaper –http://www.couchbase.com/sites/default/files/uploads/all/whitepapers/Introducing-Couchbase-Server-2_0.pdf