Alopex DB¶
Silent. Adaptive. Unbreakable.¶
The unified database engine that scales from a single embedded file to a globally distributed cluster.
Native SQL, Vector Search, and HNSW indexing in one Rust-based engine.
CLI Defaults¶
On a TTY, the CLI launches the TUI by default; use --batch or --output to force batch output. In the results TUI, press a to open the admin console when available. The status bar emphasizes Connection/Focus/Action and Ops so you can see the current target and primary actions at a glance. The admin console uses a rainfrog-style layout (left resource tree, right detail input, right-bottom status/preview) with h/l focus switching.
Current Status¶
v0.7.6 Released — Cluster-Aware + gRPC Cluster Administration (July 2026)
Alopex DB v0.7.6 is out! The v0.6/v0.7 series delivered SQL JOIN & subqueries on a new Nim FFI SQL parser, the alopex-cluster crate, a mode-parity verification suite, and gRPC cluster administration. Every release ships prebuilt CLI binaries (Linux / macOS / Windows) and Python wheels.
# Rust
cargo add alopex-embedded alopex-sql alopex-server alopex-cluster
# Python
pip install alopex
alopex-embedded alopex-sql alopex-server alopex-cluster alopex-chirps CLI Binaries
The Problem¶
Modern AI applications require multiple database technologies—creating complexity, inconsistency, and operational overhead.
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Traditional Approach
- SQLite for local storage
- Vector DB for embeddings
- Graph DB for relationships
- Distributed SQL for scale
4+ systems to manage, sync, and maintain
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The Alopex Way
- One unified engine
- Seamless topology migration
- Single API everywhere
- Native multi-model support
One engine that adapts to your scale
Key Features¶
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Native Vector + HNSW
VECTOR(N)is a first-class data type with ACID transactions. HNSW indexing for high-performance similarity search with hybrid SQL queries. -
SQL Frontend
Full SQL support with DDL/DML, JOIN & subqueries,
vector_similarity()function, and Top-K optimization. Published on crates.io. -
Columnar Storage
Optimized columnar segments with compression, statistics, and predicate pushdown for analytical workloads.
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Pure Rust Engine
Memory-safe, high-performance, and portable. Custom LSM-Tree storage optimized for vector workloads.
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ACID Transactions
Full transactional guarantees across SQL, vector, and KV operations. MVCC with Snapshot Isolation for concurrent access.
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Chirps Mesh Network
QUIC-based cluster communication with SWIM protocol for membership. Raft-ready transport with priority streams.
Any Scale, One Engine¶
Start small, scale infinitely—without changing your data model or application code.
| Mode | Use Case | Architecture |
|---|---|---|
| Browser Data Exploration | Read-only viewer with IndexedDB caching | |
| Mobile Apps, Local RAG, Edge Devices | Single Binary / Library (like SQLite) | |
| Microservices, Dev/Test Environments | Standalone Server (HTTP/gRPC) | |
| High Availability, Read-heavy Workloads | Primary-Replica with automatic failover | |
| Large-Scale Production | Multi-Raft Cluster (Range Sharding) |
Learn more about deployment modes
SQL + Vector in Action¶
Roadmap¶
gantt
title Alopex DB Development Timeline
dateFormat YYYY-MM
axisFormat %Y-%m
section Foundation
v0.1-v0.2 Core :done, 2025-01, 2025-10
v0.3 SQL + HNSW :done, 2025-10, 2025-12
section Python & Server
v0.3.3 Python Wrapper :done, 2025-12, 2025-12
v0.4 Server + DataFrame :done, 2026-01, 2026-01
v0.5 GROUP BY + DataFrame P1 :done, 2026-01, 2026-01
section Distributed
v0.6 SQL JOIN + Nim Parser :done, 2026-07, 2026-07
v0.7 Cluster-aware :done, 2026-07, 2026-07
v0.8 Metadata Raft :2026-10, 2026-12
v1.0 GA :milestone, 2027-03, 0d What's Complete¶
| Version | Features | Status |
|---|---|---|
| v0.1-v0.2 | Embedded KV, WAL, MVCC, Vector (Flat), Columnar | |
| v0.3 | SQL Frontend, HNSW Index, Embedded Integration | |
| v0.3.3 | Python Wrapper (alopex-py), CLI | |
| v0.4.0 | Server Mode, DataFrame API, Async/Stream | |
| v0.5.0 | GROUP BY/Aggregation, DataFrame P1 (JOIN/sort/null) | |
| v0.6.0 | SQL JOIN & Subqueries, Nim FFI SQL Parser | |
| v0.7.x | alopex-cluster, Mode-Parity Suite, gRPC Cluster Admin | |
| Chirps v0.5 | Gossip, SWIM, Membership, Raft Consensus API |
What's Next¶
| Version | Features | Target |
|---|---|---|
| v0.8 | Metadata Raft, MultiRaftManager Integration | Q4 2026 |
| v0.9 | Multi-Raft (Range Partitioning), CRDT | Q1 2027 |
| v1.0 | General Availability | 2027 |
Python Support (Available Now)¶
Chirps — Cluster Foundation¶
Alopex Chirps is the control plane for distributed Alopex DB clusters.
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SWIM Protocol
Failure detection via ping/ack/ping-req with configurable timeouts. Scalable membership management.
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QUIC Transport
TLS 1.3, 0-RTT resumption, multiplexed streams. Priority channels for Raft consensus.
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Raft Consensus
Raft-ready transport with StateMachine/RaftStorage traits. WAL-based persistent storage.
Learn about Chirps architecture
Skulk — Time-Series Companion¶
Alopex Skulk is the time-series database of the Alopex family — built on Alopex Core for monitoring, IoT, and log analysis workloads.
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Gorilla Compression
10:1+ compression ratio with Delta-of-Delta timestamps and XOR-encoded values, stored in a TSM engine on Alopex Core.
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Automatic Lifecycle
Time-based TTL and cascading downsampling (1s → 1h → 1d). Data is treated as a consumable with a natural expiry.
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PromQL + SQL-TS
Prometheus-compatible queries plus SQL extensions:
TIME_BUCKET,RATE,DELTA,FIRST,LAST.
Alopex Data UI — One Interface for Data Apps¶
One interface, wherever the data moves. Alopex Data UI is the newest member of the family: a consistent UI model for data applications. Adapters translate schema, queries, filters, selections, and editable records into one DataSource contract, so forms, grids, charts, graphs, and maps evolve as one coherent system — whether data arrives from Alopex DB, DuckDB, an API, or a file.
Currently in early development — the concept and component model are published on the project site.
Visit Alopex Data UI View on GitHub
Alopex Enterprise — Beyond OSS¶
The Alopex platform is not OSS-only. Alopex Enterprise — commercial middleware built on the Alopex OSS foundation — is currently in design:
Security Suite — physical & logical storage encryption (AES-GCM, XChaCha20), identity with JWT / OIDC / RBAC
Unified Query Model — one engine for SQL / AQL / PromQL, with Enterprise Search (full-text, vector, aggregation)
Observe (SRE) — SLO engine, error budgets, and automated actions
Infrastructure Packages — distributed config store (etcd/ZK compatible), service discovery + internal DNS
Design phase — no fixed delivery dates yet. Interested in early conversations? Get in touch.
Join the Pack¶
Alopex DB is open-source under the Apache 2.0 License.
We welcome contributions from engineers passionate about Rust, Distributed Systems, and Vector Search.
Contributing Guide GitHub Discussions