Citing rival MongoDB Inc.’s recent decision to phase out support for its mobile database, Couchbase Inc. today is doubling down with updates to its Couchbase Mobile platform aimed at supporting edge applications in environments where internet access is limited or unavailable.

Key enhancements include JavaScript support for the Couchbase Lite embedded, document-based NoSQL database, improved peer-to-peer synchronization and multi-region deployment resilience.

Couchbase said the enhancements are aimed at simplifying the process of developing “offline-first” applications that operate across web browsers, mobile devices and edge environments. They’re designed to reduce integration complexity, improve failover performance and enable faster application deployment across diverse environments.

“These advancements provide customers with the most comprehensive mobile and edge support in the industry,” Matt McDonough, senior vice president of product at Couchbase, said in a statement.

JavaScript widens access

The addition of JavaScript support for Couchbase Lite allows developers to embed the database in browser-based applications, a first for the platform.

“Previously, we supported native mobile platforms like iOS and Android, and desktop platforms using Java and C,” said Priya Rajagopal, senior director of product management at Couchbase. “Now we’re expanding beyond mobile and desktop into the browser world with JavaScript.”

That means web applications can run offline in browsers like Chrome or Safari with the same synchronization features used in native apps. Rajagopal said many Couchbase customers already build for both web and mobile, and the new offering helps them avoid piecing together custom data synchronization solutions.

Enhancements to peer-to-peer synchronization are also featured in this release. Couchbase Lite can now auto-discover other devices on a network and adapt to changing topologies as users enter or leave a coverage area.

Couchbase in a coal mine

The system uses a mesh management algorithm that maintains indirect connections between devices, Rajagopal said. “We automatically adjust the mesh so that all devices are connected to other devices, even if not directly,” she said. She cited the example of underground mining operations, where internet access is nonexistent but workers still need to collaborate in real time.

The underlying synchronization protocol utilizes the bidirectional WebSockets protocol and a checkpointing mechanism to prevent data loss, ensuring that devices exchange only the data that has changed since the last successful sync.

Couchbase is also extending cross-data center replication capabilities to mobile deployments via its Sync Gateway 4.0 and Capella App Services, a managed, hosted gateway that synchronizes data between Couchbase’s Capella cloud database and edge applications. That allows applications to fail over gracefully to clusters, reducing downtime risk.

Rajagopal described the enhancements as part of a “unified cloud-to-edge platform” strategy. “Depending on where you’re building your applications and consuming your data, we want to make sure that it is always available,” she said.

Couchbase also sees the updates as a step toward supporting artificial intelligence workloads at the edge, including vector search capabilities for mobile and browser-based applications.

“Our edge story is yes, you can do it in the cloud, but also anywhere outside the cloud,” Rajagopal said. “It can be on-prem, a cruise line, an airplane or on the device itself.”

Couchbase Mobile is available now. The company said it plans to continue developing features to support AI inference in edge environments.

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