Upgrading a database that handles hundreds of thousands of requests per second is not only a technical challenge — it is a direct business risk. This article explains how the MySQL upgrade was executed in a hybrid architecture (AWS Aurora MySQL + Cycloud) using Blue/Green Deployment, controlled replication, and progressive performance testing to ensure operational continuity.
In high‑traffic systems, database upgrades cannot be improvised. Dynalyst, a mobile advertising platform with a hybrid infrastructure spanning AWS and Cycloud, faced end‑of‑life for Aurora MySQL v2 (MySQL 5.7 compatible). Not upgrading meant expensive extended‑support costs; upgrading improperly risked operational failure. The objective was clear: migrate to MySQL 8.0 with minimal impact and zero service interruption.
The environment ran under a hybrid architecture:
Beyond the end‑of‑support deadline, additional technical risks included:
Before any change, the team reviewed:
AWS offers three upgrade methods:
Blue/Green was chosen because it enables version change with minimal downtime, but in a hybrid setup it alone was insufficient. The switchover changes the endpoint automatically, which affected replication to Cycloud.
A test cluster was built: Aurora v2 → Aurora v3 (MySQL 8.0) → Cycloud MySQL 8.0
Some queries showed degradation and indexes were optimized before production rollout.
The bid server in Cycloud ran across multiple StatefulSets. Strategy:
This allowed real‑world validation without systemic risk.
Blue/Green allows capturing the binlog position at switchover time. Using that:
Fortunately it was not needed, but it was prepared.
Upgrading MySQL in a high‑traffic hybrid environment is not purely a technical task — it is risk management.
The success of the process depends not only on Blue/Green Deployment but on:
When infrastructure supports real‑time business, the upgrade must be invisible to the end user.
