MySQL 26.10: REST Service, Health Monitor & WebAuthn Overview

Two days in October 2026 were enough to reshuffle the architecture of MySQL deployments. On October 20 and 21, Oracle released three GA versions at once: MySQL 26.10 Innovation, MySQL 9.7.4 LTS, and MySQL 8.4.13 LTS. The spotlight is on MySQL 26.10, because it introduces features that were previously either unavailable or locked behind paid tiers. For backend developers, database administrators, and DevOps teams, this changes quite a bit about day-to-day work with MySQL.

This article breaks down the most important changes in MySQL 26.10: from REST endpoints built directly into the server, to a new Health Monitor in the Community Edition, to WebAuthn authentication and extended JSON Duality Views.

Key Takeaways

• MySQL 26.10 integrates the MySQL REST Service (MRS) as a native server component — a separate MySQL Router process is no longer needed.
• Health Monitor, previously available only in MySQL HeatWave, is now available in the Community Edition and monitors disk, memory, CPU, and process data.
• WebAuthn authentication enables passwordless multi-factor login via FIDO device, also available for the first time in the Community Edition.
• JSON Relational Duality Views gain new CHECK/NO CHECK and UPDATE/NO UPDATE annotations for finer concurrency control.
• The maintenance releases MySQL 9.7.4 LTS and MySQL 8.4.13 LTS were released in parallel.

What Is MySQL 26.10, Exactly

MySQL 26.10 belongs to the so-called Innovation release line. Unlike the LTS (Long Term Support) versions, this line delivers new features faster, but with a shorter support cycle. Teams that prioritize stability in production often stick with LTS releases like 9.7.4 or 8.4.13. Those who want to test new features at the cutting edge will find MySQL 26.10 to be the right testing ground for upcoming LTS functionality.

According to the Oracle MySQL Blog, the October 2026 releases shipped simultaneously, which shows that Oracle maintains both lines in parallel, but consistently moves experimental innovations into the Innovation line first.

MySQL REST Service as a Server Component

Arguably the biggest structural change in MySQL 26.10 concerns the MySQL REST Service, or MRS for short. Previously, a separate MySQL Router process had to be run to expose REST endpoints. With MySQL 26.10, MRS is now integrated directly into the server.

What Changes for Developers

In practice, this means HTTPS endpoints can now be served directly from the MySQL server, without additional infrastructure. Configurable settings include, among others:

• HTTPS port
• TLS certificate and associated key
• Number of worker threads
• Connection limits
• Maximum request and response sizes

The service is controlled via SQL functions that start, stop, or restart the MRS service. This significantly reduces operational overhead, since DBAs no longer need to patch, monitor, or separately secure an additional component.

"A separate MySQL Router process is no longer required for REST endpoints" — this simplification should mainly relieve smaller teams that previously had to run additional infrastructure for API access at the database level.

Why This Matters for DevOps

For DevOps teams, the number of processes to operate is reduced. Fewer components mean a smaller attack surface, fewer monitoring targets, and fewer deployment steps in CI/CD pipelines. At the same time, the configuration remains granular enough to adjust worker threads and limits to the respective load.

Health Monitor Comes to the Community Edition

One of the most practically relevant innovations in MySQL 26.10 is Health Monitor. This feature was previously an exclusive part of MySQL HeatWave. With the current release, it is now available for the first time in the free Community Edition.

Feature Scope

Health Monitor tracks:

• Disk usage
• Memory
• CPU load
• MySQL process information via Performance Schema

Particularly worth noting is the disk forecast: the system predicts when storage space could become tight before an actual bottleneck occurs.

Platform Support at a Glance

The first Community Edition version of Health Monitor supports platforms to varying degrees. The following table summarizes the current state:

Important for operations: so-called low-disk-space fencing is disabled by default. DBAs who want to use automatic protection mechanisms against full disks need to actively enable this feature.

Practical Benefit for DBAs

For database administrators, Health Monitor means a simpler early warning system for resource bottlenecks, without relying on external monitoring tools. Performance Schema provides the data foundation the metrics are built on — a well-known, already established MySQL tool.

WebAuthn Authentication for More Security

Security is another focus area of MySQL 26.10. The authentication_webauthn plugin is now also available in the Community Edition.

What WebAuthn Specifically Enables

WebAuthn is based on FIDO devices and allows for:

• Multi-factor authentication with a physical security key
• Passwordless login to the database
• Reduced risk from phishing or stolen credentials

For companies with strict compliance requirements, this is an important building block. Database access is among the most sensitive points in any IT infrastructure, and additional, hardware-based protection significantly lowers the risk of unauthorized access.

What This Means for DBAs

Introducing this to the Community Edition means teams without an Enterprise license also benefit from modern authentication technology. The plugin can be configured like other authentication plugins in MySQL and integrated into existing identity concepts.

JSON Relational Duality Views: Finer Control

JSON Relational Duality Views connect relational tables with JSON documents, allowing data to be edited both relationally and in a document-oriented way. MySQL 26.10 extends this concept with new annotations:

• CHECK / NO CHECK: Controls whether concurrency checks are performed via ETAG.
• UPDATE / NO UPDATE: Determines whether specific fields can be updated at all.

Why This Matters for Developers

These annotations give backend developers finer control over how consistent and modifiable individual fields in a Duality View are. Instead of blanket rules for the entire view, specific fields can now be excluded from concurrency checks or marked read-only. This is especially useful for fields that are automatically generated or must remain unchanged for audit reasons.

LTS Releases Published in Parallel

Alongside MySQL 26.10, two LTS maintenance releases shipped the same weekend:

For production systems with high stability requirements, the LTS lines remain the safer choice. MySQL 26.10 is better suited for development environments, proof-of-concepts, and teams that want to evaluate new features early, before they might eventually make their way into a future LTS version.

What This Means in Practice

Different roles face different priorities with MySQL 26.10: In our previous MySQL 26.7 coverage, we already covered the move to the new calendar-based versioning scheme.

• Backend developers benefit primarily from the integrated MySQL REST Service and the extended Duality View annotations, since both features directly affect API design and data modeling.
• Database administrators should familiarize themselves with Health Monitor, especially the low-disk-space fencing that’s disabled by default, to avoid a false sense of security.
• DevOps teams can simplify their infrastructure and adjust deployment pipelines accordingly, now that the separate router process for MRS is no longer needed.
• Security teams should check whether WebAuthn can be integrated into existing authentication strategies.

Conclusion and Next Steps

MySQL 26.10 clearly shows where the platform is heading: fewer external add-on components, more integrated functionality directly in the server, and at the same time a democratization of features that were previously reserved for Enterprise or HeatWave customers. Health Monitor and WebAuthn support in the Community Edition are arguably the most significant signals here: Oracle is opening up features that were previously reserved for paying customers to the broader user base.

To get started, the following approach is recommended:

1. Install MySQL 26.10 in a test environment first, not directly in production.
2. Configure the MySQL REST Service on a trial basis and compare it to the previous router-based solution.
3. Enable Health Monitor and deliberately configure low-disk-space fencing if automatic protection is desired.
4. Test the WebAuthn plugin in an isolated environment before rolling it out company-wide.
5. Review existing JSON Duality Views for potential benefits from the new CHECK/UPDATE annotations.

Anyone running MySQL in production should keep an eye on Oracle’s release notes and gradually evaluate the new features in MySQL 26.10 before planning a migration to a future LTS version that includes them.