5 minute read
In March 2026, Progress MarkLogic will sunset MarkLogic 10 support, ending a long run for one of the platform’s most trusted releases. After that date, only limited security patches will be available, leaving enterprises exposed if they continue running mission-critical systems on legacy MarkLogic 10.
For many organizations, MarkLogic 10 still “just works.” It is stable, familiar, and deeply embedded in business processes. But IT leaders know that software versions do not last forever.
With MarkLogic 10 post retired phase approaching, companies must make a decision: accept the risks of staying behind, or plan for the future with a MarkLogic upgrade to version 11 or 12.
This blog post explains why remaining on ML10 carries increasing business risk, what MarkLogic 11 and 12 bring to the table, and why Datavid is the MarkLogic upgrade partner you can trust to deliver a seamless, low-risk transition.
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The Risks of Staying on MarkLogic 10
Running enterprise workloads on an unsupported platform comes with consequences. Here are the key risks of staying on ML10.
Limited vendor support
After March 2026, Progress will only provide critical security fixes for ML10. No functional enhancements, no performance improvements, no new certifications for cloud or OS platforms. If issues arise, your teams will be on their own, or worse, forced into an urgent, unplanned migration.
Compliance and security exposure
Auditors often flag unsupported systems as risks to data governance. Legacy software struggles to meet modern compliance standards. By not upgrading, you expose your enterprise to security vulnerabilities that could have been patched in newer versions.
Growing technical debt
Enterprises on ML10 often rely on custom code to bridge gaps. Over time, these workarounds create fragility and increase costs. As your ecosystem modernizes, ML10 will increasingly act as an anchor that slows down innovation.
Opportunity cost of missed features
Staying put means missing out on MarkLogic 11 benefits and MarkLogic 12 features that competitors may already be leveraging, such as semantic search with MarkLogic and AI- ready vector search.
Not sure how exposed your systems are?
Watch Try our MarkLogic 11/12 Upgrade Readiness Self-Assessment to get a tailored risk score!
The Business Case for Upgrading
A MarkLogic upgrade is not simply an IT task. It is a strategic business decision with measurable ROI.
Future-proof platform
MarkLogic 11 and 12 are designed for today’s hybrid, cloud-native, and AI-ready environments. Moving forward with supported releases ensures your platform aligns with Progress’s roadmap.
Performance improvements
Features like Dynamic Query Hosts in ML12 allow your system to scale elastically, handling peak workloads without costly overprovisioning. Faster, more relevant search results (powered by BM25 relevance ranking) deliver better user experiences.
Lower maintenance costs
By retiring brittle custom integrations and using built-in features, enterprises can cut complexity and reduce IT spend. Newer releases support DevOps practices such as containerization and Kubernetes deployment, making operations smoother.
Real-world ROI
Organizations upgrading from ML10 have reported faster project delivery, simplified integrations, and reduced infrastructure costs. In many cases, the business case for a MarkLogic upgrade pays for itself within the first year.
See what is involved!
Download the MarkLogic 11/12 Upgrade Checklist (PDF)
What’s New in MarkLogic 11 and 12
MarkLogic 11 and 12 are not just incremental releases. They introduce significant advancements that make the platform more powerful for enterprises handling complex data challenges.
Enhanced Semantics and Knowledge Graphs
MarkLogic has long supported RDF triples, but ML11 and ML12 take semantics further. You can now perform advanced graph analytics, such as shortest-path queries, directly within the database.
This is invaluable for logistics, supply chain analysis, fraud detection, or social media analytics, where relationships matter as much as data points.
Metadata like provenance and security labels can be attached directly to content, enabling more precise governance and discovery.
GraphQL and JSON-LD Integration
With ML11, MarkLogic introduced GraphQL as a standard API, alongside JSON-LD support for linked data. This means enterprises can expose multi-model data through modern, developer-friendly interfaces.
Business impact: teams integrate data faster, BI tools connect more easily, and applications can consume enterprise data without heavy middleware.
The Optics Platform, Re-imagined
First introduced in ML10, Optics has been significantly expanded. ML11 added update capabilities, so developers can modify data as easily as they query it. ML12 introduced Virtual Views, letting teams define reusable query patterns without reindexing, which accelerates analytics.
The result is a more flexible hub that can make MarkLogic look and behave like a relational database, a JSON store, or a graph system depending on the need.
Vector Search and AI-Readiness
Traditional TF-IDF search is still there, but ML12 brings vector search into the core. This allows similarity queries across documents, JSON structures, and triples, not just text.
Combined with the new BM25 ranking algorithm, MarkLogic search is more accurate and useful in contexts like recommendation systems, semantic discovery, and AI-driven copilots.
ML12 also ships with native support for GraphRAG (Graph-based Retrieval Augmented Generation), making it far easier to integrate large language models with your enterprise knowledge graph to combat hallucinations and ground AI in trusted data.
Dynamic Query Hosts and Cloud Scalability
ML12 introduces dynamic hosts that spin up additional processing nodes automatically under heavy load. For organizations moving workloads to the cloud, this means you can elastically scale MarkLogic clusters in line with demand, avoiding downtime and unnecessary cost.
Combined with improved container and Kubernetes support, MarkLogic 11 and 12 are significantly more cloud-ready than ML10.
Cut through the noise
with our MarkLogic Upgrade MythBusters (PDF)!
Why Upgrading Is a Business Decision
When you weigh the costs and risks, a MarkLogic upgrade becomes a strategic investment.
Cost savings
Enterprises reduce licensing bloat, simplify maintenance, and gain more efficient scaling.
Reduced risk
An upgrade ensures continued vendor support, improved security, and compliance alignment.
Increased agility
Teams can integrate new data sources faster, deliver applications quicker, and make use of semantic search with MarkLogic out of the box.
Competitive advantage
Being first to deploy AI-enabled features such as vector search or GraphRAG creates differentiation in the market.
Explore
our MarkLogic 11/12 Upgrade Playbook (PDF) for a roadmap to success!
Proven MarkLogic Consulting and Managed Services, Delivered by Experts
Upgrading is not only about installing new software. It is about de-risking change, and that is where Datavid comes in.
- Proven methodology: Our MarkLogic Consulting services use automation and best practices to surface compatibility issues early and ensure predictable outcomes.
- Recognized expertise: As Progress MarkLogic EMEA Partner of the Year (2024 and 2025), Datavid has delivered more successful upgrades than most integrators.
- Largest certified team: We are a trusted global delivery partner with the largest MarkLogic-certified team outside Progress, bringing unparalleled depth of expertise.
- Low-risk delivery: We design upgrades with parallel environments, automated regression tests, and phased cut-overs to keep downtime close to zero.
- Post-upgrade value: Through MarkLogic Managed Services, we help enterprises unlock ROI with ongoing monitoring, optimization, and support, while also enabling AI integration, knowledge graphs, and semantic platforms.
By the numbers:
- 60+ MarkLogic Certified Consultants
- 20+ MarkLogic Customers
- 50+ Successful Engagements
- 30+ Ex-MarkLogic Consultants now part of Datavid
Customer-validated:
"Datavid is reliable, professional, and committed to delivering real impact." (Customer Satisfaction Survey 2025)
Conclusion: Plan Your Upgrade Today
MarkLogic 10 post retired phaseis approaching quickly. Staying put increases your exposure to risk and cost, while upgrading to MarkLogic 11 or 12 opens the door to improved performance, compliance, and AI-ready features.
With Datavid as your MarkLogic upgrade partner, you gain a proven process, award-winning expertise, and a trusted guide. We make sure your transition is smooth, low-risk, and built for long-term success.
A $500 value - free for you. Get a tailored upgrade readiness plan with Datavid experts.
Do not wait until March 2026 forces your hand. Start planning your MarkLogic modernization today with Datavid by your side!
