# Database

EF Core owns the schema/migrations. MariaDB is the standard application database for local
development, integration testing, CI and production. SQLite is an explicit temporary preservation
and legacy-test path pending staged retirement, not an alternate architecture.

- [MariaDB setup, RD21 qualification and retirement decisions](mariadb-standardisation/README.md)

- [Schema overview](schema.md)
- [Migrations and compatibility](migrations.md)
- [Backups](backups.md)
- [Database ownership in the architecture](../architecture/overview.md)

Never reset a development or production database as part of documentation work. Use disposable test databases for migration checks.