==== REQUIRED BASIC INFO OF YOUR IREDMAIL SERVER ====
- iRedMail version (check /etc/iredmail-release):
1.0
- Deployed with iRedMail Easy or the downloadable installer?
downloadable installer
- Linux/BSD distribution name and version:
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
- Store mail accounts in which backend (LDAP/MySQL/PGSQL):
MariaDB
- Web server (Apache or Nginx):
Apache
- Manage mail accounts with iRedAdmin-Pro?
No
- [IMPORTANT] Related original log or error message is required if you're experiencing an issue.
====

We've been using iRedmail 0.97 for quite a while, and our codebase is based on MySQL. It was working most of the time with sporadic glitches (the policy server sitting on 7777 port dies from time to time).

So this morning I attempted to upgrade to iRedmail 1.0. I ran into a few issues:
* MySQL seems removed in iRedmail 1.0. The closest alternative is MariaDB. This is what I am using now.
* The MariaDB version that came with iRedmail 1.0 is 10.1.43, which doesn't have support for JSON. Our DB statements require JSON support to stay functional.

In order for our application to run iRedmail 1.0, I see a few routes:
1 stick with MariaDB; however, upgrade to 10.4 to get support for JSON;
2 remove MariaDB, and install MySQL.

Which route should I take if I shoot for the cleanest/easiest transition? How compatible is MariaDB in the context of iRedmail? I seek a minimum-effort path to upgrade our application to the latest iRedmail and don't want to change our codebase if possible.

Thanks!