Enterprise Knowledge Platform Vendor Lock-In Review: A Data Portability Checklist
Review a knowledge platform's lock-in risk through export format, storage, agent interface, license, and hosting, with AKB as a worked example.
Score each platform on what leaves with you
- Export in an open format: AKB exports a vault's documents as an Open Knowledge Format (OKF) bundle of Markdown files with YAML frontmatter.
- Store data in a database you run: a self-hosted AKB keeps its source of truth in PostgreSQL.
- Connect agents through a standard protocol: AKB uses MCP, allowing compatible clients to be reused while endpoint, authentication and tool mappings are adapted.
- Check the license timeline: For releases distributed under AKB’s current BSL 1.1 terms, each version converts to Apache 2.0 four years after its first public distribution.
- Back up what the export leaves out: table rows, file bytes, and revision history stay in PostgreSQL and object storage you run.
A lock-in review asks one practical question: if you leave the platform in three years, what do you take with you and what do you rebuild? Answer it with five checks: export format, storage, agent interface, license, and hosting. This guide applies each check to AKB, Dnotitia's agent knowledge base, so you can see what evidence to collect for any platform you evaluate.
1. What can you export in a format other tools read?
Ask for the export format, what it includes, and whether you can run it yourself. Vendor-run exports and proprietary dumps add a dependency at exactly the moment you are leaving.
AKB supports server-side export with akb_export({"vault": "<vault>", "format": "okf"}) or an authenticated GET /api/v1/vaults/{vault}/export?format=okf request.
The output follows the Open Knowledge Format v0.1: one Markdown file with YAML frontmatter per document. Tables and files appear as catalog entries with their schema or metadata and a pointer to the asset; their rows and bytes stay in AKB, and archived documents are excluded.
The repository's okf/ folder documents the mapping and calls the bundle a knowledge catalog export, not a full backup.
Test it during evaluation. Export a sample vault, open the files in a text editor, and import a few into the tool you would most likely move to. For a complete exit, pair the export with the database and object-storage backups described next.
2. Where does the source of truth live?
Compare how each platform lets you retrieve your data and reproduce its working state. Self-hosting gives your team custody of the underlying infrastructure, while moving to another product still requires mapping schemas, relationships, permissions and agent behavior.
In a self-hosted AKB deployment, PostgreSQL holds document text, metadata, and revisions. The default vector index is pgvector in the same database, and files sit in MinIO object storage.
Because the database runs in your environment, your existing backup, retention, and restore procedures apply to it. A PostgreSQL backup holds what the OKF bundle leaves out, such as table rows and revision history, and a MinIO backup holds the file bytes. Embeddings are derived data: a new system can rebuild them from the exported text.
For operational recovery, preserve the deployed version and required installation configuration, identity and authentication assets alongside data backups. Test restoration and any index rebuilds in a separate environment before relying on the backup.
3. How tightly are your agents coupled to the platform?
Count the integrations you would rewrite. Custom SDK calls in every agent raise exit cost. A standard protocol lowers it.
AKB exposes its tools through the Model Context Protocol. Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and Continue connect through the MIT-licensed akb-mcp stdio proxy, and custom agents call /mcp/ over HTTP. Agent prompts and workflows reference tool names such as akb_search and akb_put, so a move to another MCP knowledge server means remapping those tools. MCP-compatible clients can be reused, but endpoint and authentication configuration, tool schemas, prompts, and workflows still need testing against the destination.
4. What does the license allow over time?
Read the license for three things: production limits, third-party use, and what happens to old versions.
| Question | AKB answer |
|---|---|
| Production use without a contract | Internal use below 100 Named Seats, counted across your deployments |
| Hosted, embedded, or rebranded offerings | Commercial license from Dnotitia |
| Long-term status of a BSL-licensed release | Converts to Apache License 2.0 four years after its first public distribution |
| Client proxy | akb-mcp is MIT-licensed |
The precise terms are in the LICENSE file. Check the LICENSE shipped with your exact release; consult the official LICENSE-CHANGE notice for past-release terms. Commercial licensing questions go to support@dnotitia.com.
5. Who operates the platform?
If the vendor runs the only instance, your exit date depends on their offboarding process. AKB runs on Docker Compose or Kubernetes in your environment, so you control upgrades, backups, and shutdown. Record the release you deploy so you can reproduce the same version later.
Run the review as a short exercise
- Export one real vault and validate the bundle with the
okf-validatecommand in the repository. - Restore a database backup into a fresh environment and confirm search works.
- List every agent integration and the tool names it calls.
- Write down seat counts, the deployed release, and its Change Date.
These checks give you an initial view of exit work. Time a representative migration into the candidate destination, including documents, table rows, files, relationships and permissions, and record remaining gaps before estimating a full migration. The checklist still applies when the platform under review is a different product.
FAQ
What is vendor lock-in for a knowledge platform?
It is the cost of moving your documents, relationships, history, and agent integrations to another system. Open export formats, self-hosted storage, and standard agent protocols reduce it.
Is an OKF export a full backup of AKB?
No. It exports documents and a catalog of tables and files. Keep PostgreSQL and object-storage backups for table rows, file bytes, and revision history.
Learn More
See the export format, license, and deployment options in the AKB repository.
