High Performance MySQL: Optimization, Backups, and Replication [Paperback]

Every chapter is very well crafted, with a precise balance between theory and practice, and full of invaluable nuggets, sometimes transcending the MySQL arena and applicable to any database! Such cases are Chapter-Benchmarking MySQL and Chapter 3-Profiling Server Performance, very solid foundations for the reading ahead.

All over the text, authors propose tools, examples of use and proven diagnostic techniques, that will greatly improve your performance firefighter skills and enhance your knowledge of MySQL internals. Nevertheless, what gives this book the five star is taking into consideration the physical part of database structures in play when speaking about performance, which is something most authors don't include; plus treatment on MySQL high availability and cloud features, which we'll increasingly see on customers.

There is something that kind of bugged me at times and was references to a specific commercial MySQL offering and tools, but after taking a look to that company web-site, found that is a great contributor to the MySQL community and you can actually use the tools!

'High Performance MySQL: Optimization, Backups, and Replication' is a nearly 800 page reference books that shines for doing exactly what the title says. Topics included are:

- benchmarking
- optimizing schemas
- indexing
- optimizing queries
- optimizing the server
- replication
- backup/recovery

Wonderfully written and the kind of reference material that you don't find lots of days nowadays in the computer book market. For anyone that is a MySQL developer or admin, you will be very wise to pick up this great book!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

All-in-all this is an invaluable tool for the MySQL database developer and is highly recommended. A must for the reference shelf of any serious DBA, it is also suitable to use as a textbook for advanced programming classes in MySQL. Easy to understand and well-written.

This book appears to be the result of the accumulative experiences of three premiere experts in the field of database administration - MySQL style. It is written is such a way that a MySQL application developer can self-teach himself numerous ways to optimize application performance and the system operating performance as well. They do this by training you to understand the internal workings of MySQL. Very in-depth, yet written so that one that is beginning database development (i.e. knows something about MySQL) can easily understand and be appreciate of the teachings contained throughout this book, many of which are actual case studies that any Database Administrator can use to gain expertise in monitoring his/her own database.

The first half of the book is dedicated to reference material that instructs you in how to benchmark your server. This will provide limitless gains in not only profiling server performance but also provide performance indicators for any architectural design changes you make to your database. This subject is expanded with a thorough discussion of data types and table design (3 chapters) followed by a chapter covering the advanced features of MySQL that details the performance gains available for one who knows how to think like MySQL.

The second half of the book deals with the more technical aspects of database processing with MySQL. Included are tools to discover your system's limiting factor(s) and any bottlenecks; when to use fast CPUs, when to use more CPUs and also includes an in-depth look at pros and cons of types of durability of specific kinds of hard drives. The authors take a couple of chapters to analyze differing types of hard drive devices, Flashcache or Solid State for instance, how to choose them and then code for Replication. Also included is an in-depth guide to designing with RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks). Going from there on to the scaling capabilities of MySQL and then using MySQL as a cloud computing option (a chapter on each) which are followed by a chapter on application-level optimization (of course! You now know server, os, hardware, and MySQL optimization!).

The book ends with a chapter on backup and recovery and another on tools for MySQL users. I suggest reading the tools chapter anytime if you start to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of knowledge and information contained with these pages. This chapter is full of links for tools to interface with the server and monitor your application - the reason why you're so interested in this book!

Reviewed by Joy King
Was previously a DBA in the Air Force (a decade or so ago!), now back in school upgrading her computer skills, concentrating mostly on Database Programming - also including Web Design.