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April 14, 2004
MySQL User Panel: Why MySQL?
At MySQL 2004, observing a panel of MySQL users who are going to answer the question of why they chose MySQL. The panelist's are Michael Benzinger (Sabre Holdings), John Sudderth (Science Applications International Corp), Steve Stover (Quest Software) and Brent Nelson (iStockphoto).
In all comments, I paraphrased, did not take word-for-word.
How did MySQL end up at your organization?
Michael: The cost of databases they were considering were astronomical, CTO asked if they would look at open source. PostGres didn't preform, MySQL performed at an amazing level. Looked at creating their own database but after 4 weeks of work it was clearly reinventing the wheel.
John: Driven by cost, Oracle was restructuring fees and was going to cost them $250K, took 6 months to convert everything to MySQL. Were using perl (and since then some php). MySQL asked $15K for support. Been running for 3 years with no downtime.
Steve: Database is embedded in the application, needed to be invisible to the customer. MySQL was the best in ease of setup. Looked at sybase, postgres, sqlanywhere.
Brent: Started with ColdFusion on access, spent a brief time with ColdFusion on MSSQL and then moved to Apache/PHP/MySQL running on Slackware.
How important was it to have all the features and third-party tools?
Michael: Having all the features of Oracle wasn't what we needed. Was a lot of fluff. We needed a database, and asked how well it preformed.
John: ODBC was key, did some tests both pointed at their Oracle and MySQL and found 28% performance increase with MySQL.
What were some of the gotchas?
Michael: If the database doesn't work you have to put the symlink back to the old directory.
John: Can't find much . . . lived in a world for years there was a problem every day and vendors pointing at each other. It just works, everyday, and that's a really big deal.
Steve: Lack of views were a limitation. (Monty asks "What kind of views?"). "All views", says Steve.
Brent: Tried to use with Microsoft software with MySQL and had problems . . . felt that when they went to PHP things got better.
Open up for Q/A
Talk about support services, how does it compare to other vendors?
John: Were working with Oracle, only one DBA was allowed to talk to Oracle. We're asking questions that would stump Oracle support. MySQL tech support are their developers. Found a security issue and found it patched in the next release.
Michael: One time caused a crash on the database on thursday afternoon. Less that 24 hours later a patch was returned.
Steve: Have support, but haven't used it. Have worked with MySQL
Brent: Just doing things on own, getting some consulting services to analyze the database.
How big is the database? How often do the databases get reorganized?
Brent: Over 2G, a lot of bad data from the converstion. Are needing a redesign.
Steve: Fairly small when the application is released, using MyISAM. For larger installs can imagine being 50+G
John: 3G of data. 4000 hits/day. Have no need to reorganized the database.
Michael: Use InnoDB, about 50-60GB database on all machines.
How did the bringing of MySQL affect the existing in-house efforts?
Michael: Brought the DBA's over with training from MySQL.
John: DBA was an Oracle DBA and sysadmin, wasn't that tough.
Moving from Oracle to MySQL, did you find the datatypes limiting? What about XML?
John: Not familiar with all the datatypes, the dates required a functions. Started storing files as blobs.
Michael: From NonStop database format the timestamp was a microseconds and was used as the primary key. Wrote some functions to get to and from that.
Brent: Weren't doing much with access or MSSQL so it wasn't hard to do.
What were the components of the 250K cost for Oracle?
John: Was based on number of processors and type of hardware. Included maintenance and support. Always hear about the hidden costs of open source, but haven't seen any. Been easier to manage and less cost.
Has anyone had to sell this up to the CTO or CIO? How would you do that?
Brent: Our CEO has been receptive, moved with us. Cost was a huge reason.
Steve (who is the CTO): Make sure the product was well tested and that the savings could be passed on to the customer.
Are there types of applications that you might not use MySQL?
John: The list is shrinking. When started had to rewrite some subselect. If the application you are going to buy is very tightly tied to another database you might be forced to use that database.
Michael: It's a cost analysis, decide if it's worth redoing the application.
What features are you looking foward to:
Michael: Subselects, keeping MySQL out of considerations for a lot of applications.
John: Glad to be able to start checking off the features off as new releases come out.
Steve: Views. Stored proceedures.
Brent: Subselects, stored proceedures, clusters. Replication workflow is done manually, would be nice to have smoother replication. Failover.
Michael: Standards compliant is key, good that MySQL is sticking with standards.
How unbreakable, robust is the database?
John: We've been up three years. Have never had a day down or had any data corrupted. With MySQL, and what seems like a lack of competition, there seems to be a very simple.
Michael: On 45 machines over one year there has been one outage.
Brent: We've had some issues with having cheap hardware.
What about documentation?
Michael: Two years ago it was adequet, lately have found it much, much improved. The user comments allowed on the docs have been helpful.
John: Google groups has anything you're looking for.
Steve: It's not as robuest, but has really improved.
Do you find the amount of metadata in MySQL adequate?
Steve: No, there is not enough.
John: Oracle has good metadata, not in MySQL.
Posted by mike at April 14, 2004 3:00 PM
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