Executive Summary AI applications rely on vector embeddings to power search and recommendations, but these data-rich vectors introduce new security and privacy risks. This blog explains the main threats to AI embeddings, how attacks can occur, and proven strategies for protecting vector data with MySQL—covering secure storage, access controls, encryption, auditing, and compliance best practices. […]

Where We Are We can all agree that the MySQL ecosystem isn’t in great shape right now. Take a look at Julia’s blog post [Analyzing the Heartbeat of the MySQL Server: A Look at Repository Statistics], which confirms what many of us have felt: Oracle isn’t as committed to MySQL and its ecosystem as it […]

This is a MySQL Blog, why am I posting about Slack, Feed Readers, RSS and Atom ?  Because blog aggregators, which are usually consumed on their RSS or Atom interface via a Feed Reader, are an important knowledge sharing tool in the MySQL Community (and in other communities, see Valkey below).  I know some people are using Slack as their Feed Reader, and I recently realized Slack is

At Percona, our mission has always been to help you succeed with open source databases. We do that by listening to the community, understanding the challenges you face, and building the solutions you need. Now, after a comprehensive review of market trends and direct feedback from our customers and the MySQL community, we are excited […]

The MySQL database server is a foundational component of the open-source world. While its impact is undeniable, looking at the raw statistics of its core source code repository reveals a dynamic and sometimes surprising development history. By analyzing the total lines of code inserted, the number of commits over the years, and unique contributors, we […]

When I first got into woodworking, my mentor shared a piece of advice that has stuck with me ever since: “Use the right tool for the job.” You wouldn’t reach for a belt sander to flatten a board when a planer can accomplish the task faster, cleaner, and with far better results.

The same principle applies in the world of database engineering. When working with MySQL or Percona Server, choosing the correct tool can be the difference between efficient diagnostics and unnecessary downtime.

In this post, I’ll highlight several of the most practical and commonly used utilities from the Percona Toolkit. While the toolkit includes many powerful commands, I’ll focus on the ones that provide the most value in day-to-day operations, troubleshooting, and gathering actionable details for support cases.

PT Summary

A Percona Toolkit utility that provides a concise, high-level overview of a system’s hardware, OS …

I recently got into a bit of a debate about standardizing MySQL 8.4’s internal temporary table configuration. We wanted to cap memory usage efficiently, but relying on “rules of thumb” isn’t enough when production stability is at stake.

The main confusion was about how per-query limits fight with global limits. So, rather than guessing, I decided to break a sandbox environment to see exactly where the bytes go—and confirm the findings against the official documentation.

The Theory: Individual vs. Collective

Before I run the scripts, let’s establish the rules based on the MySQL 8.4 Reference Manual. There is a critical distinction between “individual” and “collective” limits.

1. tmp_table_size (The Cup)

This is the limit for a single table. According to the …

We’re excited to share that the new Percona Operator for MySQL (based on Percona Server for MySQL) is officially in General Availability (GA)!

This release introduces native MySQL Group Replication support for Kubernetes, providing our community with another open-source option for running reliable, consistent MySQL clusters at scale.

This is about more choices for the community. Each MySQL replication technology addresses different real-world needs, and now you can choose the one that best fits your workloads.

What This Means for the Community

With this release, Percona now supports two fully open-source MySQL Operators:

1. Percona Operator for …

The Percona Cloud Native team is happy to announce the general availability of the Percona Operator for MySQL, based on Percona Server for MySQL. This release introduces an additional Kubernetes-native approach to deploying and managing MySQL clusters with synchronous Group Replication, delivering the consistency required for organizations with business continuity needs. With this release, Percona […]

In our earlier post, we unpacked the mechanics of MySQL HeatWave maintenance, the behind-the-scenes process that keeps your MySQL environments secure, stable, and optimized without changing your database version. We also touched on how Auto Minor Version Upgrades occur when a version reaches the end of its lifecycle. With this update, MySQL HeatWave introduces Configurable Maintenance Windows and Auto-Upgrade Controls, giving you […]