The latest from the MySQL community

A few days ago I wrote about O_DIRECT + EXT3 not working.

This is not a wide-spread problem, and may be isolated to 2.6.9. So, it makes sense that others who run O_DIRECT with EXT3 do not see the issue. I will use this post for future updates.

Ok here is the research that I did, and found the cause of my O_DIRECT problem

As Mark Hinkle has already noted, The 451 Group recently published a brief on open source mergers and acquisitions, written by open source research director, Raven Zachary, and financial analyst Brenon Daly. It is a happy coincidence that the report was published the day before Sun announced its acquisition of MySQL.

Clearly the report does not take the Sun/MySQL deal into account, but this is clearly something that we are tracking on a long term basis. Expect some further and deeper analysis in the future to take in the MySQL deal as well as any others that follow.

Additionally, it …

How can I have a ranking on a result with MySQL? The answer you can find here...

A friend of me asked me long time ago: "How can I have a ranking on a result with MySQL?". Now I found some time to write it down:

Lets do first some preparation for the example:

 CREATE TABLE sales (
     id     INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY
   , fruit  VARCHAR(32)
   , amount DECIMAL
 );
 
 INSERT INTO sales
 VALUES (NULL, 'apple', 12.75), (NULL, 'orange', 1.89), (NULL, 'pear', 19.23)
      , (NULL, 'banana', 4.25), (NULL, 'cherry', 123.75), (NULL, 'plum', 23.15)
 ;

Now lets query:

 SELECT fruit, amount
   FROM sales
  ORDER BY amount DESC
 ;
 
 +--------+--------+
 | fruit  | amount |
 +--------+--------+
 | cherry |    124 |
 | plum   |     23 |
 | pear   |     19 |
 | apple  |     13 |
 | banana |      4 |
 | orange |      2 |
 +--------+--------+

Hmmmm...., this not yet what we want!

And now with ranking:

 SET @rank=0;
 
 SELECT @rank:=@rank+1 AS rank, fruit, …

Given the timing of my recent blog, Are Proprietary Databases Doomed?, I've been asked if I knew in advance about Sun's recent MySQL acquisition. Not at all! I was just as surprised and delighted as most others in the industry when I saw the news.

In the blog I outlined counter strategies that proprietary database companies might use to respond to the rise of Open Source Databases (OSDBs). One strategy was acqusition and I noted that MySQL, being privately held, was probably the most vulnerable.

The good news is that MySQL is no longer vulnerable. Sun has an unparalleled commitment to open source. No other organization has …

The Open Season team got on the phone with Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL, and Rich Green, SVP of Software at Sun Microsystems, shortly after the announcement of the acquisition was made. You can listen in here.

As Matt and Dave see it, Sun may well become the center of ...

Here’s something I wrote up a while back for basic MySQL knowledge. MySQL Competency

This is also a useful list of interview questions for potential hires. DBA Interview Questions

The above is a YouTube clip of Kaj Arnö leading MySQL and Sun executives in a rendition of  "Helan går" the official Swedish drinking song at MySQL.  This was followed by 400 shots of vodka being downed in unison. 

Given the timing of my recent blog, Are Proprietary Databases Doomed?, I've been asked if I knew in advance about Sun's recent MySQL acquisition. Not at all! I was just as surprised and delighted as most others in the industry when I saw the news.

In the blog I outlined counter strategies that proprietary database companies might use to respond to the rise of Open Source Databases (OSDBs). One strategy was acqusition and I noted that MySQL, being privately held, was probably the most vulnerable.

The good news is that MySQL is no longer vulnerable. Sun has an unparalleled commitment to open source. No other organization has …

Given the timing of my recent blog, Are Proprietary Databases Doomed?, I've been asked if I knew in advance about Sun's recent MySQL acquisition. Not at all! I was just as surprised and delighted as most others in the industry when I saw the news.

In the blog I outlined counter strategies that proprietary database companies might use to respond to the rise of Open Source Databases (OSDBs). One strategy was acqusition and I noted that MySQL, being privately held, was probably the most vulnerable.

The good news is that MySQL is no longer vulnerable. Sun has an unparalleled commitment to open source. No other organization has …