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 […]

We understand that tackling SQL interviews can feel challenging, but with the right focus, you can master the required knowledge. Structured specifically for the 2026 job market, this comprehensive resource provides 50 real, frequently asked SQL interview questions covering everything from basic definitions and data manipulation to advanced analytical queries and performance optimisation. Section 1: SQL […]

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 […]

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 […]

If you want to create a new application, test it, and deploy it on the cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure provides an always-free tier for compute instances and MySQL HeatWave instances (and more). If you are a developer, it can also be complicated to start deploying to the cloud, as you need to figure out the […]

In a recent post, The Quirks of Index Maintenance in Open Source Databases, I compared the IO load generated by open source databases while inserting rows in a table with many secondary indexes. Because of its change buffer, InnoDB was the most efficient solution. However, that’s not the end of the story. Evolution of the […]

“ Of course, in practice, no query optimizer is perfect and there will be edge cases where the way a query is written will impact its performance.”

Q1. What are your current responsibilities as Principal Member of Technical staff?

Kaan Kara : I am contributing as the tech lead for query execution in HeatWave. My main responsibility is implementing new features in HeatWave, maintaining its stability, and supporting our customers with their HeatWave-related use cases.

Q2. Let´s talk about improving database query execution time. The way a query is written has a massive impact on its performance, and developers often face hurdles in structuring them optimally. What is your take on this?

Kaan Kara : SQL is a declarative language. That means, in ideal terms, the database optimizer should produce the best …

Announcing Vitess 23.0.0 # We’re excited to release Vitess 23.0.0 — the latest major version of Vitess — bringing new defaults, better operational tooling, and refined metrics. This release builds on the strong foundation of version 22 and is designed to make deployment and observability smoother, while continuing to scale MySQL workloads horizontally with confidence. ✅ Why This Release Matters # For production users of Vitess, this release is meaningful in several ways: