In the MySQL Team, we are currently evaluating potential changes to the default server configuration for MySQL 5.7. For more context, please see my earlier post here.

One of the specific changes we would like to make is with the following three related replication and InnoDB settings:

In MySQL 5.6, one of the most well received changes was improving the default configuration to be safer, and easier to use.

We are seeking community feedback for improvements that can be made to the default configuration in MySQL 5.7. Please leave a comment, or get in touch with me via email.

For elimination of confusion, please state both the setting you would like changed, and the new desired value.

Thanks!

In the MySQL team, we are currently discussing deprecating the ability to change the collation_database and character_set_database settings. As part of our plan, mysql clients will still be able to access these variables, but they will be read-only.

Introduction

The MySQL manual summarizes these two variables as saying:

This option is dynamic, but only the server should set this information. You should not set the value of this variable manually.

This is to say that usage is already discouraged, but these two variables originally had a purpose of allowing a DBA to change the default character-set temporarily for the current session only. For example:

SET SESSION character_set_database=latin5;
LOAD DATA infile 'foo.txt' ... ;
-- foo.txt is interpreted as if it was in latin5 …

In July, I first wrote that we are currently working on a new data dictionary for MySQL. We have since shipped a labs release where you can try it out for yourself and then send us feedback!

Today, I wanted to write about our upgrade plan from the old data dictionary to the new data dictionary. Or more specifically, explain one of the nuances that we currently have with encoding characters that are not safe on all filesystems.

To quote from the MySQL manual:

For example, if a …

It’s been a little while since I blogged on MySQL on POWER (last time was thinking that new releases would be much better for running on POWER). Well, I recently grabbed the MySQL 5.6.20 source tarball and had a go with it on a POWER8 system in the lab. There is good news: I now only need one patch to have it function pretty flawlessly (no crashes). Unfortunately, there’s still a bit of an odd thing with some of the InnoDB mutex code (bug filed at some point soon).

But, with this one patch applied, I was getting okay sysbench results and things are looking good.

Now just to hope the MySQL team applies my other patches that improve things on POWER. To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed many of them have sat there for this long… it doesn’t help build a development community when patches can sit for months without either …

A couple of months back, I wrote that we were looking to improve the quality of Planet MySQL. Today, I am very excited to share the results of this with the announcement of Planet MySQL: Meta.

What is Meta?

Meta is a new category of posts that appear on Planet MySQL, which is intended for posts that are more social and less technical in nature. That is to say that instead of all posts appearing in one central feed, blog authors will now be able to target their posts for either Planet MySQL or Planet MySQL: Meta.

Readers will also have a choice as to which categories of posts they would like to subscribe to:

The +more above denotes that as well as reducing noise surrounding the technical posts, we also recognizing that there is a social aspect to being part of the MySQL …

MySQL team is attending the PyCon Japan conference on September 13-15, 2014, our local colleagues will be available for your questions either at our MySQL booth or around the conference. We are also having a MySQL Lightening talk, please watch the conference schedule for any updates. 

Are you using or interested in learning more about MySQL? Are you attending Oracle OpenWorld and looking for an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas or experiences with MySQL users?

Join us on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 to celebrate the dynamics and growth of the MySQL community. Whether you are attending MySQL Central @ OpenWorld, a member of local MySQL user groups, a MySQL user in the Bay Area, or simply interested in MySQL technology, you're all invited to Oracle's MySQL Community Reception.

• Mingle with your peers and learn from real-world experiences.
• Talk to MySQL engineers face-to-face and get the first-hand information on the latest product development.

Time: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 @ 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Location: Jillian's at Metreon …

In May we proposed deprecating and removing the old password format in MySQL 5.7. I am happy to report, that this proposal has gone ahead, and can already be seen in the 5.7 DMR5 release notes!

With old passwords removed, and with recent versions of MySQL also offering new options for authenticating to MySQL, today I wanted to write about three additional proposed changes that follow suit:

1. Deprecate the PASSWORD() function

   As we already support multiple authentication methods (and may desire additional in the future), calling the PASSWORD() function to generate a password hash has a strange user experience.

   What I mean by this, is that PASSWORD() is not able …

In keeping with a MySQL tradition, we will be holding a storage engine vendors meeting to coincide with MySQL Central @ Open World this year.

The day and venue is TBD, but will be in the San Francisco/Bay Area week of 29th September - October 3rd.

For an invitation, please send me an email!