MySQL is a relational database that backs many internet websites and enterprise applications. Like all enterprise software, it has a whole complement of features which are well documented, such as data types, storage engines, transactional behaviors and so forth. It also has a set of processes, many of which involve how software operates on Linux servers, such as how it gets installed, where binaries and libraries will get placed, where to find logfiles, and how to move directories and set permissions. Thirdly it is important to understand the culture, in this case Unix-based, forum discussions and community contributions as an open-source project.
MySQL can do much of the workhorse kind of stuff you see in databases like Oracle or SQL Server, but sometimes it achieves those goals in very different ways. For instance there are many open-source projects that support and surround the database, such as mysqltuner an analysis script, innotop a unix top-like utility for monitoring on-going activity in the database, and maatkit a whole suite of tools that build on and expand the features already present in the MySQL database.
Some Limitations in MySQL
MySQL’s Strengths Are Numerous
Sean Hull discusses further on Quora – What considerations are important when migrating to MySQL?
Pingback: Migrating MySQL to Oracle « «MySQL Expert, Linux, EC2 & Scalability Consulting « NYC «MySQL Expert, Linux, EC2 & Scalability Consulting « NYC «