Comments on: This week is a REALLY good time to actively strengthen the MySQL forkers http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/ Choices in data management and analysis Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:12:57 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Daniel Weinreb http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-119062 Daniel Weinreb Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:57:05 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-119062 Several software engineers I know who have worked intensively with MySQL say that there's a serious problem: the interface that connects the main generic MySQL to the back-end storage engine is (a) not stable from release to release of MySQL, (b) not well documented, and (c) not placed at the best possible point in the abstraction/implementation architecture. I only know about point (c) because software engineers whom I greatly respect have told me so. But points (a) and (b) are very easy to appreciate, even without knowing all the technical details. Things like this arise in computer software architectures all the time. There are plug-ins for Apache's web server, for Firefox and Thunderbird, and dozens of other widely-used software systems. It's good for customers, for storage engine providers, and for anyone involved in MySQL for there to be a long-term, flourishing ecosystem of storage engines for MySQL. To make this happen, it would be extremely valuable to fix (a) and (b): have a well-documented and stable software interface to MySQL storage engines. This will function as a de facto industry standard. The question is, who is going to be the one to establish this new standard? Does Oracle want a flourishing ecosystem of storage engines, coming from non-Oracle companies? I hope they realize that this would be a good thing, and they do not "kill the goose that lays the golden eggs." I hope they do not suffer from the classic "Innovator's Dilemma" mistake, trying to suppress the quality and power of MySQL in order to prevent it from competing with their main Oracle DB product. We'll see... Several software engineers I know who have worked intensively with MySQL say that there’s a serious problem: the interface that connects the main generic MySQL to the back-end storage engine is (a) not stable from release to release of MySQL, (b) not well documented, and (c) not placed at the best possible point in the abstraction/implementation architecture.

I only know about point (c) because software engineers whom I greatly respect have told me so.

But points (a) and (b) are very easy to appreciate, even without knowing all the technical details. Things like this arise in computer software architectures all the time. There are plug-ins for Apache’s web server, for Firefox and Thunderbird, and dozens of other widely-used software systems.

It’s good for customers, for storage engine providers, and for anyone involved in MySQL for there to be a long-term, flourishing ecosystem of storage engines for MySQL. To make this happen, it would be extremely valuable to fix (a) and (b): have a well-documented and stable software interface to MySQL storage engines. This will function as a de facto industry standard.

The question is, who is going to be the one to establish this new standard? Does Oracle want a flourishing ecosystem of storage engines, coming from non-Oracle companies? I hope they realize that this would be a good thing, and they do not “kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.” I hope they do not suffer from the classic “Innovator’s Dilemma” mistake, trying to suppress the quality and power of MySQL in order to prevent it from competing with their main Oracle DB product.

We’ll see…

]]> By: 對甲骨文買昇陽的一些雜記與想法 於囧 http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-118338 對甲骨文買昇陽的一些雜記與想法 於囧 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:40:36 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-118338 [...] ＞＞對MySQL影響的分析 [...] [...] ＞＞對MySQL影響的分析 [...]

]]> By: zillablog http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-118177 zillablog Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:12:36 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-118177 <strong>Why should Oracle kill MySQL, when they will do it themselves?...</strong> I've been out at the Percona Performance Conference / MySQL Users Conference this week, and as you can imagine a lot of the talk about Oracle's purchase of Sun/MySQL. As someone who runs Oracle and MySQL, and perverbial elephant in the room Postgres,... Why should Oracle kill MySQL, when they will do it themselves?…

I’ve been out at the Percona Performance Conference / MySQL Users Conference this week, and as you can imagine a lot of the talk about Oracle’s purchase of Sun/MySQL. As someone who runs Oracle and MySQL, and perverbial elephant in the room Postgres,…

]]> By: Mark Callaghan http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-117896 Mark Callaghan Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:47:16 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-117896 Curt, That is a low-quality list for making such an assertion. A missing feature is not a low quality feature and a historical problem might not be a current one. From your list datatype extensibility, broad SQL 2003 support and constraints are missing features. and there is no demand for datatype extensibility. If we are to dispute MySQL performance then you should make clear that you know more about it than what your clients and/or contacts have told you unless your clients are experts in it. Curt,

That is a low-quality list for making such an assertion.

A missing feature is not a low quality feature and a historical problem might not be a current one.

From your list datatype extensibility, broad SQL 2003 support and constraints are missing features.
and there is no demand for datatype extensibility.

If we are to dispute MySQL performance then you should make clear that you know more about it than what your clients and/or contacts have told you unless your clients are experts in it.

]]> By: Curt Monash http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-117827 Curt Monash Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:20:34 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-117827 Lack of full datatype extensibility, lack of broad SQL 2003 support, reports of poor performance on constraint checks, historical scalability issues for the most popular transactional engine, reports (that you dispute) of poor performance by the most popular transactional engine. But that's just tonight's list. Ask me a different time and I'll give a whole other set of reasons. Lack of full datatype extensibility, lack of broad SQL 2003 support, reports of poor performance on constraint checks, historical scalability issues for the most popular transactional engine, reports (that you dispute) of poor performance by the most popular transactional engine.

But that’s just tonight’s list. Ask me a different time and I’ll give a whole other set of reasons.

]]> By: Mark Callaghan http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-117820 Mark Callaghan Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:01:59 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-117820 Curt, What is your basis for claiming that MySQL is low quality? Curt,

What is your basis for claiming that MySQL is low quality?

]]> By: MySQL miscellany | DBMS2 -- DataBase Management System Services http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-117814 MySQL miscellany | DBMS2 -- DataBase Management System Services Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:04:54 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-117814 [...] screw it up.  (That’s one of the biggest reasons I think viable escape-from-Oracle MySQL forks are needed.) Conversely, Oracle/MySQL can try to have it both ways, encouraging the MySQL ecosystem [...] [...] screw it up.  (That’s one of the biggest reasons I think viable escape-from-Oracle MySQL forks are needed.) Conversely, Oracle/MySQL can try to have it both ways, encouraging the MySQL ecosystem [...]

]]> By: I don’t see why the GPL would be a major barrier to a useful MySQL fork | DBMS2 -- DataBase Management System Services http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-117773 I don’t see why the GPL would be a major barrier to a useful MySQL fork | DBMS2 -- DataBase Management System Services Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:23:42 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-117773 [...] posted suggesting that substantial elements of the MySQL community should throw their weight behind MySQL forks. Mike Olson of Cloudera helpfully pointed out, on Twitter and by email, how the GPL could appear to [...] [...] posted suggesting that substantial elements of the MySQL community should throw their weight behind MySQL forks. Mike Olson of Cloudera helpfully pointed out, on Twitter and by email, how the GPL could appear to [...]

]]> By: Max Lybbert http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-117514 Max Lybbert Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:12:45 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-117514 As mentioned in a comment on your first post regarding this acquisition, I'm uneasy about the future for Percona, MariaDB, et. al. Then again, you definitely are correct that jumping ship to, say, Postgresql is much more difficult. It looks like MySQL will be a source of intersting stories for the forseeable future. As mentioned in a comment on your first post regarding this acquisition, I’m uneasy about the future for Percona, MariaDB, et. al. Then again, you definitely are correct that jumping ship to, say, Postgresql is much more difficult.

It looks like MySQL will be a source of intersting stories for the forseeable future.

]]> By: Justin Swanhart http://www.dbms2.com/2009/04/20/this-week-is-a-really-good-time-to-actively-strengthen-the-mysql-forkers/comment-page-1/#comment-117487 Justin Swanhart Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:33:16 +0000 http://www.dbms2.com/?p=758#comment-117487 Actually, Kickfire announced partnerships with a number of major system integrators and consultancy groups, including among them Percona. See the press release: http://www.kickfire.com/media/press_releases/SI_Press_Release.pdf Actually, Kickfire announced partnerships with a number of major system integrators and consultancy groups, including among them Percona.

See the press release:
http://www.kickfire.com/media/press_releases/SI_Press_Release.pdf

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