By: Jeff Johnston

MySQL is set to announce some exciting new features at its User Conference in Orlando April 14-16 (http://www.mysql.com/). The wildly popular free database server is expanding its functionality in attempts to keep up with the competition, PostgreSQL, and Firebird. The two new features are MySQL Cluster and stored procedures.

MySQL Cluster will allow more than one instance of a database to take over if another fails. The software is based on NDB cluster made by Ericsson, who sold the software to MySQL in October. The Software, which can be applied to anything from Operating Systems to individual packages, works by monitoring multiple versions and should any version fail another takes over. The failover rate should be less than a second, according to MySQL. All of the mainstream database sellers, Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM, already support clustering, and this is an attempt by MySQL to become closer to those mainstream database packages.

Stored procedures will allow support for predefined processes. Both PostgreSQL and Firebird provide support for predefined processes. The feature is already supported in the product MaxDB, also produced by MySQL. MaxDB is developed and sold through a partnership with the German software giant SAP.

MySQL User Conference:

The annual users conference for MySQL users and developers on April 14-16 is in Orlando Florida this year. Last years conference was held in San Jose California. This years conference boasts such keynote speakers as:

• Monty Widenius - Founder / CTO, MySQL AB
• David Axmark - Founder, MySQL AB
• Mårten Mickos - CEO, MySQL AB
• Brian Behlendorf - Co-founder, Apache Software Foundation, Founder/CTO, Collab.net
• Chris Stone - Vice Chairman, Novell

As well as additional speakers from Jboss, Yahoo, SAP AG, just to name a few. Registration can cost as little as $200 for a spouse/guest pass, or up to $795 for a full pre-registration pass.

MySQL Licensing Information:

MySQL uses a dual licensing model. Which basically means that you can either license the software under the GNU public license, or under a commercial license. The GNU license is, of course, free. The Commercial license will run you $495/server.

Other MySQL Products:

MaxDB: MaxDB is a rebranded version of SAP DB. Like MySQL MaxDB is open source and does use MySQL's dual licensing model.

MySQL Control Center: A GUI administration client for MySQL

MySQL Administrator: A GUI administration console allows for much more useful administrative features than MySQL Control Center.

And more…