Chapter 13. MySQL Administration

There are several facets to administering a MySQL server, from the obvious and critical backing up of data to improving security and performance. Fortunately the reliability of MySQL demands little in the way of maintenance, but should the need arise, this, too, is easily accomplished.

Historically, pretty much every administrative task could be accomplished using one of two methods. First, there are several utilities that MySQL distributes with the server itself. These are each run from a command-line interface, just like the mysql client. Second, most tasks can also be accomplished within the mysql client using the proper SQL command. I will briefly mention these options, as applicable, for the tasks I discuss in this chapter. But for the most part, I will focus on the exciting new product called the MySQL Administrator. Released by the company that makes MySQL, it places all of the necessary administrative tools within one graphical interface.