MySQL DBMS

Overview

Welcome to another exciting blog post in the series of Open Source Database Management Systems. In the recent past, we have published blog posts on topics such as Setup XAMPP and phpMyAdmin as localhost on Windows , Top 5 Open Source Database Management Systems, and some more. Enterprise-level applications are a point of attention in the current age of technology. Business needs are changing at a high pace and there is a huge debate on data security, data access, and data integrity. However, open source community has always shown some commitment towards giving better solutions to the problems of the modern era. Therefore, there are many popular databases that are open source and MySQL DBMS is one of those. In this blog post, we will go through the following points.

What is MySQL?

MySQL is one of the most popular database management systems. It is an important pillar of LAMP application software. Further, it is cross-platform so works well with all operating systems including Windows, Linux, macOS, IRIX, and others. In addition, MySQL is a database management system used to manage relational databases. MySQL DBMS is owned by Oracle but still, it is open source software and you can use it without paying anything. Moreover, you can change its source code according to your requirements and needs. There is comprehensive documentation available regarding development and deployment.

Why MySQL is so popular?

In this section, we will go through the factors due to which MySQL is considered a popular database. MySQL is one of the most popular open source DBMS and the following are the reasons behind it:

  • It is completely free and open source database management system.
  • MySQL database is very user friendly mostly used with PHP, the most popular language for web development.
  • It is a very powerful DBMS that offers a large set of functionality which is only offered by most expensive DBMS.
  • MySQL is cross platform and works with almost all operating systems.
  • It is customizable because it is an open-source database. Developers can edit code according to their needs.
  • It is quicker than most of other open source databases and works well and fast even with the large data set.
  • It is compatible with many languages like PHP, PERL, C, C++, JAVA, etc.
  • There are very good stats on its Github repo.

Benefits of MySQL

This section of the blog post defines some core benefits that MySQL DBMS offers to its users. Therefore, let’s go through it one by one and find out what are those benefits for the enterprise.

  • Flexible and easy to use: Modify source code according to your own needs and expectations. The installation process is relatively simple, and doesn’t take much time.
  • High performance: Even if you are storing massive amounts of big e-Commerce data or doing heavy business intelligence activities, MySQL can assist you smoothly with optimum speed.
  • A mature DBMS: Developers have been using MySQL for years, which means that there are abundant resources for them. It has evolved over the years and has very little margin for any kind of bugs.
  • Secure database: Data security is the basic need of every web app. With its Access Privilege System and User Account Management, MySQL sets the security bar high. It offers both Host-based verification and password encryption as well.
  • Free installation: The community edition of MySQL is free to download. There are some prepaid options but if your company is too small to pay for them, the free-to-download model is the most suitable for a fresh start.
  • Simple syntax: MySQL’s structure very simple and plain. That’s why developers even consider MySQL a database with a human-like language. MySQL is easy to use, most of the tasks can be executed right in the command line, reducing development steps.

Cons of MySQL

  • Owned by Oracle: MySQL used to be open source but now its not completely open source. It’s mostly now under Oracle’s license which limits the MySQL community in terms of improving the DBMS.
  • **Scalability issues: **MySQL is not as efficiently scalable as the NoSQL database. It will need more engineering effort to make it scalable. So, if you have apps for which your database will increase substantially, you should choose another DBMS option.
  • **Limited support for SQL standards: **MySQL doesn’t completely compliance with SQL standards. It does not provide support for some standard SQL features as well as it has some extensions and features that don’t match the Structured Query Language standards.

Conclusion

This brings us to the end of this blog post. However, we have gone through some important aspects of MySQL DBMS such as What is MySQL, the benefits of MySQL, and the cons of MySQL. This blog post will surely help you if you are looking to opt for an open source relational database for your business applications. Easy to use, high performance, flexibility, security, maturity, and simple syntax makes MySQL one of the most popular database management system. It is compatible with many popular languages including PHP, PERL, C, C++, JAVA, etc. as well as it is cross-platform and can be installed on most operating systems including Windows, Linux, macOS, IRIX, and others. In addition, there are other relevant articles and products mentioned in the “Explore” section below that you can check out.

Finally, containerize.com is continuously writing blog posts on further open source products and topics. Therefore, please stay in touch with the Open Source Database Management Systems category for regular updates. Moreover, you can follow us on our social media accounts Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Explore

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