Database Reference
In-Depth Information
The Value of MySQL and MariaDB
Many featurescontribute to MySQL's standing as a superb database system. Its speed is
one of its most prominent features (refer to its
benchmarks page
for its performance over
time). MySQL and MariaDB are remarkably scalable, and are able to handle tens of thou-
sands of tables and billions of rows of data. They can also manage small amounts of data
quickly and smoothly, making them convenient for small businesses or amateur projects.
The critical software in any database management system is its storage engine, which man-
ages queries and interfaces between a user's SQL statements and the database's back-end
storage. MySQL and MariaDB offer several storage engines with different advantages.
Some are transaction-safe storage engines that allow for rollback of data (i.e., the often
needed
undo
feature so familiar in desktop software). Additionally, MySQL has a tremend-
ous number of built-in functions, which are detailed in several chapters of this topic. Mari-
aDB offers the same functions and a few more. MySQL and MariaDB are also very well
known for rapid and stable improvements. Each new release comes with speed and stability
improvements, as well as new features.
