For the first time since the beginning of my long long career, I decided today to use an advice tool to check my MySQL configuration.

I decided to launch pt-variable-advisor and mysqltuner V2 on one of my MySQL server.
Here are the result outputs :

Then I ask myself what to do with these results, just raw results without much explanations, these tools are supposed to be done for beginners…

Just one example from mysqltuner : Too many temporary tables are being written to disk.  Increase max_heap_table_size and tmp_table_size
If I set the size of my temporary tables at 16Mb, what that’s means, I have to increase to 32Mb, 64Mb or more ?
What is the impact of this change to the memory of my server ?
How can I be sure that the new value that I set is not really too big ?

And another one from pt-variable-advisor :  innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit-1: InnoDB is not configured in strictly ACID mode
Really ? Find me a beginner who knows the ACID properties…
If I know ACID properties, do I really need these advice ?

Two other elements have excited my mind because there is a contradiction between the two tools :

• sort_buffer_size parameter :
  • pt-variable-advisor :  The sort_buffer_size variable should generally be left at its default unless an expert determines it is necessary to change it
  • mysqltuner :  consider increasing sort_buffer_size (sorting)
• query_cache_size parameter :
  • pt-variable-advisor : Nothing about query cache
  • mysqltuner :  Increase query_cache_size — there are too many low memory prunes

I don’t know what you think but if you read some news for the last few years, you know that there are several algorithms to sorting in MySQL and you know that the best query cache tuner is here (even if I’m not to agree with the latter)

So what ?

I am not trying to denigrate these tools, these advice are certainly justified in one way or another.
This is obviously very very complex to achieve this kind of tool.
I just wonder what a beginner can do with such informations ?
And I also wonder if these tools are really useful (for beginners) ?

What’s your thoughts about that ?

First of all, I wish you a happy new year.
Many things happened last year, it was really exciting to be involved in the MySQL ecosystem.
I hope this enthusiasm will be increased this year, up to you !

To start the year, I propose the MySQL[plus] Awards 2011
It will only take 5 minutes to fill out these polls.
Answer with your heart first and then with your experience with some of these tools or services.

Polls will be closed January 31, so, vote now !
For “other” answers, please,  let me a comment with details.

Don’t hesitate to submit proposal for tools or services in the comments.
And, please, share these polls !

 

• SQLYog : http://www.webyog.com
• MySQL Workbench : http://www.mysql.fr/products/workbench
• Heidisql : http://www.heidisql.com
• Navicat : http://www.navicat.com/en/products/navicat_mysql/
• MySQL Administrator / Query browser : http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/gui-tools/5.0.html
• phpMyAdmin : http://www.phpmyadmin.net
• EMS SQL Manager for MySQL : http://www.sqlmanager.net/fr/products/mysql/manager
• SQLWave : http://www.nerocode.com/
• Sequel Pro : http://www.sequelpro.com/
• Oracle SQL Developer : http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/sql-developer
• dbForge Studio : http://www.devart.com/dbforge/mysql/studio
• SQL Maestro MySQL Tools : http://www.sqlmaestro.com
• DBTools Manager : http://www.dbtools.com.br/EN
• Toad for MySQL : http://www.quest.com/toad-for-mysql/
• SIDU DB Web GUI : http://sidu.sourceforge.net/sidu/
• MyQuery : http://sourceforge.net/projects/myquery

 

• Zabbix : http://www.zabbix.com/
• MySQL Cacti templates : http://code.google.com/p/mysql-cacti-templates/
• Nagios : http://www.nagios.org/
• Ganglia : http://ganglia.sourceforge.net/
• MONyog : http://www.webyog.com
• Oracle products, tools and services : http://www.mysql.com

 

• Percona products, tools and services : http://www.percona.com
• Oracle products, tools and services : http://www.mysql.com
• r1soft CDP for MySQL : http://www.r1soft.com/linux-cdp/cdp-enterprise-edition/mysql/ 
• mylvmbackup tool : http://www.lenzg.net/mylvmbackup/
• mydumper tool : http://www.mydumper.org/
• ZRM tools : http://www.zmanda.com

 

• Oracle products, tools and services : http://www.mysql.com
• Galera replication : http://codership.com/products/galera_replication
• Tungsten replicator : http://code.google.com/p/tungsten-replicator/
• DRBD : http://www.drbd.org/
• ShoonerSQL : http://www.schoonerinfotech.com/products/schoonersql
• ScaleBase : http://www.scalebase.com/

 

• Percona products, tools and services : http://www.percona.com
• common-schema : http://code.google.com/p/common-schema/
• Innotop : http://code.google.com/p/innotop/
• MySQL Tuner : https://launchpad.net/mysqltuner/2.0/mysqltuner-2.1-rev17
• mycheckpoint : http://code.openark.org/forge/mycheckpoint
• MySQL Sandbox : http://mysqlsandbox.net/
• openark kit : http://code.openark.org/forge/openark-kit
• MHA for MySQL : http://code.google.com/p/mysql-master-ha
• Xtrabackup Manager : http://code.google.com/p/xtrabackup-manager
• MMM : http://mysql-mmm.org

 

• Oracle products, tools and services : http://www.mysql.com
• SkySQL products, tools and services : http://www.skysql.com
• Percona products, tools and services : http://www.percona.com
• FromDual products, tools and services : http://www.fromdual.com
• PalominoDB products, tools and services : http://palominodb.com/
• Pythian products, tools and services : http://www.pythian.com/
• Blue Gecko products, tools and services : http://www.bluegecko.net/

 

• Oracle products, tools and services : http://www.mysql.com
• Percona products, tools and services : http://www.percona.com
• MariaDB : http://mariadb.org/
• TokuDB : http://www.tokutek.com/
• InfiniDB : http://infinidb.org/
• Drizzle : https://launchpad.net/drizzle

 

• Amazon SimpleDB : http://aws.amazon.com/fr/simpledb//180-2635771-0721067/
• mongoDB : http://www.mongodb.org/
• Cassandra : http://cassandra.apache.org/
• CouchDB : http://couchdb.apache.org/
• Tokyo Cabinet : http://fallabs.com/
• Riak : http://basho.com/
• Hadoop : http://hadoop.apache.org/
• Tarantool : http://tarantool.org/
• memcached : http://memcached.org/
• Redis : http://redis.io/
• HandlerSocket : https://github.com/ahiguti/HandlerSocket-Plugin-for-MySQL

 

• MySQL 5.6 : http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/articles/whats-new-in-mysql-5.6.html

 

Happy 2012 !
Cédric

This article is obviously not sponsored !
(MySQL is a trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates)