Introduction: The Purpose of This Book

Introduction: The Purpose of This Book

MySQL is the foundation of many of today's highest quality, most robust database-driven solutions. However, users continually grow more demanding: A rich application that runs sluggishly is unacceptable, no matter what functionality it offers. Unfortunately, the cost of job cutbacks and outsourcing means that most overloaded IT professionals barely have enough time to deliver a minimal solution, much less master the minutiae of their database engine, which, in the case of MySQL, grows richer and more complex with each release.

Performance often takes a backseat to merely hitting the schedule. "Just ship it now and make it faster later" is a refrain heard around the world today. Regrettably, "later" rarely arrives, and designers, developers, and administrators end up delivering suboptimal solutions and then bracing themselves for the inevitable complaints from users. In many cases, these problems would never have come to pass if the overloaded designers and developers had enough time to fully research and exploit the numerous avenues to boost MySQL response. This book was written to help these beleaguered professionals jump-start their knowledge of MySQL performance tuning, letting them design, develop, and maintain the fastest MySQL solutions in the shortest amount of time.