Chapter 38. Optimizing Databases

This chapter discusses how to optimize your databases by designing your tables so that MySQL can process their contents more efficiently. Some of these techniques apply to any storage engine. Others apply to specific engines. The chapter covers the following exam topics:

• General table-design principles that result in faster query processing

• Table normalization principles

• Optimization techniques for particular storage engines: MyISAM, InnoDB, MERGE, and MEMORY