MySQL Reference Manual

What Is MySQL AB?

MySQL AB is the company of the MySQL founders and main developers. MySQL AB was originally established in Sweden by David Axmark, Allan Larsson, and Michael Monty Widenius.

All the developers of the MySQL server are employed by the company. We are a virtual organisation with people in a dozen countries around the world. We communicate extensively over the Net every day with each other and with our users, supporters and partners.

We are dedicated to developing the MySQL software and spreading our database to new users. MySQL AB owns the copyright to the MySQL source code, the MySQL logo and trademark, and this manual. See Section 1.2.

The MySQL core values show our dedication to MySQL and open source.

We want the MySQL Database Software to be:

• The best and the most widely used database in the world.

• Available and affordable for all.

• Easy to use.

• Continuously improving while remaining fast and safe.

• Fun to use and improve.

• Free from bugs.

MySQL AB and the people at MySQL AB:

• Promote open source philosophy and support the open source community.

• Aim to be good citizens.

• Prefer partners that share our values and mind-set.

• Answer email and provide support.

• Are a virtual company, networking with others.

• Work against software patents.

The MySQL web site (http://www.mysql.com/) provides the latest information about MySQL and MySQL AB.

The Business Model and Services of MySQL AB

One of the most common questions we encounter is: "How can you make a living from something you give away for free?" This is how.

MySQL AB makes money on support, services, commercial licenses, and royalties, and we use these revenues to fund product development and to expand the MySQL business.

The company has been profitable since its inception. In October 2001, we accepted venture financing from leading Scandinavian investors and a handful of business angels. This investment is used to solidify our business model and build a basis for sustainable growth.

Support

MySQL AB is run and owned by the founders and main developers of the MySQL database. The developers are committed to giving support to customers and other users in order to stay in touch with their needs and problems. All our support is given by qualified developers. Really tricky questions are answered by Michael Monty Widenius, principal author of the MySQL server. See Section 1.4.1.

To order support at various levels, visit the order section at https://order.mysql.com/ or contact our sales staff at [e-mail].

Training and certification

MySQL AB delivers MySQL and related training worldwide. We offer both open courses and in-house courses tailored to the specific needs of your company. MySQL Training is also available through our partners, the Authorised MySQL Training Centers.

Our training material uses the same example databases as our documentation and our sample applications, and it is always updated to reflect the latest MySQL version. Our trainers are backed by the development team to guarantee the quality of the training and the continuous development of the course material. This also ensures that no questions raised during the courses remain unanswered.

Attending our training courses will enable you to achieve your goals related to your MySQL applications. You will also:

• Save time.

• Improve the performance of your application(s).

• Reduce or eliminate the need for additional hardware, decreasing cost.

• Enhance security.

• Increase customers’ and co-workers’ satisfaction.

• Prepare yourself for MySQL Certification.

If you are interested in our training as a potential participant or as a training partner, please visit the training section at http://www.mysql.com/training/ or contact us at: [e-mail].

We plan to release the MySQL Certification Program in 2002. For details see http://www.mysql.com/training/certification.html. If you would like to be kept informed about the MySQL Certification Program, please email [e-mail].

Consulting

MySQL AB and its Authorised Partners offer consulting services to users of MySQL server and to those who embed MySQL server in their own software, all over the world.

Our consultants can help you design and tune your databases, construct efficient queries, tune your platform for optimal performance, resolve migration issues, set up replication, build robust transactional applications, and more. We also help customers embed MySQL server in their products and applications for large-scale deployment.

Our consultants work in close collaboration with our development team, which ensures the technical quality of our professional services. Consulting assignments range from 2-day power-start sessions to projects that span weeks and months. Our expertise not only covers MySQL server, but also extends into programming and scripting languages such as PHP, Perl, and more.

If you are interested in our consulting services or want to become a consulting partner, please visit the consulting section of our web site at http://www.mysql.com/consulting/ or contact our consulting staff at [e-mail].

Commercial licenses

The MySQL database is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). This means that the MySQL software can be used free of charge under the GPL. If you do not want to be bound by the GPL terms (like the requirement that your own application becomes GPL as well), you may purchase a commercial license for the same product from MySQL AB at https://order.mysql.com/. Since MySQL AB owns the copyright to the MySQL source code, we are able to employ Dual Licensing which means that the same product is available under GPL and under a commercial license. This does not in any way affect the open source commitment of MySQL AB. For details about when a commercial license is required, please see Section 1.4.3.

We also sell commercial licenses of third-party open source GPL software that adds value to MySQL server. A good example is the InnoDB transactional table handler that offers ACID support, row-level locking, crash recovery, multi-versioning, foreign key support, and more. See Section 7.5.

Partnering

MySQL AB has a worldwide partner programme that covers training courses, consulting & support, publications plus reselling and distributing MySQL and related products. MySQL AB Partners get visibility on the http://www.mysql.com/ web site and the right to use special versions of the MySQL trademarks to identify their products and promote their business.

If you are interested in becoming a MySQL AB Partner, please email [e-mail].

The word MySQL and the MySQL dolphin logo are trademarks of MySQL AB. See Section 1.4.4. These trademarks represent a significant value that the MySQL founders have built over the years.

Advertising

The MySQL web site (http://www.mysql.com/) is popular among developers and users. In October 2001, we served 10 million page views. Our visitors represent a group that makes purchase decisions and recommendations for both software and hardware. Twelve percent of our visitors authorise purchase decisions, and only nine percent are not involved in purchase decisions at all. More than 65% have made one or more online business purchase within the last half-year, and 70% plan to make one in the next months.

If you are interested in placing banner ads on our web site, http://www.mysql.com/, please send an email message to [e-mail].

Contact Information

The MySQL web site (http://www.mysql.com/) provides the latest information about MySQL and MySQL AB.

For press service and inquiries not covered in our News releases (http://www.mysql.com/news/), please send email to [e-mail].

If you have a valid support contract with MySQL AB, you will get timely, precise answers to your technical questions about the MySQL software. For more information, see Section 1.4.1. You can order your support contract at https://order.mysql.com/, or send an email message to [e-mail].

For information about MySQL training, please visit the training section at http://www.mysql.com/training/. If you have restricted access to the Internet, please contact the MySQL AB training staff at [e-mail]. See Section 1.3.1.2.

For information on the MySQL Certification Program, please see http://www.mysql.com/training/certification.html. If you would like to be kept informed about the MySQL Certification Program, please email [e-mail]. See Section 1.3.1.2.

If you’re interested in consulting, please visit the consulting section at http://www.mysql.com/consulting/. If you have restricted access to the Internet, please contact the MySQL AB consulting staff at [e-mail]. See Section 1.3.1.3.

Commercial licenses may be purchased online at https://order.mysql.com/. There you will also find information on how to fax your purchase order to MySQL AB. If you have questions regarding licensing or you want a quote for a high-volume license deal, please fill in the contact form on our web site (http://www.mysql.com/) or send an email message to [e-mail] (for licensing questions) or to [e-mail] (for sales inquiries). See Section 1.4.3.

If you represent a business that is interested in partnering with MySQL AB, please send email to [e-mail]. See Section 1.3.1.5.

If you are interested in placing a banner advertisement on the MySQL web site (http://www.mysql.com/), please send email to [e-mail]. See Section 1.3.1.6.

For more information on the MySQL trademark policy, refer to http://www.mysql.com/company/trademark.html or send email to [e-mail]. See Section 1.4.4.

If you are interested in any of the MySQL AB jobs listed in our jobs section (http://www.mysql.com/development/jobs/), please send an email message to [e-mail]. Please do not send your CV as an attachment, but rather as plain text at the end of your email message.

For general discussion among our many users, please direct your attention to the appropriate mailing list. See Section 1.6.2.

Reports of errors (often called bugs), as well as questions and comments, should be sent to the mailing list at [e-mail]. If you have found a sensitive security bug in the MySQL server, please send an email to [e-mail]. See Section 1.6.2.3.

If you have benchmark results that we can publish, please contact us at [e-mail].

If you have any suggestions concerning additions or corrections to this manual, please send them to the manual team at [e-mail].

For questions or comments about the workings or content of the MySQL web site (http://www.mysql.com/), please send email to [e-mail].

Questions about the MySQL Portals (http://www.mysql.com/portal/) may be sent to [e-mail].

MySQL AB has a privacy policy, which can be read at http://www.mysql.com/company/privacy.html. For any queries regarding this policy, please email [e-mail].

For all other inquires, please send email to [e-mail].