MySQL Launches Enterprise Edition of Open Source Database

Published: October 31, 2006

by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Open source database maker MySQL has announced MySQL Enterprise, which--as the name suggests--is the enterprise-class version of its MySQL 5 relational database.

Unlike other database makers, which charge more for their databases depending on the type or scalability of the box that it runs on, MySQL Enterprise costs more because MySQL, the company, does more for the customer. Specifically, MySQL Enterprise helps database administrators cope with their jobs, which includes database performance and tuning, troubleshooting, security planning, upgrade and patch installation, migration of databases and data, and scripting and coding. The key new technologies in the service are proactive monitoring and increased automation.

MySQL Enterprise comes with basic-, silver-, gold-, and platinum-level support. The platinum level includes the MySQL Enterprise Server, which is the latest iteration of the MySQL 5 database, and it includes monthly updates, quarterly service packs, and emergency hotfixes. This software is available immediately. The platinum edition of the database also includes MySQL Network Monitoring and Advisory Services, which provides continuous monitoring of databases as they run by MySQL's experts, who alert customers to potential problems and help them fix actual ones when something goes wrong. This service also has a certain amount of automation built in, including 65 expert advisor rules, which help database administrators better tune their MySQL setups. MySQL Enterprise also comes with enterprise-class, 24x7 telephone and Web support, and access to a knowledge base of over 2,000 technical articles written by MySQL's developers and support staff.

MySQL Enterprise is available on Windows, Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server), Solaris, HP-UX, and Mac OS X, among a number of other platforms. Annual subscriptions range from $595 to $4,995 per database server, with the price varying depending on the support options customers choose. The MySQL Enterprise software is available now, and the network monitoring service will be delivered later this quarter.