MySQL Optimization

Our MySQL experience includes some of the best in the idustry for query design. From massive stats systems to simple logins, MySQL is one of the most versitile things you can use when creating a website. However, improperly designed programs and scripts can easily overload a server with poor MySQL queries and structuring.

If you are unsure if your MySQL queries and server are setup properly, below is a quick check list to run off. If you're experiencing some of the issues described below, it is very likely that your MySQL server is being used improperly.

• Excessive Page Load Times

Large loading times for pages that have MySQL, and normal load times for those that do not is a very clear indication that the MySQL server is overloaded. This can be a number of issues, most commonly badly designed queries or improper structuring of the table(s) being accessed.

• Queries Returning Incomplete

Often times when a MySQL server is overloaded, it will not be able to proccess a query completely. Under some configurations this may mean that the calling application (often PHP) has to wait, or that the MySQL will timeout and simply return what it can.

• INSERT or UPDATE Delays

INSERT and UPDATE commands can be delayed by the server as it catagorises SELECT as more important. This can be a major issue if your server has, for example, a user sign up form, where the user may have to wait to login until the query has ran.

• Website Down Time

Large server loads can often cause the website to simply begin returning 404 or 408 errors because the page cannot be loaded before the cut off (normally 30 seconds for PHP applications).

• An Angry IT guy

Getting phone calls at 2AM about how your website is crashing an entire rack is generally a good indication that something is DEFFINITLY wrong. I know this one from plenty of expirience. (Sorry old hosting company!)

If you happen to have any questions or would just like to discuss an upcoming MySQL project, feel free to
Contact Us.