Scaling out MySQL: Hardware Today and Tomorrow

In this session, Cole and Bergen will take a look at the hardware of recent past, today’s hardware, and what hardware trends will become interesting during 2008 and beyond. The major topics covered are CPU choices, memory, and storage, with a brief look at overall architecture.

On the topics of CPUs and memory:

• 32-bit vs. 64-bit and explanations behind choices
• CPUs vs. cores vs. additional machines
• effects of more memory on MySQL
• how to effectively use memory
• how to size a system for production use, considering cost and performance requirements

On the topics of storage and the overall architecture:

• acronym soup: RAID, DAS, JBOD, BBWC, SAN, NAS, SATA, SAS, SCSI, more
• non-RAID vs. RAID vs. SAN
• different RAID levels and their affect on performance and otherwise
• iSCSI vs. Fibre Channel vs. other solutions
• what does MySQL really require and what can you expect?
• cost comparison (vs. performance) of different storage systems
• how the overall architecture is affected by storage choice
• factoring in reliability requirements in storage choice

Cole and Bergen will take a look at the class of hardware and specific hardware choices used in several production environments, comparing their real-world needs to the performance achieved by their hardware choice, possibilities for growth, and limits to scalability because of their choices.

To wrap up, they’ll take a look at the future of hardware and any trends to look out for, including the growth in multicore CPUs, solid-state storage such as Flash SATA SSDs and other solutions, and how that will affect the MySQL market.