What is MySQL?

If you want to expand your knowledge and learn about technical concepts more easily, without getting lost, you have come to the right place. So what is MySQL and how does it work? Let’s dive in and break it down.

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What is MySQL?

First and foremost, MySQL is pronounced mai·es·kyoo·el, but some people refer to it as ‘My sequel’ and other names but at least we have the correct pronunciation. It was created by a gentleman named Michael Widenius and named after his daughter ‘My’ and Structured Query Language ‘SQL’. Its initial release to the public was in May 1995 and MySQL became available to Windows users in January of 1998. As of today, the most current release is at 8.0.23 and it was last updated in January 2021. MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) with a client-server model. Since MySQL is a relational database it organizes the data in single or multiple tables with similar data types. These relationships are what help to structure the data in the database.

MySQL falls under the LAMP stack for programmers. LAMP is an acronym for Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl/PHP/Python. MySQL is primarily used with web applications utilizing Drupal and WordPress. Some businesses using MySQL include NASA, Boeing, Facebook, US Navy, CERN, YouTube, and many more…

Relational Database Management System Facts

According to Oracle a database is an organized collection of structured information, or data, typically stored electronically in a computer system. Pretty much that means a database is a collection of structured data. You might be wondering where the relational part comes into play. Let me explain. A relational database is a database that stores and gives us access to data points that are related to one another. So every table in the database relates in some sort of way. If it did not, then it would be referred to as a Database Management System (DBMS).

Client-Server Model

Computers that install and run RDBMS are referred to as the clients. Whenever the clients need access to data on a server, they do so through the client-server model. The client–server model is the relationship between two computers in which one, the client, makes a service request from another, the server. The key point about a client–server model is that the client is dependent on the server to provide and manage the information. The client-server model is an application that partitions tasks between the client and server effectively. This is the client-server part of MySQL. Some people believe that RBDMS are all MySQL databases but that is not true. MySQL’s popularity has been climbing every year since its release and its popularity is so big that some people think they are the same thing.

Why is MySQL So Popular?

MySQL is known for being popular because of its high performance, industry standard, and security. Companies can install and run MySQL in less than 30 minutes, and it offers the freedom to make custom modifications to the code without purchasing the commercial licenses. It is recognized as a high performer because of the wide array of cluster servers. MySQL cluster servers provide the availability to parse through data at a fast rate and allow for linear scalability. Industries have been using MySQL for decades now and there is a good amount of information, being open-source and all, on the web to explore more about MySQL.

How Kobalt Solutions uses MySQL

For some of our websites, we utilize WordPress.org software which requires MySQL. We can manipulate the database through a software manager called phpMyAdmin. This is where we create the database and can handle the data with standard SQL commands. When we want to develop on our local machines and not host a website, we use MAMP. MAMP installs a local server environment (through Apache) in a matter of seconds on your computer. MAMP comes with MySQL and phpMyAdmin already downloaded. This allows us to build Websites on localhost while still being connected to a database. One cool thing about all this is when you want to transfer the website from localhost to your hosting provider it’s extremely simple with a WordPress plugin named All-in-One WP Migration.

Hope you found this article helpful in understanding the basics of MySQL. If you did, please give us a like, comment, and share.