02 Jun

How to find MySQL binary logs, error logs, temporary files?

Have you ever spent a lot of time trying to locate where MySQL keeps some file? Here is a quick way to find all this information in one place.

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01 Jun

A small rant on Galera & XtraDB Cluster

I had to install Percona XtraDB Cluster, I think for the first time since it was announced stable. I remembered many problems I faced with beta releases, which was understandable given they were only for a preview, but this time I hoped for significant improvements.

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01 Jun

Implementing efficient Geo IP location system in MySQL

Often application needs to know where a user is physically located. The easiest way to figure that out is by looking up their IP address in a special database. It can all be implemented in MySQL, but I often see it done inefficiently. In my post I will show how to implement a complete solution that offers great performance.

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22 May

Install and configure MySQL on EC2 with RedHat Linux

Recently I had to turn a few EC2 instances into MySQL database servers. The third time I had to do it, I grabbed the list of steps from my previous sessions and just replayed it. Later I thought maybe polishing information a little bit and publishing a step-by-step walkthrough on the blog may help a few people. So here it is.

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22 May

An elaborate way to break a MySQL server with XtraBackup

XtraBackup is a great piece of software from Percona, which allows creating (nearly) lock-less MySQL/InnoDB backups. The tool has been around for quite some time and recently even received a major version bump. I have relied on it many times over the years. As it turns out, using it in some configurations may lead to heavy swapping or prevent MySQL from running queries.

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