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Archive for category PostgreSQL

Where Drizzle Is Succeeding

Feb 5

Posted by jaypipes in C/C++, Drizzle, Launchpad, MySQL, PostgreSQL | 1 Comment

Over the past few weeks, I have been happy working on Drizzle. Why have I been happy? Is it because of some new incredible code that will revolutionize the database industry? Nope. Is it because we’ve been able to remove all the issues that plague the server core? Nope. Is it because I see Drizzle quickly morphing into a modular, standard-conforming super-kernel? Nope.

So, why am I joyous?

To paraphrase the late Charlton Heston: “[Drizzle] is people!”

Recently, I’ve seen the fruit that transparent, open source development bears. This fruit takes the form of engaged, motivated, and humble individuals who wish to make their mark on a project.

Whether it’s on IRC on #drizzle, the drizzle-discuss mailing list (now with 354 active members), or via the platform which Launchpad.net provides our community, I’ve seen new developers scrambling to pick up blueprint tasks, tackle bugs (minor and major), and stamp their footprint on the code base.

With each new face comes an entirely new perspective, a new angle, a different set of skills and experience. And I’m taking the time to chat and learn with each of them. It’s a humbling experience for me, as I learn from each person who visits the ever-growing IRC channel and mailing list. It doesn’t matter if it’s the sage advice of folks like MySQL’s Mats Kindahl, Bernt Johnsen and Roy Lyseng, or database veteran Jim Starkey. It doesn’t matter if the new face is a college student wishing to help in any small way they can. Everyone makes a difference in their own way.

So, just like Monty Widenius says about his new company, that all employees will share in the profit, so is the case with Drizzle, and truly open source development projects. Those who contribute share in the project’s success and stamp their mark, forever, on its direction and shape. It is this fact that propels me in coding, and gives me joy when I log into IRC in the mornings.

Just thought I would share that happiness. Cheers.

PostgreSQL and MySQL – A Sunny Future

Feb 7

Posted by jaypipes in MySQL, PostgreSQL | 8 Comments

It’s kind of funny. Whenever I go to conferences, almost invariably I get asked by people, “So, you guys compete a lot with PostgreSQL, right?” My answer is typically, “No, not really”, much to the surprise of the inquirer. What’s more, I enjoy a pretty friendly relationship with a few folks in the PostgreSQL community. I remember at OSCON last year hanging out drinking beers with the PostgreSQL team members, and I even had Robert Treat take a photo of me at Ohio LinuxFest this past year wearing a little PostgreSQL elephant pin on my bag. :)

When it comes down to the perceived animosity between the MySQL and PostgreSQL communities, I am sure that in the past there were bitter debates and disagreement. But, from the MySQL AB and my own personal perspective, we welcome the achievements of the PostgreSQL community and developers. Sure, there are licensing and philosophical differences, and certainly there are many areas where each database server technology excels or falls short. But, having MySQL and PostgreSQL in the open source ecosystem means that innovation is fostered. There is no one right way of doing things. It reminds me of two shows on the Discovery Channel — MythBusters and Smash Lab. In both shows, it is common to have the inventors compete with each other to solve a particular problem. Usually, both eventual solutions have merit and both have drawbacks. It is the combined effect of each solution, and the aggregate knowledge that the combination spurs, that is the real shining moment. And such is my opinion of the relationship between MySQL and PostgreSQL. The combined innovation on both sides is greater than the sum of its parts.

And now I come to the proposed acquisition of MySQL by Sun Microsystems. There were very few in the MySQL community who saw the move as a bad thing — most opinions seemed to show a keen upside to having the resources at Sun available to improve MySQL. There were, however, a number of folks in the PostgreSQL community who openly fretted about whether the move signaled the demise of PostgreSQL support at Sun. Having spent three days at Sun last week in integration planning meetings, I can assure any readers of my blog that this is NOT the case. Let me explain why I see the reverse being true.


On Wednesday, I met with Josh Berkus, of PostgreSQL and Sun fame, in a breakout session on community affairs to plan with the integration efforts. The mood in the meeting was jovial and fun, as usually is the case when Josh is around. A couple jabs at MySQL were of course expected, and both Kaj and I listened to Josh’s remarks about things we in the MySQL community can learn from the PostgreSQL community. Indeed, I invited Josh to co-present with Joshua Drake on the exact same topic at the MySQL Conference in April; Mr. Drake is presenting a session entitled “What MySQL Can Learn From PostgreSQL“. Unfortunately, our conference coincides with FISL9 and Josh will be down in Brazil…

In a break during our community affairs meeting, Josh called up Tom Daly, an Aussie who is a Software Engineer at Sun working on benchmarking PostgreSQL for the SpecJAppServer2004 benchmarks. It was exciting to meet him, and he was excited to have the opportunity to see MySQL benchmarks done in the future at Sun.

So, what does the Sun acquisition mean for MySQL and PostgreSQL? I think it means a bright future for both platforms, I truly do. Sun’s commitment to both platforms seems remarkably strong. There is incredible enthusiasm from Sun to harness the reach of the MySQL community and strengthen the bonds of both the PostgreSQL and MySQL open source database communities. In short, it’s a very good thing!


A short reminder. The 2008 MySQL Conference and Expo is only a couple months away, but early registration ends on February 26th. If you haven’t checked out the schedule yet, please do so. I think you will find it’s the best ever. I am expecting a huge turnout this year, due in no small part to the buzz around the pending Sun acquisition, the GA release of MySQL 5.1, and some really cool new things going on with the MySQL Proxy technology. Book your travel and grab your tickets early. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up in a sold-out situation. Click here to Register Now and Save $$