And so, another MySQL conference has passed. And despite what the organizers say, it was the emptiest and dullest of all conferences. On the first day, honestly, I thought I had gone to the wrong place. Because in the hallways, there was practically no one (except the usual ladies at the conference room doors). The rooms or ballrooms where the talks took place were at most 40% full (and that’s being generous).
It’s still early to say if this reflects the acquisition of MySQL by Oracle, or if it’s just a lingering effect of the crisis, preventing DBAs from leaving their servers unattended for 5 days. The fact is that last year, by estimate, there were twice as many participants. The only really packed talk was Monty’s, titled: “The State of MariaDB.”
Also felt was the absence of big MySQL users, who traditionally give talks. There was a kind of esoteric atmosphere, everyone sharing their opinions about the future of MySQL and MariaDB. I honestly don’t see a very prosperous future for MySQL under Oracle’s management. Oracle loves money, and MySQL is more of a community than a product, and it never made much money. Fact. Just compare the prices of products, training, and consulting. They are incompatible, numerically speaking.
Still, I don’t have a crystal ball to say this or that for sure. If Oracle fulfills the terms in the letter of intent delivered to the EU, it will make a solid investment in MySQL, and it could be better than ever (AND MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TOO).
I spoke with an Oracle VP who convinced me of Oracle’s good intentions and everything that will be done for the product (to be discussed in another article). However, gentlemen, if in Brazil we remain under the current team’s management, we are lost. But I believe Oracle has already realized we need more serious and committed people for MySQL in Brazil and will promote positive changes.
We, DBAs or Developers, cannot be without contingency plans, without a Plan B. Never! It’s our job and our reputation. Plan B, gentlemen, is MariaDB, OurDelta, xtraDB Server, and Drizzle. And I say more: why isn’t MariaDB Plan A?
I have spoken with Sun clients (in Brazil and the USA) whose support & maintenance contracts increased at renewal. Probably Oracle adjusting Sun prices to Oracle’s, which are substantially higher. That’s why I repeat, who guarantees that official consulting, training, and Enterprise prices will not be increased?
Nothing prevents Oracle from adding closed-source code to MySQL. Absolutely nothing! It can’t close MySQL’s source code, but it can add closed features, as it is already doing.
I didn’t like Oracle saying it won’t support MySQL 5.4 because it contains Google patches. Wait! Google took years to release its patches, and now we won’t have support for them? The product is community-based; if a version is released, support should be provided.
I really liked version 5.5 and all the new features it brings. Fantastic! And Oracle promises more (I will comment on this in another article).
I didn’t like Oracle removing the TCO Calculator tool from the MySQL website. But I liked what an Oracle VP told me about new hires for support and development engineers. I met the Chief Engineer, talked with him, and yes, there are good intentions.
Another thing that made me comfortable with Oracle was the renewed relationship with HTI, aiming to create a MySQL arm in Brazil. I also agreed with Oracle’s decision to keep the MySQL website separate from the main site as an independent business unit.
So, I insist, we must keep our Plan B ready. It’s too early to say whether MySQL will thrive or sink under Oracle.
I honestly hope it thrives. I’m 100% committed to Monty and MariaDB, but I will never turn my back on MySQL. Ten years dedicated to a vibrant community and a fascinating, passionate product.
News? No, unfortunately not. This year was mostly more of the same. New releases, that’s what we saw. New Memcached, 5.5.x, MMM, etc. I will comment on the most interesting ones in separate articles.
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