MySQL readies database beta

Open-source database company MySQL will launch a beta, or test, program later this month for version 5 of its namesake database.

The update of the open-source database will introduce features, including stored procedures, triggers and views, that are typically used in corporate databases. "We have all the basics in place. These will be the last of the enterprise features people have been expecting," said Zack Urlocker, the company's vice president of marketing. He also noted that many modern Web applications do not always use those features but still manage to handle high volumes of traffic. MySQL 5.0 was originally slated to be released in 2004, but is now expected to be completed this year.

MySql 5.0

MySql is good for simple things in an environment where protecting the data is NOT a concern. Yes they are fast, their trademark. But they still can't do hot backups, or recoveries, nor do they support partioned tables/indexes etc. It's better by far than SqlServer, but not yet enterprise quality. Sadly their open source rival, PostGreSql, already has 100% of what MySql 5 delivers, and are working on Hot backups and point in time recoveries. And to boot it's free for ALL applications (GNU license).