BIOS: Technology Means Business

MySQL AB, developer of the one of the world's most popular open source databases, has announced the general availability of MySQL 5.0. Claiming to be the most significant product upgrade in the company's 10-year history, MySQL 5.0's new functionality should be especially familiar to database developers and DBAs of proprietary relational database systems.

'We are quite proud to deliver this new version of MySQL - as it includes the most-requested features from our users, customers and partners,' said Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL AB. 'With their feedback, we have been able to provide important enterprise-class features while staying true to MySQL's renowned heritage of high-performance, reliability and ease-of-use.'

MySQL 5.0 combines 'enterprise-grade reliability and performance' with advanced SQL 2003 standard-compliant features. Some of its new features include stored procedures and SQL functions to embed business logic in the database and improve performance, Triggers to enforce complex business rules at the database level, Views to ensure protection of sensitive information, Cursors to allow easier database development and reference of large datasets, and Information Schema to provide easy access to metadata.

The updated software also includes XA Distributed Transactions to support complex transactions across multiple databases in heterogeneous environments, and SQL Mode to provide server-enforced data integrity for new and existing data, new Federated and Archive Storage Engines for greater flexibility, functionality and performance, as well as a new graphical toolkit that migrates all data and objects from Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access and other database platforms to MySQL.

The new management assistant allows remote starting/stopping of any MySQL Server, as well as remote editing of configuration files, reading of error and query logs, and updated connectors and visual tools are new high-performance versions of MySQL's ODBC, Java and .NET database drivers - along with updated versions of the MySQL Query Browser and MySQL Administrator.

The production version of MySQL 5.0 is available now for Linux, Windows, Solaris, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, HP-UX, IBM AIX 5L and a range of other operating systems. All MySQL database software is available under a dual licensing model. Developers and organisations can choose between an open source (GPL) or a commercial MySQL license, depending on their deployment requirements.

End-user enterprises can also subscribe to MySQL Network, a comprehensive set of certified software and premium support services. For software downloads and additional information, visit www.mysql.com/products/.