Book Review: MySQL Admin Cookbook

Usually I try to avoid the cookbook type of computer books because usually the 'recipies', often messy scripts or pages of obfuscated code, seem only to work for the authors and not for me. So I had a little trepidation when I was asked to review the MySQL Admin Cookbook. Daniel Schneller and Udo Schwedt manage to pack a lot of very solid information into 360 pages of text that would work for novice to intermediate MySQL DBAs and provide some food for thought for seasoned DBAs.

What I liked: The material was presented with the reasons behind the recipe and pointers to useful tools. Yes, all the material is in the manuals but sometimes there are too many trees in the way for a novice so see the trees. In very calm ,concise language, the authors tackle successfully a wide range of DBA chores in a way that is easy to follow.

I would not hesitate to give this book to a novice to intermediate DBA as a tool to help them work through replication, configuration, indexes and tools.

What I did not like: Time has marched on and the references to MySQL Administrator make a few tiny sections seem dated but I am sure only the Workbench team knew what that product would evolve into. Also the section on monitoring is a bit light but then most DBAs do not need to wade in as deeply as the book goes let alone into Enterprise Monitor or other tools.

So this book is a solid four out of five stars and well worth being brought home by those new to MySQL DBA work and those seeking 'recipes' for thie instances.