MySQL Professional Certification
Last month we looked at
the MySQL Core certification, aimed at MySQL users and developers. For people
wanting to go even further, there is another MySQL certification – the MySQL
Professional certification, aimed at database administrators. The Core
certification is a prerequisite for the Professional certification. The Pro
test is more difficult, and requires experience in administrating and
configuring a MySQL database server, so it is not for everybody. This month we
provide an outline of the Pro certification, and list of resources you will find
invaluable in preparing for the test.
MySQL Professional Certification Outline
The test covers MySQL
4.1, and tests the typical skills required by a MySQL administrator. In
general, this includes installing (on different platforms), configuring
optimizing and securing installations, as well as in-depth knowledge of the
MyISAM and InnoDB table types.
The complete list of exam
topics (as defined by MySQL in May 2005) follows, as well as links to relevant
Database Journal and other articles that can help you study this topic: As of
February 1st, 2005, questions on the certification exam pertain to MySQL 4.1.
- MySQL
Architecture (15%). Includes client-server issues, choosing and connecting
clients, hard drive and memory footprints, log and status files and table
types. - Restoring
lost data from the Binary Update log – Database Journal - MySQL’s
Over-looked and Under-worked Slow Query Log – Database Journal - More
MySQL Logs – Database Journal - Table
Types in MySQL: Part 1 – HEAP tables – Database Journal (note, HEAP
tables are now called MEMORY tables). - The MySQL log
files - MySQL
Storage engines and table types - MySQL
client and utility programs - Installing
and configuring MySQL (20%). Includes installing (on Windows and Linux,
from binaries and source), starting up and shutting down (on Windows and Unix),
configuring, compiling, upgrading and optimizing MySQL, configuring disks
and choosing hardware. - Optimizing
MySQL: Hardware and the Mysqld Variables – Database Journal - General
Installation issues - Installing
MySL Using a binary distribution - Installing
MySQL on Windows - Installing MySQL
on Linux - Installing
MySQL on other Unix-like systems - Installing
MySQL using a source distribution - Post
installation setup and testing - Upgrading MySQL
- The
MySQL Server and Server Startup Scripts - Configuring
the MySQL server - The MySQL
Server shutdown process - Disk issues
- Security
Issues (15%). Includes securing MySQL, client access and managing user
accounts. - An
introduction to MySQL permissions – Database Journal - MySQL
user account management - The MySQL
access privilege system - General security
issues - Optimizing
for Query Speed (15%). Includes using and optimizing indexes, using
EXPLAIN for analysis, enhancing query performance and optimizing the
logical database structure. - Optimizing
MySQL: Queries and Indexes – Database Journal - Optimizing
Database Structure - Optimizing
SELECT statements and other queries - MyISAM
Tables (10%). Includes MyISAM optimizations, locking, disaster recovery,
checking, repairing and maintaining MyISAM tables. - MySQL
Backups – Database Journal - Repairing
Database Corruption in MySQL – Database Journal - Disaster
prevention and recovery - Locking
issues - InnoDB
Tables (10%). Includes ACID compliance, the transaction model, versioning,
concurrency and isolation levels, InnoDB optimizations, locking, disaster
recovery, checking, repairing and maintaining InnoDB tables . - Table
Types in MySQL: Part 2 – InnoDB Tables – Database Journal - MySQL
Backups – Database Journal - Transactions
in MySQL – Database Journal - MySQL
Transactions, Part II – Transaction Isolation Levels – Database
Journal - The InnoDB table
type - Disaster
prevention and recovery - Locking
issues - Advanced
Features (15%). Includes understanding the mysqld server information,
measuring load, tuning server parameters, the query cache, using multiple
servers and replication. - Optimizing
the mysqld variables – Database Journal - Database
Replication in MySQL – Database Journal - MySQL’s
Query cache – Database Journal - MySQL
replication - Running
multiple servers on the same machine - The MySQL Query
cache - Optimizing
the MySQL server - SHOW
VARIABLES syntax - SHOW STATUS
syntax - SHOW WARNINGS
syntax - SET syntax