Now Offering: MySQL on HP-UX Itanium 2


MySQL AB Tuesday said it has tweaked its database to run on HP’s HP-UX 11.i v2 operating system on the Intel Itanium 2 processor for 64-bit systems, possibly paving the way for a pairing of the most popular open-source database with a promising chip architecture.


MySQL 4.0, which already supports other HP-UX platforms, IBM AIX, Sun Solaris, all major Linux distributions and Microsoft Windows, can now help HP-UX Intanium 2 users run enterprise applications that require heavy lifting and power.


These include SAP or Siebel applications for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM), which require large amounts of data.


HP has been trumpeting servers and operating systems based on Itanium 2 chips more fervently than other server vendors to date. Itanium 2 chips are designed for handling terabytes of data with high performance achieved through 64 bits of available address space.

MySQL’s endorsement of HP’s Itanium 2-based OS could further validate HP’s positioning that Itanium 2-based environments are blossoming as the industry moves closer and closer to relying on 64-bit systems for enterprise-grade tasks.


MySQL is rushing to crank out new developments, or even new versions, two weeks ahead of LinuxWorld Conference and Expo.


Sweden’s MySQL, which is preparing to unveil an early test version of MySQL 5.0 next week, is also prepping early support for the Windows operating system on the Itanium 2 in MySQL 4.1, the current test version of the MySQL database software.


MySQL aims to compete with Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle’s 9i Database and IBM’s DB2 in certain circles. Most analysts recognize MySQL as a solid database geared for smaller workloads, such as small businesses or departments within larger companies, as they say it lacks certain features major enterprises require.


MySQL, whose dual licensing business model allows users to choose between free open source use and paid implementations, currently boasts more than 4 million active installations.


But the company received a boost from a database development survey from Evans Data, which found that although Microsoft SQL Server and Access continue to dominate database development, MySQL is gaining strength.


Microsoft SQL Server and Access usage has grown by six percent while MySQL usage has growm more than 30 percent in the last year, according to the market researcher.


“Concerns over stability, expense and how well a database plays with others are leading a quickly growing number of developer’s companies to seriously consider and implement an open source database solution; we expect this trend to continue as the open source offerings are continually improved upon,” said Joe McKendrick, Evans Data’s database analyst.

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