History of MySQL
Introduction
MySQL, pronounced as "My S-Q-L" or "My Sequel," is one of the most popular and widely used open-source relational database management systems (RDBMS) in the world. It is an essential part of almost every open-source PHP application. Good examples for PHP & MySQL-based scripts are WordPress, Joomla, Magento, and Drupal.
The Birth of MySQL
MySQL was born in 1994 by a Swedish company, TcX DataKonsult AB. The founders were Michael "Monty" Widenius, Allan Larsson, and David Axmark. The initial idea behind creating MySQL was to provide a more efficient solution for handling large databases. At that time, they were working on a project that required fast, stable, and reliable database management, but they found that none of the existing software met their requirements. Therefore, they decided to build their own solution, which is how MySQL came to life.
Acquisition by Sun Microsystems
MySQL had been a successful open-source project for many years, but the real breakthrough came in 2008 when Sun Microsystems acquired it for approximately $1 billion. This acquisition was a big step for MySQL because it not only provided significant financial support but also expanded its user base significantly.
Oracle Takes Over
In 2010, Oracle Corporation, which is one of the biggest names in the database industry, took over Sun Microsystems and thus acquired MySQL. This acquisition raised many concerns among the MySQL community because Oracle already had its proprietary database, and there were fears that Oracle might discontinue MySQL. However, Oracle continued to support and develop MySQL, and today it is still one of the most popular databases.
The MariaDB Foundation
In response to concerns over Oracle's acquisition of MySQL, the original developers of MySQL forked it and created MariaDB in 2009. MariaDB is designed to maintain high compatibility with MySQL, ensuring a "drop-in" replacement capability with library binary equivalency and exact matching with MySQL APIs and commands.
MySQL Today
Today, MySQL is used by many large corporations such as Facebook, Google, Adobe, Alcatel Lucent, and Zappos. It's also favored by small businesses and hobbyist web developers. It has become an essential part of the modern web stack, known as the LAMP stack, which stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP.
In summary, MySQL has had a rich and eventful history. It has grown from a small project started by a Swedish company to a globally recognized database management system owned by Oracle. It has had a significant impact on the development and operation of the web and continues to be a crucial tool for developers all over the world.
Conclusion
Understanding the history of MySQL gives us insight into its evolution and continued development. Knowing where it came from helps us appreciate the robust, versatile database management system we have today. As we continue to use MySQL, we can look forward to seeing how it adapts and grows to meet the needs of future database management.