Mae Sherrod

MySQL 9.1.0, released on October 15, 2024, brings several new features and system variable changes that enhance the performance, security, and usability of the database. This release, known as the Innovation Release, focuses on improving atomic data definition statements, audit logging, authentication, and more1. Let's dive into some of the key updates in MySQL 9.1.0. Atomic Data Definition Statements One of the significant improvements in MySQL 9.1.0 is the enhancement of atomic data definition statements. Previously, operations like CREATE DATABASE and DROP DATABASE were atomic but not fully crash-safe. This could lead to issues where the database directory was created but not recorded in the data dictionary, requiring manual cleanup1. Similarly, the removal of the database directory could fail due to file system errors or unexpected shutdowns, necessitating manual intervention. With MySQL 9.1.0, these statements are now fully atomic and crash-safe, provided all tables in the affected database use a storage engine that supports atomic data definition statements1. Audit Log Enhancements MySQL 9.1.0 introduces improvements to the audit log. Previously, the audit log treated usernames that did not begin with an alphanumeric character (such as $foo) as invalid, despite mysql to oracle conversion allowing such users. This issue also affected MySQL Enterprise Firewall1. The new release addresses this problem, ensuring that usernames with non-alphanumeric characters are correctly handled in the audit log. Authentication Enhancements MySQL 9.1.0 brings enhancements to authentication, particularly for Microsoft Windows users. The MySQL webauthn plugins now support Windows Hello authentication with Windows 11 and later using the MySQL authentication_webauthn plugin1. This plugin allows users to generate and authenticate against passkeys stored in the Windows OS passkey store using Windows Hello. The server plugin is available with MySQL Enterprise Edition, while the client plugin is available with both MySQL Enterprise Edition and MySQL Community Edition1. New System Variables MySQL 9.1.0 introduces several new system variables that provide more control and flexibility to database administrators. Some of the notable new variables include: innodb_max_undo_log_files: This variable allows administrators to set the maximum number of undo log files for InnoDB tables, helping to manage disk space and performance. innodb_undo_log_truncate: This variable enables automatic truncation of the undo log, improving performance by reducing the amount of disk space used. innodb_undo_tablespaces: This variable allows administrators to configure the number of undo tablespaces, providing better management of undo logs. Performance Improvements MySQL 9.1.0 includes several performance improvements that enhance the overall efficiency of the database. These improvements include optimizations to the query optimizer, better indexing strategies, and enhancements to the storage engines1. These changes help reduce query execution times and improve the overall performance of MySQL databases. Deprecation and Removal of Features In addition to new features and improvements, MySQL 9.1.0 also deprecates and removes some features that are no longer considered necessary or relevant. For example, certain legacy authentication methods and outdated system variables have been deprecated, encouraging users to adopt newer, more secure methods.