Easy server testing with MySQL Sandbox

MySQL Sandbox 2.0.18 introduces a new feature, changing port. You can now change the listening port for a sandboxed server, either as a standalone operation, or while moving it, using the sbtool. There is a feature in the Sandbox, introduced in 2.0.13, that makes really easy to test servers in special conditions. If you need to start or restart a server using an option that you know you will need only for the next test, you can add the option to the command line invocation of the start or restart scripts.

$ ./start --key-buffer=2G
$ ./use -e "show variables like 'key_buffer_size'"
+-----------------+------------+
| Variable_name   | Value      |
+-----------------+------------+
| key_buffer_size | 2147483648 | 
+-----------------+------------+
./use -e "show variables like 'innodb_buffer_pool_size'"
+-------------------------+---------+
| Variable_name           | Value   |
+-------------------------+---------+
| innodb_buffer_pool_size | 8388608 | 
+-------------------------+---------+

$ ./restart --innodb-buffer-pool_size=2G
./use -e "show variables like 'innodb_buffer_pool_size'"
+-------------------------+------------+
| Variable_name           | Value      |
+-------------------------+------------+
| innodb_buffer_pool_size | 2147483648 | 
+-------------------------+------------+

Some more news. There is a mailing list to discuss the Sandbox development, and new members are welcome. The Sandbox is also awaiting volunteer students for Google Summer of Code.

Creative MySQL hacking and Summer of Code

You can hack the MySQL server in three ways:

• Changing the server code. This is straightforward. Download the code, and make the changes you need. If you need the change only for a limited period, this is enough. If the change must be persistent, then you should try to make it accepted. The Code Contribution Program may be for you.
• Creating a plugin or a UDF. Using the plugin interface or the UDF API you can extend the server in many ways. UDFs require that you (and the user) be able to compile the additional code. Plugins require compiling code only from the author.
• Mixing the existing hooks. This means being creative bu stretching the intended purpose of simple components of the server or external tools. This is how you can hack the server and create new features using stored routines, events, engines like federated, blackhole, archive, and external tools like MySQL Proxy. This is like composing chess puzzles, where you are given the basic rules, and you have to achieve clever results. This sort of jigsaw puzzle hacking is my favorite.

I am considering some of this latest hacking ideas for the incoming Summer of Code.
If you have any ideas on this department and you would like to pursue them, please send a message to the SoC mailing list. I will be glad to discuss them.

Mentoring a Summer of Code project

It's official.
I am now appointed mentor of a Google Summer of Code project.
Congratulations to Charlie Cahoon, who has submitted an intriguing proposal for improving our code coverage and testing tools. The abstract doesn't do justice to the project. The juicy part is in the details. More about it later.
More information on Kaj's announcement.

Thanks, Charlie, for proposing this project!

Thanks, Google, for promoting this great infrastructure!