Last week in Prague, I met with Mark Shuttleworth of Canonical at the Ubuntu Developer Summit for version 8.10.

myself, Mark Shuttleworth, Arseniy Kuznetsov (Sun, NetBeans), Matt Zimmermann (Canonical CTO)

As you would expect, we discussed Canonical’s and MySQL’s offerings to the market. And we pondered on possibilities for joint customers to have the best of both worlds: Wouldn’t it be great if MySQL users on Ubuntu could get the “best bits” from MySQL through the software delivery mechanisms of Ubuntu?

Mark drew the above picture on a piece of paper (which I used Omni Graffle to capture in .png form), and we decided to explore how the “curved orange” part of the customer experience could be improved.

The upcoming 5.1.25 release will see a change with regards to MySQL Cluster:

MySQL 5.1.25 binaries will be released without Cluster support.

This is due to a change in the development cycle of MySQL Cluster. The work on Cluster specific features is largely independent from the rest of the MySQL Server, which has resulted in our decision to release MySQL Cluster separately from the rest of the MySQL Server, effective with MySQL 5.1.25.

This change just goes for the binaries, though. Let me reassure you that:

• Sun is still releasing MySQL Cluster under the GPL, as before.
• MySQL 5.1 source code will still include Cluster, and you can download and compile it with Cluster, if you wish.

The only change is that we’re now releasing two separate packages.

MySQL Cluster is being developed and maintained at a different pace, compared to the regular server. In addition, we have learned that our current users of MySQL Cluster are not as concerned about the regular server’s features. Typical Cluster customer installations rely mostly on updated cluster features. Many users of Cluster use the direct API rather than the SQL interface.

We hope this division will bring benefits for all parties involved:

• Cluster releases will be happening more quickly, as Cluster releases are fairly independent of MySQL Server releases. With new releases of MySQL Cluster no longer tied to the release of the regular server, cluster users will get their updates as soon as the Cluster software is updated, regardless of whether the regular server is being patched or not.
• The new Cluster package includes the Carrier Grade Edition, which contains a juicy list of features (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/mysql-cluster-changes-5-1-ndb-6-2.html).
• Users of the main MySQL Server will now be able to download a smaller package with a quicker test suite. This should really help those with low bandwidth connections.

The change is evident when you look at the developer zone (http://dev.mysql.com) where MySQL Cluster uses a different release numbering scheme from MySQL Server, and is labeled 6.2.15. This is not the regular server version. 6.2.15 is the Cluster version, and this package is based on MySQL 5.1.

Bug fixes to the Cluster will be ported to the main server when appropriate. Bug fixes to the main server will be merged to the Cluster sources on a regular basis.

Finally, where shall you turn for the downloads?

• If you need MySQL binaries with Cluster enabled, there is a specific downloads page http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/#mysql-cluster
• MySQL Server (slimmer now, without the NDB binaries), is available as always at http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/

As reported yesterday from CommunityOne:

• MySQL Server is and will always remain fully functional and open source,
• so will the MySQL Connectors, and
• so will the main storage engines we ship.

In addition:

• MySQL 6.0’s pending backup functionality will be open source,
• the MyISAM driver for MySQL Backup will be open source, and
• the encryption and compression backup features will be open source,

where the last item is a change of direction from what we were considering before.

The change comes from MySQL now being part of Sun Microsystems. Our initial plans were made for a company considering an IPO, but made less sense in the context of Sun, a large company with a whole family of complementary open source software and hardware products.

I’d like to shed some light on the big picture, in two different ways — openness, and the business model.

MySQL’s openness manifests itself in three ways:

• MySQL’s code is open.
• MySQL’s APIs are open.
• MySQL’s data formats are open.

These form a foundation around the MySQL Server and its connectors on which we (Sun), our partners, and the community can all freely build upon. And through this openness, we will always provide a means for our users to easily export their data from MySQL.

Then for MySQL’s business model. To financially support MySQL’s free and open source platform, we have a business model which allows both community and commercial add-ons, and we remain committed to it. We believe the model to be useful for both those who spend money to save time, and those who spend time to save money.

As Mårten mentioned yesterday in the CommunityOne panel, expect Sun/MySQL to continue experimenting with the business model, and with what’s offered for the community and what’s offered commercial-only. We won’t always know the right answer from the beginning, but we want MySQL to be the most popular database for both paying and non-paying users.

Yes, I know. JavaOne is about Duke, the friendly mascot of Java technology. Created and maintained by James Gosling and all.

But MySQL also introduces Sakila to the JavaOne attendees. Sakila is also friendly, and the mascot of MySQL technology. The dolphin was chosen by MySQL founders Michael “Monty” Widenius and David Axmark, as was its name Sakila (which came from a naming contest in the early days).

Together with Giuseppe (in the picture above) and the rest of the MySQL Community Team, I will be handing out incarnations of Sakila (also seen above in the pic) at CommunityOne and JavaOne as follows:

• Monday 5 May 2008 09:30-10:45: CommunityOne General Session: Ian Murdock, Sun Microsystems; Panel: Matt Asay, Alfresco CNET, Mårten Mickos, MySQL, Jim Zemlin, Linux Foundation, Ted Leung, Python, Stormy Peters, OpenLogic; Rich Green, Sun Microsystems
• Monday 5 May 2008 12:25-13:20, Moscone South - Esplanade 307: S297794 Creative Programming with the MySQL Management System, Giuseppe Maxia, MySQL
• Monday 5 May 2008 13:30-14:25, Moscone South - Esplanade 307:
  S297257 Scaling MySQL, Scott Feldstein, Hyperic
• Monday 5 May 2008 16:00-16:55, Moscone South - Esplanade 307: S297136 Streamlined Web Applications with MySQL Cluster and mod_ndb, John David Duncan, MySQL
• Tuesday 6 May 2008 15:20-16:20: TS-7813 The MySQL JDBC API Driver, And Making It Do What You Want, Mark Matthews, Darren Oldag, MySQL
• Tuesday 6 May 2008 16:40-17:40: TS-7814 MySQL Cluster and Java Technology (and Python, and Ruby, And…), Monty Taylor, MySQL
• Tuesday 6 May 2008 19:30-20:20: BOF-5039 JDBC 4.1 Specification Overview, Lance Andersen, Sun Microsystems, Inc.; Mark Matthews, MySQL

Ah, and rumour has it that Jonathan may pop in during Giuseppe’s presentation!

Come, ask a smart question, interact, and get a Sakila!

“Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon and welcome to this presentation regarding the acquisition of the company MySQL AB by Sun Microsystems.”

Since my speech on Sun / MySQL integration for about 400 people in Beijing last week, I have been asked a few times about what it’s like to give a speech in Chinese. Well, I wouldn’t really know, as all I did was read aloud a text for 8 minutes. I remembered what passage was about what topic, and I had noted which words to stress, when to raise my hand etc. But of the actual words, I understood perhaps 5-10 % (based on them being repeated often enough). So I know I am a fuzongcai (Vice President) with Sun Microsystems, I know the difference between a kèhù (customer) and a yònghù (user). I live in Munihei (München), but I am not deguoren (German), I am fenlanren (from Finland). And, nüshìmen, xianshéngmen, that’s Ladies and gentlemen.

So far, hen hao.

I read aloud from this paper (no, not the Chinese characters, just the pinyin).

But the ambition level could really be a bit higher. Not stressing every syllable. Speaking a bit faster. Repeating the tones once (ok, five times) more. And I could memorise more words, not 5-10 % but perhaps 25%. That would be more enjoyable for both the audience, and for myself.

That said, giving a speech in Mandarin was a very positive experience, even at my level of delivery. My ambition was for at least 70% of my message being understandable from a pronunciation standpoint, and I heard estimates of the outcome being 80% to 90%. And I got interrupted by applause at least five times, and laughter at least once (even at the intended spot). So I’m happy. And I recommend using Chinese for more than the mere greetings, for any non-Chinese wishing to be well received in China.

Xìexìe, thank you, xìexìe.

References:

• Kaj Arnö speaks Chinese to the Sun/MySQL crowd: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3036893738929286405&hl=en
• Wikipedia: Pinyin (Chinese spelling): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin

Earlier, I noted that Julian Cash was to do some “light painting” at the MySQL Users Conference. And boy, did he do it!

He had a normal conference room, the Bayshore at the MySQL Conference, made a bit darker. Not pitch dark, but let’s say too dark to read. Then, he had us sit down on a chair in front of a neutral background, and took the pics with his camera mounted on a tripod. A picture took perhaps 30 to 60 seconds. After opening the shutter, the object was supposed to sit still. Julian then lit up our faces, in my case with blue and red light sources (”mini-torches”) which he moved top-down. Then, he sprinkled in some additional stray light in various colours.

I had asked for a picture of an angel (with halo, above — perhaps to be used at my own funeral?) and a devil (with red horns, below — perhaps as an alternate funeral picture, depending on my then-current CV?). Being the guinea pig for the setup, Julian spent over a quarter of an hour on the pics.

It was great fun, and I remain a great admirer of Julian’s.

Ah, and just to be clear: Note that the pictures are not digitally edited. They’re originals. I.e., the tricks work also with granddaddy’s analog cameras. However, seeing the pics on the camera display does help; in my case, the final pics were the fifth and sixths tries. So if you experiment yourself (and at least I will), do go with a normal, modern camera, mount it on a tripod, and use some creative sources of light.

If you click on the thumbnails below, you’ll see a number of other pics taken by Julian in that session.

References:

• Julian Cash’s Flickr set “MySQL 2008″: http://www.flickr.com/photos/juliancash/sets/72157604716923223/
• Julian Cash’s web site: http://www.juliancash.com/
• The Human Creativity Project: http://www.humancreativity.com/about.html

Who’s Barton George?

Barton is a colleague from Sun, who “looks after Sun’s relationships with the various GNU/Linux communities as well as our relationship with the FSF” according to his blog. I spent time with him at the MySQL Users Conference last week. He is a fun guy to be around, and isn’t as US-centric as his remark “Last year, my family and I emigrated from Silicon Valley to Austin, TX.” would lead one to believe.

Barton is also an avid blogger. And, on top, a diligent podcaster.

As for blogging, he has recent MySQL relevant entries on partying (with Mårten of MySQL, and with Jonathan & Rich of Sun at the Pre-Conf Community Dinner), and with pics from the UC.

As for podcasts, he has already posted four entries from the MySQL UC, i.e. interviews with Mårten Mickos, with Zack Urlocker, with Baron Schwartz of Maatkit & Community Award fame, and with Jennifer Venable of Red Hat.

The podcasts are about 10 minutes each. To help you decide whether you want to spend those 10 mins or not, his blog entries provide tips on the contents, such as this one about the Zack blog:

• Exceeding expectations at the MySQL conference
• The availability of MySQL’s 5.1 later this quarter and all the cool new features
• The GA of Workbench - a modeling tool for DBAs
• The morning’s keynotes (here is the video Zack shot)
• The challenges that Werner Vogels, Amazon’s CTO, faces
• Sun’s performance tuning team and how it helps MySQL shine
• Zack’s impressions of his first six weeks at Sun

Barton tells me there will be more podcasts posted soon, with Brian Aker of MySQL (now live!), and with Erica Brescia, CEO of BitRock (now also live!).

References:

• Barton George’s blog: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/
• MySQL Conf Kicks off with Parties at Marten’s and Pedro’s: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/entry/mysql_conf_kicks_off_with
  
• Pics from MySQL Conference ‘08: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/entry/pics_from_mysql_conference_08
• MySQL Conf08 - Chattin’ with Zack Urlocker: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/entry/mysql_conf08_chattin_with_zack
• MySQL Conf08 - Marten Mickos tells all: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/entry/mysql_conf08_marten_mickos_tells
• MySQL Conf08 - My Interview with Jennifer Venable of Red Hat: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/entry/mysql_conf08_my_interview_with
• MySQL Conf08 - Talkin’ to Baron Schwartz, Community Award Winner: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/entry/mysql_conf08_talkin_to_baron
• MySQL Conf08 - Hangin’ with Brian Aker: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/entry/mysql_conf08_hangin_with_brian
• MySQL Conf08 - Erica Brescia, CEO BitRock: http://blogs.sun.com/barton808/entry/mysql_conf08_erica_brescia_ceo
  

We had over 400 participants in yesterday’s MySQL-Sun event in China! Plus another 30 or so in the press event, happening in parallel.

Beijing, if nobody noticed, is preparing for the Olympics. Here’s the so called Birds Nest, that we passed several times on the way to various meetings — including yesterday’s event.

After initial linguistic difficulties, Larry Stefonic (MySQL VP APAC) found our way to the event.

This was the first MySQL-Sun event with a banner across a street!

Everything takes place in Chinese here. About as much as it’s Japanese in Japan. In Europe, we seem to give way too much way for English.

And to accommodate to the local situation, I gave my presentation (on MySQL-Sun integration) in Chinese. It was about 8 minutes, and I was happy to be several times interrupted for applause. And I didn’t say anything particularly smart — just read aloud my normal presentation, albeit in Chinese. Judging by the warm reception, that’s not an everyday gesture by Westerners in Beijing.

Now, after nearly three weeks on the road, I’m finally going back home. Hence the popular Chinese gesture: the Thumbs Up sign.

Thanks to everyone who arranged the event — especially, Scott Chen at Sun in Beijing, and Yoko Suga-san with the MySQL APAC team!

This year, we got fourteen Google Summer of Code projects accepted. Colin Charles has informed the students, and things can now get started!

The first step is what’s called the Community Bonding Period. That’s happening right now, and also being facilitated by Colin. Colin has written a summary of the Community Bonding period on the Forge Wiki, and there’s also a general description by Google.

We expect great things from the students. We want them to produce code that our userbase can use as features in MySQL.

Given our high expectations for what the students produce, we don’t expect all fourteen projects to succeed. And we do want our students to be an integral part of the MySQL community even after they’re done with the Summer of Code 2008.

I’d also like to add that we’re grateful for the mentoring participation from the MySQL community, where PBXT and phpMyAdmin are worthy of mentioning.

Looking forward to the code produced, and to Colin’s upcoming blogs on SoC progress reports!

References:

• http://code.google.com/soc/2008/mysql/about.html
• http://googlesummerofcode.blogspot.com/2007/04/so-what-is-this-community-bonding-all.html
• http://forge.mysql.com/wiki/SummerOfCode
• http://forge.mysql.com/wiki/Community_Bonding

First of all, thank you, Jay Pipes, for setting up the Bayshore Room tomorrow between 10am and 2pm, for Julian Cash to take pictures of us!

Second, I am a big fan of descriptive subject headers. So I thought I could promote this memorable event even more explicitly than what Jay did in his posting “Yes, It’s That Time of the Year Again…“.

It’s Julian’s fault that I bought my 8mm Sigma lens. He has one, and takes weird pictures with it. As opposed to mine, his are good (yup, he uses fancy high-tech equipment like flashes, and white background paper — one day I’ll go there, too).

This is MySQL’s very own Brian Aker, as distorted by Julian.

The new thing Julian is doing is Light Painting. This means he creates pictures that look like they’ve been PhotoShopped through some strange filter, but they haven’t.

Let me quote Julian:

Light Painting

Light painting portraits are distinctive, innovative, and magical. The photos have a dreamlike futuristic feel and lend themselves to editorial work, advertising, book covers, and portraits of musicians.
I do not digitally manipulate the images. All of the effects are created simply by painting the subject and the surrounding area with colored light in a dark room while the camera shutter is open. This makes for images that feel especially organic and believable despite their surreal nature.

My subjects and I have a great time creating light portraits together. The style of the images is both unique and varied. My proficiency comes from 15 years of experience and experimentation with this type of photography. It also helps that I am an illustrator and painter as well as a portrait photographer. The process is fun and is a natural combination of painting and photography.

If there is a concept or emotion that you want expressed in the image, I especially enjoy using that as part of the creative process. I’m happy to work with an art director, or I can take the initiative to come up with a powerful and satisfying image.

So if you’re at the UC, do stop by at Julian’s event and have your picture taken!

References:

• http://www.juliancash.com
• http://www.HumanCreativity.com