Title: MySQL Enterprise SolutionsAuthor: Alexander Sasha PachevPublisher: WileyPrice: $45.00 USA/$69.95 CAN/33.50 UKISBN: 0-471-26922-0

MySQL Enterprise Solutions is a complete and thorough book on the topic of MySQL. The book's purpose is to bootstrap the reader into the world of MySQL, especially if the reader is a developer working in C/C++, PHP, Perl or Java.

MySQL Enterprise Solutions contains a great deal of general information about running MySQL on different computer platforms, including directions for installing the package and optimizing it. MySQL versions 3.23 and 4.0 are covered.

The author also tackles issues related to the enterprise environment early on in the book, discussing the features some DBAs and programmers use to classify a DBMS as enterprise-ready. He indicates that stored procedures, triggers, subqueries and referential integrity are features that will be incorporated into future versions of MySQL, but for now, not having them creates an intellectual challenge for MySQL users. He also points to benchmarks that show how fast MySQL is compared to other DBMSs. So although MySQL lacks features some people would call requirements for a true enterprise RDBMS, the author insinuates that real programmers can find creative ways to live without these features.

It is evident from some of the troubleshooting and optimization discussions that the author actually uses MySQL in addition to helping develop it at MySQL AB. Some of the tips for improving queries and optimizing the machine MySQL is running on are valuable assets for developers and DBA toolboxes.

The discussion of MySQL replication was a revelation for me. My use of MySQL typically does not go much beyond two tables or installing an application. This particular area was my biggest occurrence of "I didn't know MySQL could do that", something I thought several other times while reading the book.

MySQL Enterprise Solutions is well organized and written in a style that MySQL and Linux novices can appreciate, but one that won't frustrate readers who regularly write code. The index also is good, providing ample code samples readers can use to learn necessary database basics with any of the languages listed above.

MySQL Enterprise Solutions is an excellent choice for anyone who needs to become proficient in MySQL quickly, with the intent of developing applications around MySQL. I recommend this book for both MySQL DBAs and developers.

Nathan Smith is a sysadmin for an intellectual property law firm. He always is looking for ways to move toward a more efficient and open environment.