Google Offers Updates to MySQL

Google this week offered up changes to the open source MySQL database, which are designed to improve the free software's ability to perform under heavy load. The improvements were released under a GPL license and may be freely implemented by the MySQL community, the company said.

Although MySQL has gained traction on the Web as a free alternative to Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server, the database still has its drawbacks with regards to high availability and manageability. Google uses MySQL in some of its non-search products, and says it would love for its changes to be included in the official MySQL release. More details can be found on the Google Code blog.