MySQL 5.1: a hot skill for 2009

Today Giuseppe pointed me to Hot skills: MySQL 5.1, an article in ComputerWeekly.com.

The takeaway from the Gartner report quoted?

  • Gartner published a report titled “The Growing Maturity of Open-Source Database Management Systems” in November 2008, and found that there was a 50% increase from 2007 to 2008 in the usage of open source DBMS’s in production.
  • “Gartner says the major open source DBMSs are now available for installation as packages, without involving the source code, and include tools to help support administrators and managers.” I’d like to state that, MySQL has always been available in packaged format, and you don’t need to fudge with the source code if you do not want to. In fact, its available on all your distributions as well.
  • “Gartner still has reservations: open source DBMSs should be used “primarily for non-mission-critical applications and those that do not require high availability”. However, they add, “If the technical capabilities of the staff are strong, use of an open-source DBMS in mission-critical environments is possible now”.” I’d like to affirm that its being used in mission critical environments daily, and no one worries otherwise. Customers from Google right to Cisco, Nokia, and more, use MySQL, without hiccups.

The report states that MySQL DBA’s pull in around £30,000 to £40,000 a year. The recommendation for training, is:

Start with Sun’s aptly named “Getting Started with MySQL” and the MySQL tutorial, or search for free independent online tutorials.

I can highly recommend attending a training session (MySQL for Database Administrators or MySQL for Developers), and then focusing on getting certified. Of course, the book on the left, the MySQL 5.0 Certification Study Guide (MySQL Press) is also invaluable.

Good luck in becoming MySQL certified, and prosper with your hot skill for 2009!

2 Comments

  1. Nils says:

    I’d really like to read Gartners report, it’s probably full of BS and hearsay.

  2. […] Charles reports that MySQL has been deemed a hot skill for 2009, by […]


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