BANGALORE, INDIA: Since being founded in 1995, MySQL has managed to establish itself as the provider of the best-known open source database in the market. 

Adding new features and updating to their existing developer tools, MySQL claims that they are the leading and biggest online open source database in the market.

Being part with MySQL from 2001, Kaj Arnö, VP, community relations, MySQL talks about MySQL contribution to Sun and how a developer can contribute his codes to the MySQL community in an exclusive interview with Genevieve Khongwir and Abhigna N G from CIOL.

Arnö feels: "MySQL is becoming more attractive in India, and we at MySQL see the service in India as a big growth with open source is being appreciated in tremendously. I have high expectations for what the future can hold."

Arnö also talked about the recruitment process at MySQL, the contribution of MySQL to the India developer community, and how MySQL is being integrated into Sun. Excerpts:

CIOL: How do you feel after the acquisition of MySQL by Sun Microsystems?

Kaj Arnö: It is a coincidence that Sun Microsystems Inc. and MySQL share a similar culture in the work environment and even the same shade of colour on their business cards. Both companies have the same appreciation and enthusiasm for technology and open source.

This shows that they are well equipped to work together from day one.  Hence, there were no notions to change when Sun acquired MySQL for either company. These only strengthen the penetration of Sun into the MySQL customer base and selling MySQL to the Sun database.

CIOL: Could you elaborate on MySQL, how MySQL works and how MySQL is being integrated into Sun Microsystems?

KA: My SQL is a Server Database and the biggest online open source database software, with about 60,000 downloads a day, which is about 10 million a year. 

The general-purpose database comes from a pragmatic usage or need for databases. Currently, MySQL is on version 5.0 and is soon approaching on the next version 5.1, which has now existed for a while and already in use. On top of being open source, which also have cost implications, there are three main characteristics namely: “performance, stability and ease of use” that MySQL believes in.

By performance, we mean that you can take an old version of MySQL and use less hardware, which means a lower TCO, which is base on the green eco friendly principle of gaining a lot of computing power in little hardware investment.

Stability is the key instrument on why people keep on with MySQL. Users may have originally picked MySQL for cost reasons they stay on as it has larger resources, which they can get at hand.

Ease of use is the most important as it does not refer to usability from a GUI (Graphical User Interface) because this is not needed out of a database but from a database administrator perspective. From the point of time where people have spoken so much about MySQL and from that thought to the point where one tries it, is less than 15 minutes. This is a rule, which we stay true to always.

CIOL: How can a developer contribute his codes to MySQL?

KA: One can become a contributor of codes to MySQL. These codes have to be in the form where they serve as connectors for MySQL with other tools. Other forms of contributions can be blogging, writing articles and adding to the documentations for MySQL. 

However, now under Sun a contributor has to have a copyright before contributing to MYSQL so that there are no legal issues when MySQL puts them up to the customers. 

CIOL: What are parameters that a developer should follow before contributing to MySQL?

KA: It is not very easy to write a code for a database and a technical level of understanding is required to write and contribute a code. The best type of technical contribution that is possible to do is in relation to the Quality Assurance at MySQL.

There is a Quality Contributor programme where one can get direct benefits in the form of MySQL enterprise subscription and scoring points on three parameters namely: to identify the bug; to introduce a reproducible test case i.e. reconstruction of the bug or showing the bug and; the patch i.e. the code that fixes the bug. The biggest contributions have been the java connector and the .NET driver. 

CIOL: Can you share any activities that you are doing for developer community?

KA: MySQL takes up many online activities. The active community members have the chance to blog or write articles, which are aggregated and publish on the MySQL site.

The biggest two things that are offered to the developers are the downloadable tools for developers and the free documentation on MySQL database. MySQL also has a dedicated site called forge.MySQL.com, which is the directory of codes. It also acts as a repository of small snippets and codes that the company holds. It also has the detailed road map with specs, which can lead to what one needs. 

There is a developer community called dev.MySQL.com and also an evangelist site called MySQL.university.com where there is a one hour session held every Thursday on a particular topic picked by a subject matter specialist from MySQL and there is an online chat with the developers to answer queries for MySQL.

CIOL: Can you brief us on your recruitment process?

KA: MySQL has an open policy freedom to work anywhere. It recruits people in places where they work from and if they are active on communities and mailing list of MySQL. If an individual matches the competency and can contribute to the company, MySQL goes ahead and offers them a position. 

With offices in 29 countries, the biggest contribution of active members is from Latin America and as a result, MySQL has many employees in the region. Russia is the fourth highest in number of employees in the company. 

Somehow, this did not however include India and China. We noticed that we did not have any active contribution from these countries. Even though China has the highest number of downloads for MySQL and India is somewhere in the top 10. This was one negative point we saw.

CIOL: How do you see Indian developer community indulging in adopting MySQL?

KA: MySQL is becoming more attractive in India. It did not happen by itself. The company has held speeches and been giving presentations. Officials have visited India many times for this purpose, as it saw an immense growth of IT in India.

As said earlier the contribution part is not at the level we want in India and we want to see a change with the presence we are making here. Being part of Sun, we look at Sun’s resources, those who have reallocated at Sun to work with MySQL. The MySQL user group was form in India to work specifically on MySQL in the recently held MySQL camp.

Looking at the competence in India on IT and looking at MySQL we see the service in India as a big growth with open source is being appreciated in tremendously. I have high expectations for what the future can hold.