Upgrading MySQL for a website is always risky: Upgrading to MySQL8 major version upgrades usually bring truly groundbreaking features, but they also mean that existing web applications and configurations may not be compatible with them. Because of this, they usually take years to gain widespread adoption. For example, the first MySQL 8 release was first introduced in 2018, and a year after its release it only had a 17% global adoption rate.
Whether and when to upgrade to a namibia phone number library newer MySQL version is a decision that requires webmasters to weigh the potential problems that may arise against the benefits, and to invest time and money in post-upgrade troubleshooting. This creates a huge burden on site owners.
This is where hosting companies can be very helpful – or not – depending on how they manage their servers and the level of service they provide to their customers. There are two popular approaches among our competitors to these large-scale upgrades: enable the new version of MySQL only on new servers that go live, and if current customers want the new version, they have to migrate to the new servers; or put both the old and new MySQL on one server, which would increase the server’s resource usage and could ultimately degrade the performance of the sites hosted on it.
SiteGround’s unique approach: millions of databases automatically upgraded to MySQL 8 with zero hassle for customers
At SiteGround our philosophy is to homepal is an online real estate buying and selling platform ensure that all our customers can benefit from the latest technologies, without having to do any effort: no work, no risk, no additional investment, just pick and go. When we offer a new software like MySQL 8 that offers multiple benefits, we make sure that all customers can use it safely and easily.
That’s why our approach to this upgrade was different from our competitors. We didn’t leave it up to our customers to figure out how to upgrade to MySQL 8; we did it for them and took on all the work of eliminating incompatibilities and fixing post-upgrade issues. The upgrade process included assessing the risk level, looking for all possible incompatibilities and upgrade errors, automatically fixing the issues, and manually verifying the results. As a result, millions of sites are now using MySQL 8 without any additional headaches.
In-depth research and multiple tests to reduce the update failure rate
We started by doing a thorough beb directory research on the incompatibilities of MySQL 5.7 (the previous version of MySQL). The goal was to find out what issues could act as potential obstacles to upgrading a database to MySQL 8.
Next, we copied and isolated hundreds of servers and ran test upgrades. The goal was to identify problematic software and configurations that break after the transition, find solutions early, and carefully document all findings. We used all this data to minimize the upgrade failure rate and automate subsequent troubleshooting.
Automatic and fast fixes of broken sites
Based on extensive research and testing, our engineers developed an intelligent system that essentially acted as an expert mechanic for your website. It performed a compatibility check with MySQL 8 based on your specific application configuration and database structure. When it found any incompatibilities, it created a patch immediately.
As a result, after the upgrade, this automated system helped us immediately remove errors and broken queries for thousands of sites and saved us a lot of manual work, as well as waiting time for resolution by customers.
