Solving the Challenges of Big Databases with MySQL

When using mysql for large data (more than time times bigger than main memory) these these challenges often arise: loading data fast; maintaining indexes under insertions deletions, and updates; adding and removing columns online; adding indexes online; preventing slave lag; compressing the data effectively. I'll show why some of these challenges are difficult to solve using storage engines based on B-trees, and how Fractal Tree data structures work and why they can help solve these problems. Tokutek sells a transaction-safe fractal-tree storage engine for MySQL, but this talk is primarily about the underlying technology. The talk include a discussion of both the theoretical and practical aspects of fractal tree indexes.