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MySQL Web Hosting

MySQL is a database that is especially designed for the SQL or Structured Query Language and is used very commonly in web hosting. In fact, SQL is a standard computer language certified by the American National Standards Institute. This language helps you to access as well as manipulate databases systems.

MySQL retrieves and updates data in your database with the help of SQL statements or 'queries'. They usually work with a number of database programs such as MS SQL Server, DB2, Oracle, MS Access, Informix and Sybase. However, web hosting for MySQL is most popular when tied with PHP. The combination of PHP scripting and MySQL creates a very flexible foundation, which is used in most websites today.

There are several versions of MySQL for web hosting. However, if you are using MySQL for the first time, it is better to opt for version 4.1 as it is default on most web hosting for MySQL systems. The following are the MySQL versions that are commonly used at this time.

  • MySQL 4.0: This version is the old stable release and hardly any MySQL web hosting provider uses them. Though new releases are issued, they only help to fix extremely critical bugs. Some of the features of MySQL 4.0 include MySQL server library, the transactional engine - InnoDB and other features that help to simplify migration to MySQL from other databases.
  • MySQL 4.1: This stable release has been followed by several new releases so as to fix the critical bugs and other security problems. The features of this series include subqueries, Unicode support, faster binary client/ server protocol, Create Table, MyISAM storage engine, Archive storage engine, Blackhole storage engine and many more.
  • MySQL 5.0: This is the current stable release that follows the SQL: 2003 syntax. This MySQL web hosting can even return multiple result sets in a single invocation. New releases are also issued to fix the bugs.

However, if you are looking for MySQL hosting, you need to be very careful as there are some web hosting companies that have their set up only on Linux. You also need to check out the restrictions for remote access. Restrictions to your MySQL database are natural in case you are sharing a server.

The following are some points you need to look for in your web hosting package specifically related to MySQL support:

  • Make sure that your web hosting package comes with PHP as it will help you to create dynamic web sites attracting more and more traffic.
  • Always opt for a dedicated server while opting for MySQL web hosting as there will be lesser amount of system crashing with such server.
  • The amount of MySQL databases that you will get always depends upon your budget. In case you are an amateur and want to experiment with this area of web site creation, it is better to go for 1 or 2 MySQL databases.