Book excerpt: The authoritative, hands-on guide to advanced MySQL programming and administration techniques for high performance is here. MySQL Database Design and Tuning is the only guide with coverage of both the basics and advanced topics, including reliability, performance, optimization and tuning for MySQL. This clear, concise and unique source for the most reliable MySQL performance information will show you how to: Deploy the right MySQL product for your performance needs. Set up a performance management and monitoring environment using tools from MySQL. Implement the right indexing strategy Apply good performance strategy when developing software to work with the MySQL database. Configure dozens of variable to correctly tune the MySQL engine. If you deal with the intricacies and challenges of advanced MySQL functionality on a daily basis, you will be able to build on your knowledge with author Robert Schneider's real-world experiences in MySQL Database Design and Tuning.