MySQL operates in a networked environment using a client/server architecture. In other words, a central program acts as a server, and various client programs connect to the server to make requests. A MySQL installation has the following major components: MySQL Server, Client programs and MySQL non client utilities.
MySQL Server
MySQL Server, or mysqld, is the database server program. The server manages access to the actual database (schema) on disk and in memory. MySQL Server is multi-threaded and supports many simultaneous client connections. Clients can connect via several connection protocols. For managing database contents, the MySQL server features a modular architecture that supports multiple storage engines that handle different types of tables (for example, it supports both transactional and non-transactional tables).
Keep in mind the difference between a server and a host. The server is software (the MySQL server program mysqld). Server characteristics include its version number, whether certain features are included or excluded, and so forth. The host is the physical machine on which the server program runs. Host characteristics include its hardware configuration, the operating system running on the machine, its network addresses, and so forth.
Client Programs
These are programs that are used for communicating with the server to manipulate the databases that are managed by the server. MySQL AB provides several client programs. The following list describes a few of them:
- MySQL Query Browser and MySQL Administrator are graphical interfaces to the server.
- mysql is a command-line program that acts as a text-based front end for the server. It's used for issuing queries and viewing the results interactively from a terminal window.
- Other command-line clients include mysql import for importing data files, mysqldump for making backups, mysql admin for server administration, and mysqlcheck for checking the integrity of the database files.
MySQL Client/Server Model
MySQL runs on many varieties of Windows, Unix, and Linux, but client/server communication is not limited to environments where all computers run the same operating system. Client programs can connect to a server running on the same host or a different host, and the client and server host need not have the same operating system. For example, client programs can be used on Windows to connect to a server that is running on Linux. Most of the concepts discussed here apply universally to any system on which MySQL runs. Platformspecific
information is so indicated. Unless otherwise specified, “Unix” as used here includes Linux and
other Unix-like operating systems.
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