What are the pros and cons of upgrading to MySQL 5.x? Would I lose any functionality? Would I gain anything at all useful? Are there issues for software such as: WordPress eSyndicat Pro vBulletin SMF
Upgrade....shouldn't be too many differences you can't handle. You gain better security depending on how much you need it and perhaps some efficiency with the app your using. Theres a lot of extra features too in MySQL 5...depending if your apps will use it or not...I tried googling this doc I once found that listed the major changes from MySQL 4 to 5...but no luck. It'll vary...theres also one change that may affect your functionality. That change is the mysql table "users" is changed a slight bit...you may not have to worry about this. Also MySQL 5, runs default on strict mode, so that may or may affect some of the scripts...but you can always shut it off. If your the admin of your network that runs the MySQL server, I recommend upgrading for security reasons.
Can you elaborate on the security advantages, Leopard? Also, when you talk about the "users" table, I assume you mean vBulletin?
If you do not know why you should upgrade, do not. 5.0 has a lot of new features and improvements, but at the same time it has some incompatible changes that could byte you. One issue I've run into is the precedence of a left join vs , has changed. Another time I consulted for a client, and spent three hours troubleshooting a performance problem that turned out to be a slower performance of a particular join query. On the other hand, there are some nice features in the optimizer, such as being able to use multiple key constraints. So some queries might start running lighting fast. But if it works fine as is, leave it alone. 4.1 is a very good product.
Thank you. I'll continue to do some research but I think for now I'll hold off. At the moment, everything works.
Not in vBullentin, the "users" table that comes with the MySQL db by default. One that control user's privileges. As for security advatanges...it goes with any free software out there. The more less updated you are the more security holes there are for a potential attacker. Of course, if your DB is not too important or your not the network admin, then you shouldn't worry tooo much. Its the network admin or whoever is running your server to be responsible for upgrades and the programmer/webmaster to make sure there scripts are working with the upgrades. But I can tell you this, when you ask MySQL 4 vs's MySQL 5, usually the more updated version will always win. Its up to you to decide if theres any real need to. And by upgrading, they'll always be benefits since your dealing with a database engine,, and not some upgrade like Internet Explorer 6 to 7.