Open source database vendor MySQL received a significant boost with the news that IBM has signed up to resell its database management system and associated services on IBM System i servers.
The two company announced that they will work together to offer MySQL Server for IBM’s i5/OS operating system, with IBM also offering MySQL Enterprise software, services, and support subscriptions.
While the deal might sound counter-intuitive given IBM’s DB2 database business, it is designed to be complementary. The two companies will work to ensure that DB2 can act as a storage engine for MySQL’s capabilities so that users can make use of MySQL for online and transactional capabilities, while retaining DB2 for data storage.
The deal sees IBM signing up for MySQL’s Certified Storage Engine Program, which was set up in April 2006 to provide customers with a choice of storage engines after Oracle acquired InnoDB, its previous engine of choice.
InnoDB continues to be a certified engine, alongside Solid Information Technology’s solidDB for MySQL and MySQL’s own MyISAM, Cluster, Federated, Archive, and Falcon engines, amongst others.
The latest agreement not only means that both IBM and Oracle will be providing storage engines for MySQL, but also that the database giants are both distributing the open source database.
MySQL CEO, Marten Mickos, noted in January that Oracle is distributing the MySQL code as part of its Unbreakable Linux offering.
