Sun Microsystems announced new benchmark results involving the performance of the open source MySQL database running online transaction processing (OLTP) workload on 8-way Sun Fire V40z servers. The testing, which measured the performance of both read/write and read-only operations, showed that MySQL 5.0.18 running on the Solaris 10 Operating System (OS) executed the same functions up to 64 percent faster in read/write mode and up to 91 percent faster in read-only mode than when it ran on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Advanced Server Edition OS. Driven by two Sun Fire V40z servers, powered by Dual-Core AMD Opteron Model 875 processors, the benchmark testing generated data points at 11 different load levels, starting with one concurrent user connection (CUC) and gradually doubling that number, up to a high of 1024 CUC. The primary difference between the two servers was in the underlying operating system, keeping the hardware configuration and database properties the same. During the read/write test, both systems reached their saturation point at eight CUC, at which point the the server running the Solaris 10 OS was 30 percent faster. Additionally, the Sun Fire V40z server running the Solaris 10 OS was running database queries at a 64 percent better rate on average, when compared to the server running Linux. The Solaris advantage was magnified during the read-only test, where performance exceeded the Linux test case by 91 percent. Remarkably, in this experiment, the peak performance under the Solaris 10 OS was achieved with 16 CUC, while the less robust Red Hat Linux tapered off at only eight CUC. Despite running at twice the load during the peak phase, the Solaris 10-based server was performing 53 percent more transactions per second than the Linux-based server. "MySQL and Sun have worked to optimize the performance of MySQL Network software certified for the Solaris 10 OS," said Zack Urlocker, vice president of marketing for MySQL AB. "This benchmark demonstrates Sun's continued leadership in delivering a world-class operating environment that provides excellent MySQL performance for our mutual enterprise customers." The benchmark results provide customers with a hard data point on the world's most popular open source database, allowing them to reduce datacenter costs by decreasing the overall number of servers, as well as to save on operating expenses due to the lower maintenance and support costs. More information on the benchmark results can be found at: its Web site.