MySQL overview

MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS) released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). It is one of the most widely used open-source database systems, and is compatible with a multitude of website applications. DreamHost also offers SQLite on DreamHost VPS and Dedicated Servers.

View the following article for instructions on how to add a MySQL database:

• Creating a MySQL database

You can make changes to your MySQL databases on the MySQL Databases.

Shared MySQL servers and MySQL VPS (added after 1/18/2022) run MySQL version 8.

Other database servers such as Private MySQL (added before 1/18/2022), DreamPress, and Dedicated Servers run 5.7.29.

Using reserved words in MySQL 8

MySQL 8 includes a list of new "reserved words" (such as 'GROUPS', 'EMPTY', 'RANK', and 'SYSTEM'). These words can be used as table and column names, but require special treatment for use as identifiers, and must be escaped in database queries.

See the following article for more information on how to use reserved words in MySQL 8:

• MySQL Keywords and Reserved Words

Errors importing a database with mysqlimport

DreamHost has implemented some newer features in MySQL 8, which may cause an error to occur when using the command line program mysqlimport:

The mysqlimport command causing the error may look something like this:

[server]$ /usr/bin/mysqlimport --host hostname --user user --password password --local --fields-terminated-by='|' database /path/to/file

It may also use an options file (recommended) instead, which would look like this:

[server]$ /usr/bin/mysqlimport --defaults-extra-file=/path/to/file --local --fields-terminated-by='|' database /path/to/file

If this error occurs, there is a possible workaround. Using the mysql client instead of mysqlimport will allow this feature to work. Here is an example for the above commands. Keep in mind the table name needs to be specified, where previously mysqlimport determined that from the file name.

[server]$ echo "LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '/PATH/TO/FILE' into table tablename fields-terminated-by='|' mysql --host hostname --user username --password password database

[server]$ echo "LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '/PATH/TO/FILE' into table tablename fields-terminated-by='|' mysql --defaults-extra-file=/path/to/file

DreamHost's custom modifications for WordPress users

DreamHost has made modifications to its MySQL 8 configuration to provide broader support for most sites and software. The following are default settings in MySQL 8 that have been modified in DreamHost's configuration:

The most common storage engines are provided with all DreamHost managed MySQL products. Here is a list of the available storage engines:

mysql> show engines;

Customers familiar with running their own MySQL server and who wish to use a newer version, may be interested in the trying out DreamCompute which offers multiple newer operating systems to choose from which have newer versions of MySQL available for install.

DreamHost shared and VPS products for MySQL run on specialized hardware to optimize disk i/o and therefore the speeds in which they return your query. These are networked products which run independent of the webserver hardware. Dedicated Servers offer MySQL that is optimized for other use cases where the webserver and MySQL server co-existing makes more sense.

Not all privileges are available to manage your database due to the nature of Shared Hosting. View the following article for a list of available privileges.

• MySQL limitations due to Shared Hosting

There is no limit to the amount of databases, but in general you will have one for each site that requires a database.

Database encryption is not provided by DreamHost. Please note that if you plan on creating a custom solution to encrypt your database and require root/sudo access to the database server, you would need to purchase a Dedicated Server or DreamCompute. Only on those plans would you have direct access to the database.