Introduction to Using DTrace with MySQL

DTrace is a comprehensive dynamic tracing framework for OpenSolaris. DTrace provides a powerful infrastructure to permit one to answer arbitrary questions about the behavior of the operating system and user processes.

On the fly one can ask questions like: “Is query x hitting the query cache?”, “What are the query executions for query x?”, “What is the locking behavior of query x?”

In this session basic DTrace concepts and methodology will be presented. We will then move on to an exploration of the mysql Dtrace provider available in MySQL 5.1 and MySQL 6.0. We also look at the DTrace pid provider which allows instrumentation of any function within a user process. Examples will be provided. You will find that most DTrace inquiries are simple scripts. As one DTrace inquiry reveals new information the DTrace script can be easily refined to focus in on the issue being examined.

After this session the attendee will have a basic understanding of how DTrace can be used to understand the behavior of MySQL in their environment and facilitate the resolution of MySQL performance issues.