MySQL Cluster vs. MySQL Master-Slave Replication

MySQL Cluster is positioned as an attractive way to connect servers, providing the benefits of high availability, redundancy, elimination of downtime, and among other benefits. However, as is often the case with high availability software problems can be encountered.

Performance issues cause many companies that have migrated to MySQL Cluster to revert to a Master/Slave configuration to achieve their high availability targets. Even with large, distributed server farms, the headaches associated with a MySQL Cluster may turn out to be worse than the downtime associated with a Master/Slave configuration.

This Datavail whitepaper examines the benefits and drawbacks of working with MySQL Cluster and compares these to a typical Master/Slave configuration. An alternative to MySQL Cluster and Master/Slave, known as Galera Cluster for MySQL, is also described.