MySQL database coming to Itanium 2

MySQL on Tuesday released a version of its popular open-source database which will run on high-end servers from Hewlett Packard.

The company updated the MySQL 4.0 software with the ability to run on the HP-UX 11i Unix operating system and Linux on servers equipped with Intel's 64-bit Itanium 2 processor.

MySQL also said that its MySQL 4.1--the current version of the database for software development purposes--will run on the Windows operating system on Itanium 2-based systems. Version 4.1 can be used by developers but is not yet ready to be used in finished applications, the company said.

MySQL gives away its namesake database and makes money by providing support services for the software. The company, in general, has pitched its database as a cheaper and functional alternative to commercial databases for relatively straightforward data-handling tasks.

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Versions of MySQL running on Itanium 2-based servers will allow developers to use the open-source database for more complex and demanding computing jobs, according to the company. The 64-bit processors are designed for more data-intensive applications.

Over the past year, developers have substantially stepped up usage of the MySQL open-source database, according to a survey published Monday by Evans Data. Although Microsoft's SQL Server database remains the top development database, the study concluded that programmers showed a growing interest in the cost-effectiveness and reliability of open-source databases.

Developers can download MySQL 4.0 and MySQL 4.1 from the company's Web site.