This session examines MySQL’s journey over the past 30 years, exploring how it has evolved into the most used open-source database. We will review the milestones in its development, key features introduced over time, and the tools that made MySQL a versatile choice for diverse applications.

The talk will cover areas such as backup (e.g., Percona XtraBackup, MyDumper/MyLoader, MySQL Shell utilities), security enhancements (LDAP integration, encryption), and performance optimizations through proxies like ProxySQL and caching solutions such as ReadySet. Clustering technologies like Galera Cluster and InnoDB Cluster will also be discussed for their role in enabling high availability and scalability.

Finally, we’ll conclude with a diagram of the open-source tooling available for MySQL examine recent advancements, and explore MySQL's direction in its upcoming releases. This session aims to provide a balanced perspective on MySQL’s history, current capabilities, and future potential.