Query optimization
Diagnose slow queries using the slow query log, EXPLAIN, and Performance Schema. Rewrite expensive patterns and design indexes around real production access paths, not assumptions.
MySQL Consulting
MySQL consulting for teams that need faster queries, safer operations, and fewer production surprises.
I help engineering teams improve MySQL performance, review database architecture, reduce operational friction, and connect database work to the cloud and application layers around it — whether you are running RDS MySQL, Cloud SQL, or self-hosted MySQL 5.7 or 8.x.
Operational stability
Improve connection handling, InnoDB buffer pool configuration, monitoring, backup discipline, and deployment safety so the database stops being a recurring source of incidents.
Migration and redesign
Support MySQL 5.7 to 8.x upgrades, topology changes, and schema redesigns when the current setup is constraining delivery or growth. Includes RDS and Cloud SQL migration paths.
How MySQL performance problems actually get diagnosed
Most MySQL performance work starts with the slow query log — enabling it if it is off, or actually reading it if it has been collecting data nobody has looked at. From there, EXPLAIN and EXPLAIN ANALYZE show the execution plan the optimizer chose and why it may be wrong. Performance Schema fills in the gaps: lock waits, connection saturation, handler statistics that reveal access patterns the query itself does not make obvious.
On RDS MySQL and Cloud SQL, the tools are the same but the constraints are different — you cannot tune the kernel, parameter groups have limits, and some configurations require a restart with a maintenance window. Understanding what is and is not possible in a managed environment changes the diagnosis and the fix.
InnoDB buffer pool sizing, connection pooling behavior, and the interaction between query performance and application-layer caching are often where the real leverage is — not just individual query rewrites.
Where MySQL consulting is usually most valuable
- High-traffic applications with lock contention or slow query buildup. When a table-level lock or a poorly indexed query starts affecting p99 latency across your API, the fix is usually specific and findable — but you need the right tools pointed at the right place.
- Monoliths and APIs where the schema has outgrown the original design. A schema designed for early-stage traffic often shows stress at scale in predictable ways: missing composite indexes, tables used in ways they were never intended, joins that made sense at 10k rows and do not at 10M.
- MySQL 5.7 to 8.x migrations. MySQL 8 changes the default behavior for several things that 5.7 handled silently — collation, group by semantics, JSON functions, and authentication. A migration that skips the compatibility audit usually produces a surprise in production.
- RDS MySQL and Cloud SQL environments under cost or performance pressure. Managed MySQL instances are easy to overprovision. A right-sizing review combined with query performance work often reduces both latency and the monthly bill at the same time.
Result
Query response time reduced from 3.8s to 95ms on a high-traffic RDS MySQL instance.
After enabling and analyzing the slow query log, the bottleneck was a query hitting a large orders table with no usable index on the most selective column. A covering index was added, the query was rewritten to avoid a filesort, and InnoDB buffer pool sizing was adjusted to keep the hot data in memory. Average response time dropped from 3.8 seconds to under 100ms with no schema migration required.
Frequently asked questions
How much does MySQL consulting cost?
A fixed-scope Database Performance Audit is $1,500 and takes one week — slow query log review, execution plan analysis, index assessment, and a prioritized fix list. Larger implementation engagements are scoped per project. See the full offer details.
Do you work with RDS MySQL and Cloud SQL?
Yes. Most production MySQL work I do runs on RDS MySQL or Cloud SQL for MySQL. The diagnostic approach is the same as self-hosted MySQL, but managed environments have specific constraints around parameter group changes, storage autoscaling, and maintenance windows that affect how fixes get implemented.
Can you help with a MySQL 5.7 to 8 migration?
Yes. MySQL 8 introduced breaking changes in collation defaults, GROUP BY behavior, and authentication that catch teams off guard if they run the upgrade without a compatibility review first. I can audit your queries and schema for 8.x incompatibilities, flag what will break, and help sequence the migration safely.
What does a MySQL performance audit include?
Slow query log review, EXPLAIN and EXPLAIN ANALYZE for the highest-impact queries, index coverage and access pattern assessment, connection and InnoDB configuration review, and a written report with a prioritized list of changes and the expected impact of each. Delivered within one week.
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