Using Simplyblock Storage for MySQL Databases

MySQL is one of the most widely adopted relational databases, used for a range of applications, from small to enterprise-level workloads. It is reliable, but its performance depends on the efficiency of the storage layer. Slow storage can cause replication lag, longer query times, and issues with backups.

Simplyblock provides NVMe-over-TCP storage and zone-independent volumes, ensuring MySQL remains fast, durable, and easy to scale across clusters.

Why MySQL Storage Needs Optimization

MySQL relies on the InnoDB storage engine, which uses redo logs, doublewrite buffers, and background flush operations. If the storage cannot keep up, replication slows, transactions stall, and recovery after crashes takes longer.

By using simplyblock, MySQL places its data files and logs on high-throughput, zone-independent storage. This keeps replication consistent and helps databases maintain predictable response times.

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Step 1: Creating a Simplyblock Volume for MySQL

Provision a dedicated simplyblock volume for MySQL data files:

sbctl pool create mysql-pool /dev/nvme0n1

sbctl volume add mysql-data 150G mysql-pool

sbctl volume connect mysql-data

Format and mount the volume:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1

mkdir -p /var/lib/mysql

mount /dev/nvme0n1 /var/lib/mysql

Persist the mount in /etc/fstab:

/dev/nvme0n1 /var/lib/mysql ext4 defaults 0 0

With this setup, MySQL data and log files are stored directly on simplyblock volumes, ensuring efficient operation for write-intensive workloads.

Step 2: Configuring MySQL to Use Simplyblock

Point MySQL to the simplyblock-backed directory:

In /etc/my.cnf:

[mysqld]

datadir=/var/lib/mysql

innodb_flush_method=O_DIRECT

innodb_log_file_size=1G

Restart MySQL:

sudo systemctl restart mysqld

This ensures InnoDB’s writes and redo logs are stored on high-throughput simplyblock volumes. More details are available in the MySQL InnoDB configuration guide.

Step 3: Expanding Storage for MySQL Tables

As MySQL workloads expand, tables, indexes, and binary logs may outgrow the initial volume. Scale volumes without downtime:

sbctl volume resize mysql-data 300G

resize2fs /dev/nvme0n1

This scaling ability allows MySQL to handle growing transactional systems. In distributed environments, it works well with OpenStack integration.

Step 4: Zone Independence in MySQL Clusters

MySQL replication and clustering often span multiple zones. Standard storage tied to one zone makes failovers difficult.

Simplyblock provides zone-independent volumes, keeping MySQL replicas connected to storage even during rescheduling across zones.

This supports high availability strategies similar to Talos-based environments.

Step 5: Replicating MySQL Data with Simplyblock

MySQL provides replication at the database level, but simplyblock adds storage-level replication for extra durability:

sbctl volume replicate mysql-data –zones=zone-a,zone-b

This setup minimizes downtime and data loss during failures. Replication concepts are explained further in the MySQL replication documentation.

MySQL Growth Supported by Simplyblock Storage

At enterprise scale, MySQL requires both predictable performance and simple operations. Simplyblock makes this easier with CLI-driven provisioning, resizing, and replication.

Features such as Rancher by SUSE support extend deployment flexibility, while administrators can reference the simplyblock Documentation.

Questions and Answers