Tuning MySQL memory usage for optimal performance
Jul 03, 2025 am 02:30 AMMySQL memory tuning needs to be reasonably configured based on load, data volume and hardware. Key parameters include: 1. Innodb_buffer_pool_size is recommended to set to 50%~80% of physical memory, but does not exceed the actual data requirements; 2. key_buffer_size is suitable for MyISAM engine, and InnoDB users can keep it small; 3. query_cache_type and query_cache_size are easily bottlenecks in scenarios that write more and read less, and MySQL 8.0 has been removed; 4. max_connections and thread-level buffers need to control the total amount to avoid memory overflow. Before tuning, the current memory usage should be analyzed through tools such as top, SHOW ENGINE INNODB STATUS, etc. If the buffer pool hits low but the memory is full, it should not be increased blindly. The strategy should be balanced with performance and stability. A dedicated database server can increase the proportion of buffer pools. A shared server needs to reserve other program memory to avoid excessive thread buffers. Continuous observation with monitoring tools, and gradually test and adjust parameters to prevent settings from exceeding physical memory, causing frequent exchanges to affect performance.
MySQL's memory configuration directly affects database performance, especially when server resources are limited. Tuning memory usage is not just about increasing the parameter value, but rather it is reasonably allocated according to the actual load, data volume and hardware conditions.

Understand key memory-related parameters
MySQL has many memory-related settings, but the following are the most common and have a greater impact:

- innodb_buffer_pool_size : This is the main memory area used by the InnoDB storage engine to cache table data and indexes. It is usually recommended to set this value to 50%~80% of physical memory, provided that your data volume is also large enough.
- key_buffer_size : only used in MyISAM engine. If you are mainly using InnoDB, this can be kept small.
- query_cache_type and query_cache_size : Although query cache can improve the speed of repeated queries, it is easy to become a bottleneck in scenarios where more writes and fewer reads, and has even been removed in MySQL 8.0.
- max_connections : The more connections, the more memory it consumes, and each connection may consume a certain amount of thread-level memory such as
sort_buffer_size
,join_buffer_size
, etc.
Only after understanding the role of these parameters can you adjust them in a targeted manner.
Analyze current memory usage
Before optimizing, let’s take a look at how the system and MySQL currently use memory:

- Use
top
orhtop
to view the actual memory footprint of the MySQL process. - Check the status variables of MySQL, such as:
-
SHOW ENGINE INNODB STATUS\G
-
SHOW GLOBAL STATUS LIKE 'Innodb_buffer_pool%';
-
SHOW VARIABLES LIKE '%buffer%';
-
If you find that the buffer pool hit rate is low (i.e., frequently read from disk), you may need to increase innodb_buffer_pool_size
; but if the system memory is close to the upper limit, you cannot blindly increase it.
Adjustment strategy: balancing performance and stability
The goal of tuning is to keep common data in memory as much as possible, while avoiding the system swap or OOM (Out of Memory) killing processes due to insufficient memory.
Some practical suggestions:
- If you are using a dedicated database server, you can set
innodb_buffer_pool_size
to a higher level; - If you share the same machine with other services, remember to leave enough memory for other programs;
- Avoid setting too large thread-level buffers (such as
sort_buffer_size
andjoin_buffer_size
) because they are allocated for each connection; - Memory usage trends can be continuously observed through monitoring tools such as
MySQLTuner
orPercona Monitoring
; - When starting, do not increase all parameters at once, so the gradual test effect is more stable.
For example, a common misunderstanding is to set innodb_buffer_pool_size
to exceed physical memory, which will cause frequent exchanges of the system and slow down performance.
Basically that's it. Memory tuning is not a one-time task, and regular inspections and adjustments are necessary as business growth or access patterns change.
The above is the detailed content of Tuning MySQL memory usage for optimal performance. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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