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 The sys Schema - MySQL 8 Query Performance Tuning: A Systematic Method for Improving Execution Speeds

 MySQL 8 Query Performance Tuning: A Systematic Method for Improving Execution Speeds

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5. The Performance Schema 7. The Information Schema
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© Jesper Wisborg Krogh 2020

J. W. Krogh, MySQL 8 Query Performance Tuning
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-5584-1_6

6. The sys Schema

1  
Jesper Wisborg Krogh

(1) Hornsby, NSW, Australia

 

The sys schema is the brainchild of Mark Leith, who has also for long been
part of the team that develops MySQL Enterprise Monitor. He started the
ps_helper project to experiment with monitoring ideas and to showcase
what the Performance Schema was able to do while making it simpler at the
same time. The project was later renamed to the sys schema and moved into
MySQL. There have since been contributions from several other people,
including the author of this book.

The sys schema is available for MySQL Server 5.6 and later. In MySQL 5.7 it
became part of the standard installation, so you do not need to do anything
to install the sys schema or upgrade it. As of MySQL 8.0.18, the sys schema
source code is part of the MySQL Server source.

The sys schema is used throughout the book for analyzing queries, locks,
and more. This chapter will give the high-level overview of the sys schema
including how to configure it, formatting functions, how the views work, and
various helper routines.

Tip The sys schema source code

(https://github.com/mysql/mysql-
server/tree/8.0/scripts/sys_schema and for older MySQL
versions https://github.com/mysql/mysql-sys/) is also a useful
resource to learn how to write queries against the Performance Schema.

sys Schema Configuration

The sys schema uses its own configuration system as it was originally
implemented independent of MySQL Server. There are two ways to change
the configuration depending on whether you want to change the setting
permanently or just for the session.

The persisted configuration is stored in the sys_config table which

includes the name of the variable, its value, and when the value was last set
and by which user. Listing 6-1 shows the default content (the set_time will
depend on when the sys schema was last installed or upgraded).

mysql> SELECT * FROM sys.sys_config\G

*************************** 1. row
***************************
variable: diagnostics.allow_i_s_tables
   value: OFF
set_time: 2019-07-13 19:19:29
  set_by: NULL
*************************** 2. row
***************************
variable: diagnostics.include_raw
   value: OFF
set_time: 2019-07-13 19:19:29
  set_by: NULL
*************************** 3. row
***************************
variable: ps_thread_trx_info.max_length
   value: 65535
set_time: 2019-07-13 19:19:29
  set_by: NULL
*************************** 4. row
***************************
variable: statement_performance_analyzer.limit
   value: 100
set_time: 2019-07-13 19:19:29
  set_by: NULL
*************************** 5. row
***************************
variable: statement_performance_analyzer.view
   value: NULL
set_time: 2019-07-13 19:19:29
  set_by: NULL
*************************** 6. row
***************************
variable: statement_truncate_len
   value: 64
set_time: 2019-07-13 19:19:29
  set_by: NULL
6 rows in set (0.0005 sec)

Listing 6-1 The sys schema persisted configuration

Currently the set_by column is always NULL unless the

@sys.ignore_sys_config_triggers user variable is set to a value that
evaluated to FALSE but is not NULL.

The option you are most likely to change is statement_truncate_len

which specifies the maximum length the sys schema will use for statements
in the formatted views (more about these later). The default of 64 was
chosen to increase the probability that querying views will fit in the width of

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console; however, sometimes it is too little to get enough useful
information about the statement.

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You can update the configuration settings by updating the value in

sys_config. This will persist the change and apply immediately to all
connections unless they have set their own session value (this happens
implicitly when using something in the sys schema that formats
statements). As sys_config is a normal InnoDB table, the change will also
remain after restarting MySQL.

Alternatively, you can change the setting just for the session. This is done by
taking the name of the configuration variable and prepending sys. and
turning it into a user variable. Listing 6-2 shows examples both of using the
sys_config table and a user variable to change the configuration of
statement_truncate_len. The result is tested with the
format_statement() function which is what the sys schema uses to
truncate statements.

mysql> SET @query = 'SELECT * FROM world.city INNER

JOIN world.city ON country.Code = city.CountryCode';
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.0003 sec)

mysql> SELECT sys.sys_get_config(

                  'statement_truncate_len',
                  NULL
              ) AS TruncateLen\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
TruncateLen: 64
1 row in set (0.0007 sec)

mysql> SELECT sys.format_statement(@query) AS

Statement\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
Statement: SELECT * FROM world.city INNER ...
ountry.Code = city.CountryCode
1 row in set (0.0019 sec)

mysql> UPDATE sys.sys_config SET value = 48 WHERE

variable = 'statement_truncate_len';
Query OK, 1 row affected (0.4966 sec)

mysql> SET @sys.statement_truncate_len = NULL;

Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.0004 sec)

mysql> SELECT sys.format_statement(@query) AS

Statement\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
Statement: SELECT * FROM world.ci ... ode =
city.CountryCode
1 row in set (0.0009 sec)

mysql> SET @sys.statement_truncate_len = 96;

Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.0003 sec)
mysql> SELECT sys.format_statement(@query) AS
Statement\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
Statement: SELECT * FROM world.city INNER JOIN
world.city ON country.Code = city.CountryCode
1 row in set (0.0266 sec)

Listing 6-2 Changing the sys schema configuration

First, a query is set in the @query user variable. This is purely for
convenience, so it is easy to keep referencing the same query. The
sys_get_config() function is used to get the current configuration value
for the statement_truncate_len option. This takes into account whether
the @sys.statement_trauncate_len user variable is set. The second
argument provides the value to return if the provided option does not exist.

The format_statement() function is used to demonstrate formatting the

statement in @query, first with the default value of 64 for
statement_truncate_len, then updating sys_config to have a value of
48, and finally setting the value for the session to 96. Notice how the
@sys.statement_truncate_len user variable is set to NULL after
updating the sys_config table to make MySQL apply the updated setting to
the session.

Note There are a few configuration options supported by some of the

sys schema features that are not in the sys_config table by default, for
example, the debug option. The documentation of the sys schema
objects (https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/en/sys-schema-
reference.html) includes information on which configuration options
are supported.

The format_statement() function is not the only formatting function in

the sys schema, so let’s take a look at all of them.

Formatting Functions
The sys schema includes four functions to help you format the output of the
queries against the Performance Schema to make the result easier to read or
take up less space. Two of the functions have been deprecated in MySQL
8.0.16 as native Performance Schema functions have been added to replace
them.

Table 6-1 summarizes the four functions and the new native functions that
replace them for the case of format_time() and format_bytes() .

Table 6-1 sys schema formatting functions

sys Schema Function Native Function Descr

Conver
format_bytes() FORMAT_BYTES() a strin
based)

Takes
replac
tempo
format_path()  
on wit
the cor
variab

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4/15/2020 6. The sys Schema - MySQL 8 Query Performance Tuning: A Systematic Method for Improving Execution Speeds

sys Schema Function Native Function Descr

Trunca
most t
charac
state
format_statement()  
configu
replac
statem
(...).

Conver
format_time() FORMAT_PICO_TIME() picose
readab

Listing 6-3 shows an example of using the formatting functions, and for
format_bytes() and format_time(), the results will be compared to the
native Performance Schema functions.

mysql> SELECT sys.format_bytes(5000) AS SysBytes,

              FORMAT_BYTES(5000) AS P_SBytes\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
SysBytes: 4.88 KiB
P_SBytes: 4.88 KiB
1 row in set, 1 warning (0.0015 sec)
Note (code 1585): This function 'format_bytes' has the
same name as a native function

mysql> SELECT @@global.datadir AS DataDir,

              sys.format_path(
                  'D:\\MySQL\\Data_8.0.18\\ib_logfile0'
              ) AS LogFile0\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
 DataDir: D:\MySQL\Data_8.0.18\
LogFile0: @@datadir\ib_logfile0
1 row in set (0.0027 sec)

mysql> SELECT sys.format_statement(

                  'SELECT * FROM world.city INNER JOIN
world.city ON country.Code = city.CountryCode'
              ) AS Statement\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
Statement: SELECT * FROM world.city INNER ...
ountry.Code = city.CountryCode
1 row in set (0.0016 sec)

mysql> SELECT sys.format_time(123456789012) AS SysTime,

              FORMAT_PICO_TIME(123456789012) AS
P_STime\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
SysTime: 123.46 ms
P_STime: 123.46 ms
1 row in set (0.0006 sec)

Listing 6-3 Using the formatting functions

Notice that the use of sys.format_bytes() triggers a warning (but only

the first time a connection uses it) because the sys schema function name is
the same as the native function name. The format_path() function expects
backslashes for path names on Microsoft Windows and forward slashes on
other platforms. The result of the format_statement() function assumes
the value of the statement_truncate_len option has been reset to its
default value of 64.

Tip While the sys schema implementations of format_time() and

format_bytes() still exist, it is best to use the new native functions as
the sys schema implementations are likely to get removed in a future
version and the native functions are much faster.

These functions are not only useful on their own, they are also used by the
sys schema to implement views that return formatted data. As it is in some
cases necessary to work with the unformatted data, there exist two
implementations of most sys schema views as you will see next.

The Views
The sys schema provides a number of views that work as predefined
reports. The views mostly use the Performance Schema tables, but a few also
use the Information Schema. The views are there both to make it easy to get
information out of the Performance Schema and to serve as examples of how
to query the Performance Schema.

As the views are ready-made reports that you can use as a database
administrator or developer, they are defined with a default ordering. This
means that a typical way of using the views is to do a plain SELECT * FROM
<view name>, for example:

mysql> SELECT *
         FROM
sys.schema_tables_with_full_table_scans\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
    object_schema: world
      object_name: city
rows_full_scanned: 4079
          latency: 269.13 ms
*************************** 2. row
***************************
    object_schema: sys
      object_name: sys_config
rows_full_scanned: 18
          latency: 328.80 ms
2 rows in set (0.0021 sec)

The result depends on which tables have been used with a full table scan.
Notice how the latencies have been formatted like with the
FORMAT_PICO_TIME() or sys.format_time() function.

Most of the sys schema views exist in two forms with one having
statements, paths, byte values, and timings formatted and the other
returning the raw data. The formatted views are very useful if you query a
view at the console and look at the data yourself, whereas the unformatted
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change the default sorting. The performance reports in MySQL Workbench

use the unformatted views, so you can change the ordering from within the
user interface.

You can distinguish between the formatted and unformatted views from the
name. If a view contains formatting, there will also be an unformatted view
with the same name, but with x$ prepended to the name. For example, for
the schema_tables_with_full_table_scans view that was used in the
previous example, the unformatted view is named
x$schema_tables_with_full_table_scans:

mysql> SELECT *
         FROM
sys.x$schema_tables_with_full_table_scans\G
*************************** 1. row
***************************
    object_schema: world
      object_name: city
rows_full_scanned: 4079
          latency: 269131954854
*************************** 2. row
***************************
    object_schema: sys
      object_name: sys_config
rows_full_scanned: 18
          latency: 328804286013
2 rows in set (0.0017 sec)

The last topic for the sys schema is the helper functions and procedures that
are provided.

Helper Functions and

Procedures
The sys schema provides several utilities that can help you when working
with MySQL. These include the ability to execute dynamically created
queries, manipulating lists, and more. The most important of the helper
functions and procedures are summarized in Table 6-2.

Table 6-2 Helper functions and procedures in the sys schema

Routine Name Routine Desc

Type

Extrac
schem
name
path f
extract_schema_from_file_name Function
file-pe
InnoD
tables
file.

Extrac
table
from a
for a f
extract_table_from_file_name Function
per-ta
InnoD
tables
file.

Adds
eleme
list un
alread
exists
list_add Function list. T
for ex
usefu
need t
chang
SQL m

Remo
list_drop Function eleme
from a

Quote
identi
quote_identifier Function (e.g., t
name
backt

Retur
major
versio
the in
version_major Function you ar
query
For ex
it retu
for 8.0

Retur
minor
versio
the in
version_minor Function you ar
query
For ex
it retu
for 8.0

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Routine Name Routine Desc

Type

Retur
patch
releas
versio
the in
version_patch Function
you ar
query
For ex
it retu
for 8.0

Execu
query
as a st
The q
execu
using
prepa
statem
execute_prepared_stmt Procedure and th
proce
deallo
the pr
statem
after t
execu
has
comp

Retur
wheth
table
and if
table_exists Procedure wheth
a base
tempo
table,
view.

Several of these utilities are also used internally in the sys schema. The most
common use of the routines is in stored programs where you need to handle
data and queries dynamically.

Tip The sys schema functions and procedures come with built-in help
in the form of routine comments. You can obtain the help by querying the
ROUTINE_COMMENT column of the information_schema.ROUTINES
view.

Summary
This chapter has provided a brief introduction to the sys schema, so you
know what it is and how to use it when you see examples in later chapters.
The sys schema is a useful addition that provides ready-made reports and
utilities that can simplify your daily tasks and investigations. The sys
schema is a system schema in MySQL 5.7 and later, so no action is required
from your side to start using it.

First, the sys schema configuration was discussed. The global configuration
is stored in the sys.sys_config table which can be updated, if you prefer
different default values than what is provided when MySQL is installed. You
can also change the configuration option for a session by setting a user
variable with sys. prefixed to the name of the configuration option.

Then the sys schema formatting functions were covered with mention of the
cases where native Performance Schema functions have been added as
replacement for the sys schema functions. The formatting functions are also
used in several of the views to help make the data easier to read for humans.
For the views using the formatting functions, there is also a corresponding
unformatted view with x$ prefixed to the name.

Finally, several helper functions and procedures were discussed. These can
help you when you try to do work dynamically, such as executing a query
generated in a stored procedure.

The next chapter is about the Information Schema.

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