MySQL in Telecom

Utel handles 10,000 Requests per Second Using a Scale out Deployment of MySQL Network

Utel’s bet: to develop France’s biggest mobile phone-based chat community! Founded in the midst of the Internet boom by a group of telephone, television, and music enthusiasts, the start-up quickly built a business selling platforms for phone based games, as well as ring tones and logos for mobile phones. Utel became the first European house to launch an “on demand” ring tone application based on actual titles rather than reference codes. In March 2003, the company launched “Fotochat”, the first service to leverage the photo sharing capabilities of the new generation of handsets. This enabled users to get their pictures online in a matter of seconds via a simple e-mail or MMS. Fotochat is integrated into the services offered by the three major French operators — Orange, SFR, and Bouygues Telecom — as well as by international call brokers. Fotochat is also the chat service used by the “Vodafone Live!” and “Orange World” portals. The Fotochat engine currently accounts for the highest monthly volume of Gallery transactions in France. “MySQL Network enables us The system is based entirely on MySQL and processes an average of 3,000 queries per second and handles 10,000 to sleep well at night since it queries per second at peak times! This amounts to over guarantees an expert’s answer in 300 million queries per day. less than 30 minutes at any hour

of the day, 365 days a year.”

Pierre Antoine CTO, Utel MySQL in Telecom Utel

When Pierre Antoine joined Next, I wanted to improve our Technical environment Utel as CTO in the Autumn of staff’s technical mastery of the MySQL consultants also helped 2003, he was delighted to take database in a cost-effective way. Utel redefine the database over a system based on the We therefore decided to architecture in order to improve popular open source LAMP arrange an on-site training for its performance and scalability. architecture (, Apache, the whole team, including a The system now relies on a MySQL, PHP). Having used certification exam at the end. scale-out architecture using MySQL a few years back while Finally, I needed to make sure replication, as well as LVS developing an e-business appli- that we could call on MySQL (Linux Virtual Server), the open cation powered by MySQL, experts for assistance and source load balancing solution. he was totally confident that advice at any time; hence we The current set-up consists of MySQL could handle the high opted for the MySQL Network four Apache Web servers and volume of queries generated by Platinum package giving us three MySQL database servers: the application. “We never hes- direct e-mail and telephone one master and two slaves. itated to go with MySQL. The access to the MySQL AB sup- Write queries are directed to product is battle-tested and port staff. MySQL Network the master server and replicated MySQL provides high-quality enables us to sleep well at night on the slaves which can take support.” affirms Antoine. since it guarantees an expert’s over in the event of a master answer in less than 30 minutes However, in order to achieve server outage. Read queries are at any hour of the day, 365 days the best possible performance, directed to both the master and a year.” Antoine turned to MySQL AB the slaves. Plus, queries requir- for their expert assistance. The MySQL Network provides a ing extremely fast turnaround, recommended solution was comprehensive set of enter- for example access to web three-fold: prise-grade software, support pages, are directed to the and services ensuring the high- 1. Onsite services of a MySQL master for immediate access. est levels of reliability, security AB consultant Queries that can put up with and uptime at an affordable delays of few milliseconds, 2. Staff training and certification price. “With MySQL Network, such as looking for other 3. MySQL Network I don’t have to waste time chatters on the network, are thinking about what version directed to the slaves. The new “My first priority was to over- of the software to use. All we architecture and the implemen- come a situation that was have to do is to implement the tation of a multi FIFO (First in weighing us down: one of our Certified MySQL Server which First Out) table buffer by the servers was quickly reaching its eliminates uncertainty and risk.” MySQL consultants has resulted saturation point. So we first had continues Pierre Antoine. in higher performance while a MySQL AB expert come in to greatly simplifying the database optimise our queries and our maintenance. database engine parameters. MySQL Network offers reliability, security and ease of use

“The scale-out architecture Low TCO and ease of use This simplicity is crucial for using replication is ideally DBAs and permeates right “The low TCO was the key suited to our needs. It is simple, down to the error messages reason to implement an archi- reliable and scales very well at generated by MySQL that tell tecture based on open source a very reasonable cost. At Utel, you very clearly what the technologies and MySQL. we can’t afford to sacrifice problem is and how to fix it!” The savings we achieved on scalability. With our pay-per- continues Antoine. “When I proprietary software licences click business model, lost traffic need to endorse a new tool for enabled us to invest in training translates directly into lost rev- integration into our IT environ- and consulting services while enue,” stresses Antoine. “If we ment, native support for MySQL still benefiting from MySQL’s start approaching the saturation is a must. The responsiveness of very high quality technical point, all we have to do is hook the MySQL technical staff is support services. In addition in more Apache and MySQL another notable factor.” to the cost benefits, the MySQL servers running on commodity database is very fast, reliable, Intel-based hardware.” and easy to use.

Each server is an Intel Blade Server SBX82: Dual Xeon @ 3.20 GHz HT / FSB 800 4 Go / 2x 73 Go SCSI Public Network UTEL Debian GNU/Linux “When I need to endorse a

new tool for integration into GNU/Linux GNU/Linux Server LVS Heartbeat Server LVS Master Slave our IT environment, native GNU/Linux Servers – Apache - PHP support for MySQL is a must.

The responsiveness of the

Private Network UTEL MySQL technical staff is GNU/Linux Server MySQL Master another notable factor.”

GNU/Linux Servers – MySQL Slave Pierre Antoine CTO, Utel Technical Environment About MySQL AB Hardware: Intel Blade servers (Xeon) MySQL AB develops and supports a family of OS: Linux Debian high performance, affordable database products – Database: MySQL 4.1 including MySQL Network, a comprehensive Language: PHP set of certified software and premium support Load Balancer: LVS (Linux Virtual Server) services. The company’s flagship product is the MySQL Server, the world’s most popular open source database, with more than 10 million active installations. Many of the world's largest MySQL Network organizations, including Yahoo!, Alcatel, The All-in-One Enterprise-grade Associated Press, Suzuki and NASA are realizing Database, Support and Services significant cost savings by using MySQL to from the Developers of MySQL power high-volume Web sites, business-critical enterprise applications and packaged software. MySQL Network is a compre- hensive set of certified software, With headquarters in and the United production support and premium services that States — and operations around the world — help a corporate IT staff ensure the highest levels MySQL AB supports both open source values of reliability, security and uptime for their busi- and corporate customers' needs in a profitable, ness critical database applications. As a proactive sustainable business. For more information service that helps eliminate problems before they about MySQL, please visit www..com. occur, MySQL Network is a single, easy-to-buy offering, providing developers and DBAs with everything they need to successfully develop and deploy solutions with MySQL.

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