WordPress Database Upgrade

Getting your WordPress upgraded above MySQL 5.7

The widely used MySQL version 5.7 will reach end-of-life (EOL) status in October 2023, formally shifting all official support to MySQL 8.0.

What does this mean for you? Well, if your site is among the 75% of all WordPress sites still running MySQL 5.7 or older, you’ll need to take steps to ensure your site doesn’t become vulnerable to increased security threats after 5.7 support lapses, and that it’s ready for an upgrade to MySQL 8.0.

What is MySQL?

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system used by millions of websites to store, manage, and retrieve structured data. It’s one of the most popular database systems in the world, with various applications ranging from small personal websites to large-scale enterprise systems.

MySQL supports multiple programming languages and powers everything from dynamic web applications to content management systems (CMSs), eCommerce platforms, and more.

Regarding WordPress specifically, the CMS is (in most cases) built using a combination of PHP and MySQL, where PHP handles the server-side processing, and MySQL manages the storage and retrieval of data.

The first version of MySQL was released in 1995, and the widely used version 5.7 was released in 2015. The most recent version of MySQL, version 8.0, was released in 2018 and will be supported through April 2026.

Since 2010, each version of MySQL has received official support for eight years after becoming generally available.

MySQL 5.7, released in October 2015, will reach end-of-life status in October 2023, meaning by November 1st, it will no longer be supported with security patches and upgrades.

Using the most current version of MySQL (version 8.0) will ensure your site is optimized for the future and protected against a greater number of threats.

What benefits can I expect to see after upgrading to MySQL 8.0?

Upgrading to MySQL 8.0 can provide numerous benefits, as the most recent version includes significant functionality and performance enhancements. Here are a few of the key improvements:

Improved Performance
The default storage engine for MySQL 8.0, InnoDB, delivers significantly better performance for Read/Write workloads, IO-bound workloads, and high contention “hot spot” workloads. The addition of the Resource Group feature allows users to optimize specific workloads on specific hardware by mapping user threads to CPUs.

Enhanced Security
In addition to becoming the only version of MySQL with active, official support, MySQL 8.0 includes OpenSSL improvements, a new default authentication method, the introduction of SQL Roles, breaking up the super privilege, password strength enhancements, and more, strengthening database security.