Database Tuner Lite is a plugin for Automate that dynamically adjusts MySQL to perform optimally for ConnectWise Automate.
The plugin works by scaling various components of MySQL to their optimal values for the workload created by Automate. All the adjustments are done in real-time without the need to bring the database offline. The performance tune is run every 12 hours to ensure that the database is always optimally configured.
Database Tuner Lite is designed for Automate servers with under 5,000 agents deployed and primarily focuses on I/O and transaction handling. For larger servers (or partners with larger database loads) we advise the full version of Database Tuner, which includes additional tuning for components that are only needed at larger scales.
Why Database Tuner Lite
As we describe in our blog here, MySQL needs to be told how to use the resources allocated to it. For Automate servers the initial concern is I/O, and the IO Multiplier function of Database Tuner Lite addresses this.
The IO Multiplier is a scaling tool designed to get around the default rate limiting and allow MySQL to consume more I/O. MySQL was first released in 1995, and in that era server storage devices were mechanical SCSI drives that topped out at 5-10 MB/s. It was easy to overpower the storage hardware of the time, so MySQL accounted for that in software. Today MySQL assumes more disk speed, but the limit is around the capacity of early-2000’s era spinning disks.
So, what happens when a partner has an SSD, or an array of 10k drives, or a SAN with flash storage? The length of the pipe (that is to say, the time it takes to do I/O) is less, but the diameter of the pipe (the volume of I/O) is still the same. That’s why partners who move to faster storage see an improvement, but never see a night-and-day difference.
Database Tuner Lite solves this issue and performs additional tuning to address the common performance bottlenecks for servers with under 5,000 agents deployed.
Getting started
Every Automate instance has a different environment. While we believe that Database Tuner Lite will improve any environment, we want to make sure that the improvement is tangible. We advise anyone interested in the plugin to use the form below and start with a free 14-day trial. You’ll get the full performance tune, and you can decide for yourself if the plugin is a good fit for your server.
Value Proposition
Our goal is to provide the most value for our service. Our plugin is priced as a monthly subscription; as the application changes so to do the performance needs, and thus our work is never done. We offer Database Tuner Lite for $75/month. This gives partners an expertly tuned database for about the price of a coffee. The average MSP can recover $660/user annually with our plugin, not to mention any time lost to stability issues. On average, time saved will make Database Tuner Lite pay for itself for any Automate instance with more than 2 users.