Tuning

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What Does Tuning Mean?

Database tuning is the process performed by database administrators of optimizing performance of a database. In the enterprise, this usually means the maintenance of a large database management system (DBMS) such as Oracle or MySQL. This includes optimizing the performance of the database itself as well as the underlying hardware.

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Techopedia Explains Tuning

Since many businesses rely on complex database management systems, it is important to keep them running efficiently. Tuning means examining all parts of a database system, including all hardware and software, to minimize bottlenecks and keep query response times as short as possible.

Tuning encompasses the selection of hardware for servers, setting up RAID systems, deploying clusters and configuring operating systems as well as the database itself for optimum performance. Database tuning is typically done by database administrators or system administrators. Because it is such a complex process, research is being done into automating database tuning with machine learning.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.