Blackhole is one of the most underestimated storage engines inside MySQL. This talk is about everything you need to know about it: when and why to use it, implementation details, common pitfalls, and typical misunderstandings. A number of real-world scenarious will be listed to help developers and administrators to make best use of the Blackhole Storage Engine. And of course, the talk won't lack some of the best jokes within MySQL.

One of the most amazing features introduced in MYSQL 5.0 is the Federated Engine, a virtual table that crosses the boundaries between database servers, giving access to remote data as if it were local. Using Federated tables you can create new types of database applications, where data is not restricted to a single server.

Using Federated tables can be tricky, but with some experience you can couple data availability with high performance and extended functionality, such as executing commands on remote servers.