Limiting MySQL tmpdir size

oli.sennhauser@fromdual.com (Oli Sennhauser) — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 17:37:22 +0000

Today a customer gave me the idea of using a separate file as a volume for limiting the MySQL tmpdir size. On some not so well set-up Linux systems the MySQL tmpdir is located under /tmp which is the same mount point as / (root). This can lead to troubles in case the tmpdir is filled up with implicit temporary MyISAM tables which fills up the / (root) directory of the O/S as well.

MySQL tmpdir on RAM-disk

oli.sennhauser@fromdual.com (Oli Sennhauser) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:15:49 +0000

MySQL temporary tables are created either in memory (as MEMORY tables) or on disk (as MyISAM tables). How many tables went to disk and how many tables went to memory you can find with:

Tmpdir on FromDual GmbH

Limiting MySQL tmpdir size

MySQL tmpdir on RAM-disk