The State of Online Schema Migrations in MySQL

The text discusses the state of MySQL online schema migrations in 2024, focusing on ALTER TABLE statements. It examines native MySQL options such as INPLACE and INSTANT, highlighting their limitations and risks. The article also explores external tools like Vitess for running non-blocking schema changes, emphasizing their advantages over native MySQL solutions. Partitioning is mentioned as a unique case that may require specific handling depending on the type of change. Overall, the text suggests that 3rd party online schema change tools are the best option for most use cases in the foreseeable future.