## A.2 MySQL 8.0 FAQ: Storage Engines

[]()A.2.1. [ Where can I obtain complete documentation for MySQL storage engines? ](faqs-storage-engines.html#faq-mysql-what-storage-engines)A.2.2. [ Are there any new storage engines in MySQL 8.0? ](faqs-storage-engines.html#faq-mysql-have-new-storage-engines)A.2.3. [ Have any storage engines been removed in MySQL 8.0? ](faqs-storage-engines.html#faq-mysql-removed-storage-engines)A.2.4. [ Can I prevent the use of a particular storage engine? ](faqs-storage-engines.html#faq-mysql-disabling-storage-engines)A.2.5. [ Is there an advantage to using the InnoDB storage engine exclusively, as opposed to a combination of InnoDB and non-InnoDB storage engines? ](faqs-storage-engines.html#faq-mysql-innodb-backup-recovery-advantage)A.2.6. [ What are the unique benefits of the ARCHIVE storage engine? ](faqs-storage-engines.html#faq-mysql-what-archive-engine)

|[]()[]()<br/><br/>**A.2.1.**|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Where can I obtain complete documentation for MySQL storage engines?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|:---------------------------|: |
|                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                             See [Chapter 16, *Alternative Storage Engines*](storage-engines.html). That chapter contains information about all MySQL storage engines except for the [`InnoDB`](innodb-storage-engine.html) storage engine and the [`NDB`](mysql-cluster.html) storage engine (used for MySQL Cluster). [`InnoDB`](innodb-storage-engine.html) is covered in [Chapter 15, *The InnoDB Storage Engine*](innodb-storage-engine.html). [`NDB`](mysql-cluster.html) is covered in [Chapter 23, *MySQL NDB Cluster 8.0*](mysql-cluster.html).                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|[]()[]()<br/><br/>**A.2.2.**|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Are there any new storage engines in MySQL 8.0?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   No. `InnoDB` is the default storage engine for new tables. See [Section 15.1, “Introduction to InnoDB”](innodb-introduction.html) for details.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|[]()[]()<br/><br/>**A.2.3.**|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Have any storage engines been removed in MySQL 8.0?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|                            | The `PARTITION` storage engine plugin which provided partitioning support is replaced by a native partitioning handler. As part of this change, the server can no longer be built using `-DWITH_PARTITION_STORAGE_ENGINE`. `partition` is also no longer displayed in the output of [`SHOW PLUGINS`](show-plugins.html), or shown in the [`INFORMATION_SCHEMA.PLUGINS`](information-schema-plugins-table.html) table.<br/><br/> In order to support partitioning of a given table, the storage engine used for the table must now provide its own (“native”) partitioning handler. [`InnoDB`](innodb-storage-engine.html) is the only storage engine supported in MySQL 8.0 that includes a native partitioning handler. An attempt to create partitioned tables in MySQL 8.0 using any other storage engine fails. (The [`NDB`](mysql-cluster.html) storage engine used by MySQL Cluster also provides its own partitioning handler, but is currently not supported by MySQL 8.0.)|
|[]()[]()<br/><br/>**A.2.4.**|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Can I prevent the use of a particular storage engine?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Yes. The [`disabled_storage_engines`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_disabled_storage_engines) configuration option defines which storage engines cannot be used to create tables or tablespaces. By default, [`disabled_storage_engines`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_disabled_storage_engines) is empty (no engines disabled), but it can be set to a comma-separated list of one or more engines.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|[]()[]()<br/><br/>**A.2.5.**|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Is there an advantage to using the `InnoDB` storage engine exclusively, as opposed to a combination of `InnoDB` and non-`InnoDB` storage engines?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Yes. Using `InnoDB` tables exclusively can simplify backup and recovery operations. MySQL Enterprise Backup does a [hot backup](glossary.html#glos_hot_backup) of all tables that use the `InnoDB` storage engine. For tables using `MyISAM` or other non-`InnoDB` storage engines, it does a “warm” backup, where the database continues to run, but those tables cannot be modified while being backed up. See [Section 30.2, “MySQL Enterprise Backup Overview”](mysql-enterprise-backup.html).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|[]()[]()<br/><br/>**A.2.6.**|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            What are the unique benefits of the `ARCHIVE` storage engine?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The `ARCHIVE` storage engine stores large amounts of data without indexes; it has a small footprint, and performs selects using table scans. See [Section 16.5, “The ARCHIVE Storage Engine”](archive-storage-engine.html), for details.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |

