8.5.4 Optimizing InnoDB Redo Logging

Make your redo log files big, even as big as the buffer pool. When InnoDB has written the redo log files full, it must write the modified contents of the buffer pool to disk in a checkpoint. Small redo log files cause many unnecessary disk writes. Although historically big redo log files caused lengthy recovery times, recovery is now much faster and you can confidently use large redo log files.

The size and number of redo log files are configured using the innodb_log_file_size and innodb_log_files_in_group configuration options. For information about modifying an existing redo log file configuration, see Changing the Number or Size of Redo Log Files.

Consider increasing the size of the log buffer. A large log buffer enables large transactions to run without a need to write the log to disk before the transactions commit. Thus, if you have transactions that update, insert, or delete many rows, making the log buffer larger saves disk I/O. Log buffer size is configured using the innodb_log_buffer_size configuration option, which can be configured dynamically in MySQL 8.0.

Configure the innodb_log_write_ahead_size configuration option to avoid “read-on-write”. This option defines the write-ahead block size for the redo log. Set innodb_log_write_ahead_size to match the operating system or file system cache block size. Read-on-write occurs when redo log blocks are not entirely cached to the operating system or file system due to a mismatch between write-ahead block size for the redo log and operating system or file system cache block size.

Valid values for innodb_log_write_ahead_size are multiples of the InnoDB log file block size (2ⁿ). The minimum value is the InnoDB log file block size (512). Write-ahead does not occur when the minimum value is specified. The maximum value is equal to the innodb_page_size value. If you specify a value for innodb_log_write_ahead_size that is larger than the innodb_page_size value, the innodb_log_write_ahead_size setting is truncated to the innodb_page_size value.

Setting the innodb_log_write_ahead_size value too low in relation to the operating system or file system cache block size results in read-on-write. Setting the value too high may have a slight impact on fsync performance for log file writes due to several blocks being written at once.

Optimize the use of spin delay by user threads waiting for flushed redo. Spin delay helps reduce latency. During periods of low concurrency, reducing latency may be less of a priority, and avoiding the use of spin delay during these periods may reduce energy consumption. During periods of high concurrency, you may want to avoid expending processing power on spin delay so that it can be used for other work. The following system variables permit setting high and low watermark values that define boundaries for the use of spin delay.