As InnoDB
evolves, data file formats that are not
compatible with prior versions of InnoDB
are
sometimes required to support new features. To help manage
compatibility in upgrade and downgrade situations, and systems that
run different versions of MySQL, InnoDB
uses
named file formats. InnoDB
currently supports two
named file formats, Antelope
and Barracuda.
Antelope is the original
InnoDB
file format, which previously did not have a name. It supports COMPACT and REDUNDANT row formats forInnoDB
tables and is the default file format in MySQL 5.6 to ensure maximum compatibility with earlier MySQL versions that do not support the Barracuda file format.Barracuda is the newest file format. It supports all
InnoDB
row formats including the newer COMPRESSED and DYNAMIC row formats. The features associated with COMPRESSED and DYNAMIC row formats include compressed tables, efficient storage of off-page columns, and index key prefixes up to 3072 bytes (innodb_large_prefix
). See Section 14.11, “InnoDB Row Formats”.
This section discusses enabling InnoDB
file
formats, verifying compatibility of different file formats between
MySQL releases, identifying the file format in use, and downgrading
the file format.