A Googly MySQL Cluster Talk – Google Video

The talk I gave at Google is now up on Google Video for all to see. I don’t think I gave it as well as I did at the User Conference (largely because, I think, by this time I was really tired), but it still went well (I think).

Feedback is much appreciated – always looking for ways to improve my talks.

Oh, I’m also wearing an Augie March t-shirt.

Update: watching yourself give a presentation is a bit strange… but hopefully I can learn from watching my own talk.

Things I’ve learnt so far:

• some words are spoken a bit quickly/mumbly. probably due to not knowing how long this presentation would go for (it was a bit cobbled together in the two sessions before mine)
• I (for whatever reason) had nano instead of micro for SCI latency. Oh well, hopefully nobody will notice my mistake (apart from when i blogged it. eep)
• Make sure the mouse cursor on your slides is hidden/at the edge of the screen
• At least for google video resolution, small text can’t be read (see my Components of a Cluster slide, you can’t read the name of the processes – ndbd, mysqld, ndb_mgmd). Getting around this can be interesting for some slides – that are easily viewable on a projector, but not on the video. Doh.
  • One possible solution is to “zoom” in on important text.
  • For example, the “A Configuration” slide. When I talk about each config parameter, have it zoom up to a larger font size (on that big bit of white space on the right)
• I really do want to walk around a room. Having to stand in the one place for the video camera was nearly killing me :)
  • This is interesting as for my UC presentation I was annoyed that I couldn’t get a wireless microphone. Instead I was getting tangled up in a microphone cord.
• I should possibly have some good slides on the split brain problem and a quick example of how we avoid it (and why you need at least three machines)
• I sometimes pronounce “server’ strangely.
• I should have a diagram that includes a magic load balancer box showing it load balancing between the mysql servers connected to the cluster.
• I should possibly have a clear diagram showing where you can do queries (UPDATE) on cluster (everywhere) versus with replication (only the master).
• I don’t think i should laugh when there’s something that I think is funny.
• Be more carefull about when I stop for a drink of water. Think about it. between slides can be good, but when there’s something up for people to look at… maybe the next topic (or something else exciting)
  • I’m unsure if photos of scantily clad models are suitable here… :)
• For “find out more” – have screenshots of the various things (and a photo of the book)
• Need a clear definition of fragment.
• I need to pronounce ‘configurable’ more clearly.
• a laser pointer is not visible on google video

That’s all i wrote down while watching it. other input welcome