Category: Product Updates

A few weeks ago we initiated an upgrade to MySQL 8 across our servers. That came as a result of a long process of monitoring and testing the compatibility of this version with our clients’ websites, until we concluded that MySQL 8 is highly compatible with major applications hosted on our platform and safe to switch to.

MySQL is a fundamental piece of software in our stack, used by the great majority of our clients to power up their databases. Its optimal functioning has a great impact on the overall website performance and availability. That is why the SiteGround team dedicates a lot of resources to optimize and customize our MySQL, always aiming to squeeze out better and better performance. To achieve this goal over the years, we introduced various customizations such as our unique MySQL setup, and we carefully plan and test any new MySQL version upgrades, making sure the benefits outweigh the potential damages such an upgrade could bring. We are now confident that MySQL version 8 is largely compatible and our clients can safely take advantage of the enhanced database performance, scalability, and coding optimizations it brings along.

What is the plan for the MySQL update?

First, we would like to announce that all new websites created on our shared servers and all newly created cloud accounts now come with MySQL 8 by default.

Second, the migration process to MySQL 8 of existing shared sites is now in progress. Once our shared servers are updated, we will start updating the Cloud instances too. The process will continue in the next few months. According to our schedule, we plan to have migrated all our customers to MySQL 8 by the end of June this year.

To make the transition as easy and smooth for you as possible, we are sending you emails at least one week in advance to inform you on what dates exactly we are going to upgrade your website to MySQL 8. The upgrade procedure is performed late at night when the traffic to the server is minimal. A brief service interruption may occur while updating the software. No action is required on your side in relation to the migration.

What is new in MySQL 8?

MySQL 8 introduces a variety of new features and improvements of old functionalities all aiming to improve the overall performance and scalability as well as developer experience. Here are some of the most notable ones.

Better performance and scalability

MySQL 8 offers better performance and scalability. Benchmark tests show better results in terms of both performance and scalability for MySQL 8 compared to MySQL 5.7. The tests show that MySQL 8 is handling read/write operations much better and the number of processed transactions is much higher.

Furthermore, the tests show that MySQL 8 utilizes the hardware much better compared to 5.7.

Here are some of the improvements that make this possible:

• Scaling Read/Write Workloads

MySQL 8 shows better performance on intensive read/write and more than 2 times better performance on high loads is observed compared to MySQL 5.7.

• Better Performance upon High Contention Loads

Performance for high contention workloads has been significantly improved in MySQL 8. A high contention workload occurs when multiple transactions are waiting for a lock on the same row in a table, causing queues of waiting transactions.

In MySQL 8, such bursts are dealt with much better in terms of transactions per second and latency. That leads to better hardware utilization (efficiency), as the system needs less spare resources and can thus run with a higher average load.

• Native partitioning/InnoDB Pool Enhancement

MySQL 8 supports native partitioning for the InnoDB engine. That allows you to split large tables into smaller partitions. This can improve query performance and reduce storage requirements, especially for large tables. The new MySQL version also introduces enhancements of the InnoDB pool. The pool is responsible for caching the data and reducing I/O operations.

Common table expressions (CTEs)

With the latest MySQL 8 version, you can now take advantage of common table expressions as well. A common table expression is a result set which exists only temporarily while executing a statement that can later be used in the same statement.

These CTEs allow for creating more complex queries by using simpler blocks, based on temporary tables. In other words, common table expressions allow the usage of named temporary result sets.

Default character change

The default character in MySQL 8 is changed to utf8mb4.

One of the most notable differences between utf8, utf8mb3, and utf8mb4 is the maximum number of bytes per character. While utf8 and utf8mb3 can only store characters in the BMP (Basic Multilingual Plane) of Unicode, utf8mb4 can store characters in the Supplementary Plane. utf8mb4 supports a wide range of characters, including emojis and other special characters.

Invisible indexes

Another new feature in MySQL 8 are the invisible indexes. Generally, indexes are used by the MySQL query optimizer to improve the speed with which data is retrieved, while invisible indexes are the ones that are hidden from the MySQL query optimizer and make it possible to test removing an index on query performance, without making a destructive change.

For example, if you are working with a very large table with a few indexes, and you want to optimize it further by removing certain indexes and adding new ones. Imagine that you know that you will need these indexes in the future. Removing them in the first place might be dangerous, because building them again later on takes lots of resources. To avoid this, you can now simply use invisible indexes – make some existing ones into invisible ones, test whatever you need with the new ones, and then bring them back, when needed, by making them visible again.

Why is now the right time to migrate?

As MySQL is such a fundamental technology, major updates happen rarely and take a long time to be universally adopted. MySQL 8 was first released in 2018, but it took several years for the majority of the websites and their underlying applications to become compatible with it. We were constantly monitoring the level of compatibility and have chosen the current update time, as we have seen that now the risk of negatively impacting a website with the upgrade has greatly diminished. Since the update started a few weeks ago, we have already seamlessly moved hundreds of thousands of sites to MySQL 8.

In today’s digital world, the way we work has evolved significantly. Businesses and individuals alike need tools that enable them to collaborate efficiently, communicate effectively, and maximize productivity – regardless of location or device. That’s why we are thrilled to announce that SiteGround is now offering Google Workspace, the leading suite of collaboration and productivity tools trusted by millions of people and businesses worldwide.

What sets our Google Workspace offering apart is the seamless integration with our hosting services. As a SiteGround customer, you can now order and manage your Google Workspace plan directly from the same Client Area where you manage your hosting account. This means you have a single, centralized hub for all your digital services, making administration and management a breeze. And the best part – you’ll benefit from the same exceptional support you’ve come to expect from SiteGround, now extended to your Google Workspace.

Why Google Workspace?

Google Workspace brings together a powerful set of tools, including high-quota professional Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and more – all designed to help you work smarter and achieve more. Whether you’re a freelancer, small business owner, or part of a growing team, Google Workspace provides everything you need to streamline your workflow and take your productivity to new heights.

Professional Gmail with High Storage

First impressions matter, and having a professional email address that uses your own domain name can significantly boost your credibility and brand image. With Google Workspace, you get an ad-free Gmail account that offers ample storage space (up to 5TB per user), advanced spam protection, and a host of email management features. Say goodbye to generic email addresses and hello to a polished, professional online presence.

Supercharged Productivity

Google Workspace equips you with a suite of intuitive, cloud-based tools that make creating, storing, and managing documents and files effortless. With Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, you can easily create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, while Google Drive provides secure cloud storage for all your important files. These tools are designed to work seamlessly together, allowing you to access, edit and manage your work from any device, anytime – even offline. 

By simplifying your workflow and enabling you to get more done in less time, Google Workspace helps you focus on what matters most – growing your business.

Seamless Collaboration

Effective communication and collaboration make all the difference when working in teams or doing business online. Google Workspace offers a range of powerful tools to help you stay connected and work together efficiently, no matter where you are. 

Google Meet allows you to host high-quality video conferences with team members, clients, or anyone else, while Google Chat provides instant messaging capabilities for quick, informal conversations. 

With Google Calendar, you can easily schedule meetings, manage your time, and stay on top of deadlines. These tools work together seamlessly, making collaboration feel effortless and natural.

Superb Support & Management by SiteGround

By getting your Google Workspace with SiteGround, you not only benefit from the convenience of unified billing but also gain access to our top-rated 24/7 support. With SiteGround’s commitment to exceptional customer service, you can rest assured that any questions or concerns will be addressed promptly and professionally. Plus, you can easily manage your Google Workspace subscription directly from your SiteGround Client Area for a seamless, all-in-one management.

In the relentless race to provide unparalleled client satisfaction, companies continually evolve. We, at SiteGround, have proven to be the front-runners when it comes to innovation and improvement. Yet again, we’re embarking on a groundbreaking venture that’s set to redefine your customer support experience – with our new integrated AI assistant in your HelpDesk.

The Game-Changer – Instant AI in your Help Desk!

Gone are the days when you would type in a query and be directed to countless articles to sort through until you find the most relevant one, leaving you even more overwhelmed. Say hello to our cutting-edge Instant AI HelpDesk! It is powered by ChatGPT but heavily trained by SiteGround’s AI engineers and backed by expert prompt engineering, to provide accurate answers and address our clients’ specific inquiries via a broad spectrum of frequently asked questions and manual grading of responses.

The Evolution of AI in SiteGround’s Support Journey

Our AI journey started years ago with an AI-powered search feature. A fantastic tool, it seamlessly directed you to relevant articles within our extensive Knowledge Base. But now, we’re elevating that experience with the integration of ChatGPT by OpenAI. Not only does our AI Assistant fetch all relevant articles, but it also comprehends and consolidates the information to give you a precise response, crafted just for you! Imagine a world where AI doesn’t just find the right answer, but understands and delivers it as if it’s directly responding to a question in conversation. That’s our new reality!

Staggering Accuracy, backed by Fine-tuning and Stellar Prompt Engineering

Our specialized AI team has been burning the midnight oil, ensuring that our AI Assistant is not just smart but ‘SiteGround Smart’. Using the power of both GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0, fine tuning AI models and taking advantage of expert prompt engineering, ensures swift, accurate, and tailored responses for our customers. Here are the facts:

85% of the answers from our AI Assistant hit the bullseye! To be more accurate: a total of 96% of the replies generated by our AI Assistant are correct, but needed a bit more polishing to match the high standards, tone of voice and level of helpfulness that we’re after.

These staggering numbers in just a few months of work are a testament to the significance of fine-tuning models, constant prompt engineering improvements and the enthusiasm our team has invested into creating one more trendsetting tool for our clients’ convenience.

Engage, Explore, & Elevate Your Experience

Available exclusively for our valued SiteGround customers, you can reach our AI Assistant anytime via Client Area > Help Center > Instant AI Help. Each answer is a goldmine of information, often laced with links for a deeper dive. And guess what? We’re counting on you to make it even better! At the end of each response, we’ve provided a quick rating system. Your feedback is our treasure, guiding us to refine and perfect.

Join the AI Evolution

The beauty of AI lies in its potential to learn and evolve. As you engage with it, our AI Assistant sharpens, ensuring you always get the right solution, in an instant. Based on your direct feedback, we’re also expanding and improving our extensive Knowledge Base even more – we’ve added over 60 new articles and topics after the introduction of our AI Assistant.

Dive into this futuristic experience now and be part of our AI revolution. We’re waiting for your feedback! With SiteGround, the future isn’t tomorrow; it’s today!

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We are excited to announce that PHP 8.3 (Beta 3) is now available for testing on all SiteGround servers. Yet, again thanks to our unique multiple-PHP server setup, we are able to provide the latest PHP versions safely to anyone who wants to test them, almost immediately upon their official beta release. This means we are once again among the first companies to offer PHP 8.3 (Beta 3) for testing on our hosting platform 🎉🎉🎉. 

Continue reading this blog post to discover more about the new features of the latest PHP version.

New Features

Let’s delve into some of the new features that PHP 8.3 Beta 3 brings to the table. This version may not be highlighted by sweeping changes or major upgrades, but it introduces a few key features that could significantly enhance the PHP development experience.

gc_status() Returns Additional GC Information

Long-running daemons and cron jobs have always been a weak part in PHP in general. However, with PHP 8.3, the gc_status() function now returns additional garbage collection (GC) information. This is a significant improvement for developers who need to manage memory usage in long-running scripts. More information about this feature can be found here.

class_alias() Supports Aliasing Built-in PHP Classes

Another exciting feature in PHP 8.3 is the ability to alias built-in PHP classes using the class_alias() function. This allows PHP developers to hook up into built-in classes and overwrite classes or declarations in them. This feature opens up a world of possibilities for extending and customizing the behavior of built-in PHP classes.

json_validate() Function

Another exciting addition in PHP 8.3 is the json_validate() function. This function validates if a string contains valid JSON, providing a more efficient alternative to userland implementations that use json_decode(). The json_decode() function generates a ZVAL (object/array/etc.) while parsing the string, using memory and processing that could be saved. The json_validate() function uses the same JSON parser that exists in the PHP core and is used by json_decode(), ensuring that what is valid in json_validate() is also valid in json_decode().

Changelog  with all language and library changes in PHP 8.3 could be find at https://wiki.php.net/rfc#php_83 

How to test PHP 8.3 (Beta 3) on SiteGround Servers

Now, with a one-button click in your SiteTools -> Devs section you’re able to replace the current PHP version used by your website with PHP 8.3 (Beta 3). It is important to emphasize on the fact that this is PHP 8.3 in its Beta 3 version. This means it is available for testing purposes mostly and as always we strongly advise you not to use it at your production site before the stable release date (November 23, 2023). If you want to test it with an existing site, set up a new site for testing, clone your production site into it, and play with that – our WordPress Staging tool is perfect for that purpose. When you are done, you can just delete it.

As you explore your new testing environment, check your log files after every test. Make sure nothing fails and see if any new warnings or errors pop up.

Wrap Up

PHP 8.3 Beta 3 may not be marked by major upgrades, but it introduces a set of key features that could significantly enhance the PHP development experience – improvements to readonly classes, the new gc_status(), class_alias() and json_validate() functions, additions to the recently added Randomizer class, stack overflow detection, and more. That is not it for sure but there is enough time to “play” with the new PHP 8.3 (Beta 3) version and explore all sidekicks it might bring on before the official release. 

Last but not least – remember, at SiteGround, we are committed to providing our clients with the latest and greatest in PHP technology well ahead of the others. Stay tuned for more updates and happy coding with PHP 8.3 (Beta 3)!

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