Hey everyone! I've developed a web page with a custom search bar, and I'm trying to create an autocomplete feature similar to Google's. Instead of using a paid API, I've set up a MySQL database containing around 10 million records. However, I'm currently without a server to host it. I'm considering two options: using a virtual machine or converting one of my old phones (which is about 5 years old) into a server. I'm curious about which operating system would work best for either method and whether anyone has any other suggestions for running my database on a budget. I'm pretty new to this, so I'd appreciate any advice!
4 Answers
Docker is definitely your ally here, but consider the hardware load when processing those 10 million entries for predictions. Make sure you've got enough power to handle it!
Have you thought about using SQLite instead of MySQL? It's lightweight and can be embedded directly into your application without a separate server. But if MySQL is a must, running Debian in a VM is a solid choice, or you could set up Docker Desktop with WSL2 (if you're on Windows) for MySQL as a container.
There are several companies that offer free database services, like Render, MongoDB Atlas, Supabase, Firebase, and Cloudflare. Each of these options has some limitations, so it's important to do your research to find out which one suits your needs the best.
You might want to check out Google Cloud, as they offer a free e2-micro instance indefinitely. You can run a SQL docker container with it, which would be adequate for light usage. Just ensure you index everything properly. I have been using it for some time, and handling 10 million records is feasible if managed well.
Indexing should help a lot with that. I think you’ll be fine!