Table does not support optimize, doing recreate + analyze instead

The message “Table does not support optimize, doing recreate + analyze instead” typically appears when you run the OPTIMIZE TABLE command on a table that uses the InnoDB storage engine in MySQL.

Here’s what’s happening:

1. InnoDB and OPTIMIZE TABLE:
   • The InnoDB storage engine does not support the traditional method of table optimization that some other storage engines (like MyISAM) support.
   • Instead of compacting the table, MySQL will internally recreate it and then analyze it to update statistics. This is essentially a defragmentation process for the table.
2. Recreate + Analyze:
   • Recreate: MySQL will create a new temporary table, copy all the rows from the original table to this temporary table, and then swap the tables. This process helps in defragmenting the table and reclaiming unused space.
   • Analyze: After recreating the table, MySQL will analyze it to update statistics, which helps the query optimizer make better decisions about query execution plans.
3. How to Address the Message:
   • No Immediate Action Required: The message is informational. MySQL lets you know it uses a different internal process to optimize the InnoDB table. The optimization is still being performed, just in a different manner.
   • Regular Maintenance: It’s a good practice to run periodically OPTIMIZE TABLE on your tables, especially if they undergo frequent INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE operations. This helps in maintaining the performance of the table.
   • Monitor Disk Space: The recreate process requires additional disk space to create a temporary table copy. Ensure you have enough disk space before running the OPTIMIZE TABLE command on large tables.

In summary, the message you’re seeing is MySQL’s way of informing you about the internal process it’s using to optimize an InnoDB table. The table is still being optimized, and you don’t need to take any specific action in response to the message. However, always ensure you have backups and monitor disk space when performing optimization operations.

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