14.10 InnoDB File-Format Management

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 for InnoDB 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.