它可以被定义为数据库管理系统（DBMS）用来处理不同的SQL操作（如创建、读取、更新和删除数据库中的数据）的软件组件。换句话说，它被DBMS用来管理数据库中的信息。最常用的存储引擎是InnoDB，它也是MySQL5.5及更高版本的默认存储引擎。在MySQL5.5之前，默认的存储引擎是MyISAM。
通过使用SHOW ENGINES命令，我们可以检查MySQL安装支持的存储引擎列表−
mysql> SHOW ENGINES\G
*************************** 1. row ***************************
Engine: FEDERATED
Support: NO
Comment: Federated MySQL storage engine
Transactions: NULL
XA: NULL
Savepoints: NULL
*************************** 2. row ***************************
Engine: MRG_MYISAM
Support: YES
Comment: Collection of identical MyISAM tables
Transactions: NO
XA: NO
Savepoints: NO
*************************** 3. row ***************************
Engine: MyISAM
Support: YES
Comment: MyISAM storage engine
Transactions: NO
XA: NO
Savepoints: NO
*************************** 4. row ***************************
Engine: BLACKHOLE
Support: YES
Comment: /dev/null storage engine (anything you write to it disappear
Transactions: NO
XA: NO
Savepoints: NO
*************************** 5. row ***************************
Engine: CSV
Support: YES
Comment: CSV storage engine
Transactions: NO
XA: NO
Savepoints: NO
*************************** 6. row ***************************
Engine: MEMORY
Support: YES
Comment: Hash based, stored in memory, useful for temporary tables
Transactions: NO
XA: NO
Savepoints: NO
*************************** 7. row ***************************
Engine: ARCHIVE
Support: YES
Comment: Archive storage engine
Transactions: NO
XA: NO
Savepoints: NO
*************************** 8. row ***************************
Engine: InnoDB
Support: DEFAULT
Comment: Supports transactions, row-level locking, and foreign keys
Transactions: YES
XA: YES
Savepoints: YES
*************************** 9. row ***************************
Engine: PERFORMANCE_SCHEMA
Support: YES
Comment: Performance Schema
Transactions: NO
XA: NO
Savepoints: NO
9 rows in set (0.00 sec) 
