Innodb Storage Engine

[Craig Ferry]

I am new to mysql and am a little unclear of the use/definition of storage engine. I understand that each table can have a different storage method (memory, innodb, etc). Having said that, does this mean that every database uses multiple storage engines, or that a database has a default storage engine but can have different ways of storing data?

If I have both memory and innodb tables, does a mysqldump of the database adequately provide a backup of the database?

If I am using innodb tables, do I need to specify the innodb parameters in my configuration file.

And finally, can anyone give a recommendation of some good books for tuning and dba maintenance for 5.0 mysql installations. I have been reading through the manual on this website, but would like some additional information.

I have a good background of dba skills already as I am a dba for informix, oracle and teradata. My company is starting to implement mysql and I want to ensure it is done correctly.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Craig