The MySQL server encounters a memory shortage when it doesn't have enough buffer and cache memory to perform SQL queries or hold the result sets returned by the SQL queries, resulting in an "out of memory" error. To resolve this issue, database administrators should ensure that the allocated memory areas don't exceed the available system memory. Configuring the maximum MySQL server memory usage is crucial, with recommended values being up to 75% of the system memory for the InnoDB buffer pool. Increasing the innodb_buffer_pool_size and setting it to a multiple of innodb_buffer_pool_chunk_size * innodb_buffer_pool_instances can help prevent this error. Additionally, allocating fixed memory for third-party applications, optimizing database tables and queries, setting user account limits, and expanding available memory (RAM) can also help resolve this issue. In some cases, upgrading the server's RAM may be necessary to handle increased traffic or system consumption. SingleStoreDB is a real-time, distributed SQL database that offers improved performance and scalability compared to MySQL.