MySQL - Installing InnoDB Plugin
Goto to the following folder

cd /usr/lib64/mysql/plugin
ls -l


If you see something like this 

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 11827298 Sep 13  2010 ha_innodb_plugin.a
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root      962 Sep 13  2010 ha_innodb_plugin.la
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root       25 Jun 23  2011 ha_innodb_plugin.so -&gt; ha_innodb_plugin.so.0.0.0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root       25 Jun 23  2011 ha_innodb_plugin.so.0 -&gt; ha_innodb_plugin.so.0.0.0
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root  1204496 Sep 13  2010 ha_innodb_plugin.so.0.0.0


You have located the InnoDB Plugin files

Getting back to your question :


  1.Is it possible to install the InnoDB plugin just on the master and not on the slave?


Yes


  2.Are there any other implications to installing the plugin?


Once the plugin is installed and you configure my.cnf for the Master, do not use the options for InnoDB Plugin on another server where the plugin was not installed.


  3.What parameters do I need to change in my.cnf to better utilize the plugin and the multi core options ?


Please see my past posts on this


Possible to make MySQL use more than one core?
Multi cores and MySQL Performance



  4.Any recommended tutorial for installing the plugin?


Please follow the instructions from the MySQL Documentation on InnoDB Plugin Installation