Best way to back up mysql database

[Matthew Seaman]

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Sebastian Tymków wrote:
| Hello,
| 
| You can store whole db files too. It's faster to run database from scratch
| than use mysqldump and mysql "source".

Um... no. In general you cannot do this, and it is exceedingly irresponsible to
suggest such a thing.  The *only* way this would ever be workable is if you shut
down MySQL completely while your backup process was running. For anything other
than a pissant little hobbyist DB that does no real work, that idea is just going
to be a non-starter.

If MySQL is running, then there is no guarantee that the contents of any disk
file has been properly synched with the in-memory working copy of the data.
Basically what you'ld be copying off the disk drive will be full of
inconsistencies and hence useless as a backup.  This is why programs like
mysqldump(1) exist.

	Cheers,

	Matthew

- -- 
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                       Flat 3
~                                                      7 Priory Courtyard
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey         Ramsgate
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