fastest way to duplicate production server?

[wendelmaques]

> - to copy over mysql data, you must do a " FLUSH TABLES WITH READ LOCK"
> then rsync the data directory over to the test server (/var/db/mysql is

If mysql version differ, you can use on the database host:

mysqldump -A --all --opt -Q -uroot -p | mysql -uroot -p 
-hdestination.host.net
# you database host            | you remote host
# you must type mysql password twice
# then use mysql_fix_privileges_table

We use it to dump databases from old mysql 3 to 4.

To dump or redump users files, you can use the fast perl rsync script: 
drsync

--
 wendelmaques
 http://www.dotpix.com.br/~wendel/