Upgrading MySQL strategies

[Doug Poland]

David Fuchs said:
> Doug Poland wrote:
>> Does someone have a strategy for upgrading MySQL?
>  >
>> I've searched the archives and have turned up nothing useful.  One would
>> think this would be covered in MySQL's excellent on-line docs, but I
>> could find no mention of upgrading.
>>
>
> Hi Doug,
>
> As a rule, you shouldn't trust that your database will be compatible
> with any version of MySQL besides the one it currently runs under.
> Dumping the database and re-loading it is the best option.  Make sure to
> check the changelog for the new version beforehand, just in case there
> have been important changes (possible inclusion of new reserved words -
> things of that nature).  Sometimes there are specific processes you need
> to follow for upgrading certain versions of MySQL (i.e. you'll need to
> run a contributed script or something) - where applicable, these
> processes are well-documented.
>
> I think a good 'strategy' is the same one you would use for any kind of
> upgrade - one that allows you to test your changes safely and thoroughly
> before implementing them.  Always backup first, of course.  Run both the
> old and new versions of MySQL side-by-side with separate copies of the
> database (you'll need to modify your config appropriately to run two
> copies) and take your time with it to ensure things are running as expected.
>
> Section 2.5 of the MySQL documentation has a lot of good information for
> upgrading.  You can view the HTML copy (with user comments) here:
>
> http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/Upgrade.html
>
Thanks for the info.  Don't know how I could have missed that URL on MySQL's site.

-- 
Regards,
Doug