Moving MySQL database

[Steve Bertrand]

> On Fri, Sep 03, 2004 at 09:42:36AM -0400, Bart Silverstrim wrote:
>> I have a server that is rapidly filling the var partition with a
>> MySQL
>> database.  I'd like to move it to a subdirectory somewhere under
>> /usr.
>>
>> Is there a document that would outline a "best practices" approach
>> to
>> doing this?  My first instinct was to stop the mysqld, do a mv on
>> /var/db to /var/db2 to rename it, copy the data to a /usr/local/db
>> folder and alter permissions on it to match /var/db, then make a
>> softlink between /usr/local/db and /var/db and restart mysqld so
>> mysqld
>> wouldn't need any reconfiguring and everything, I would *think*,
>> should
>> keep working...only now it will be working off a far more spacious
>> partition.
>
> I'd do it this way:
>
>     i) Stop mysql
>
>    ii) Remove (pkg_delete) the mysql-server package
>
>   iii) Move the database files to their new location, taking care to
>        preserve ownership, permissions, timestamps etc.
>
>    iv) Reinstall the mysql-server port setting a different DB_DIR on
>        the make command line:
>
>         # make DB_DIR=/usr/local/db install
>
>     v) Make sure that the home directory of the mysql user account is
>        the same as you set DB_DIR to.  The port should take care of
>        that, but it won't hurt to double check.
>
>         % grep mysql /etc/passwd
>         mysql:*:88:88:MySQL Daemon:/usr/local/db:/sbin/nologin
>
>    vi) Restart the mysql server.  Verify that your data survived the
>        move.
>
> And that's it: you're done.

Won't a simple symlink of /var/db/mysql to a new location (ie.
/usr/db/mysql) after the directory is moved perform the same task,
without the need to re-install?

I've never done this, but it may work, and save some troubles.

Steve


>
> 	Cheers,
>
> 	Matthew
>
> --
> Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                       26 The Paddocks
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