[Leaplist] database backup tips?

[Aaron Morrison]

On 30 Jan 2009, at 22:40, Jason Boxman wrote:

> On Friday 30 January 2009 21:51:13 Aaron Morrison wrote:
> <snip>
>> Also, MySQL has a very easy and surprisingly robust replication
>> mechanism as well.  See
>> http://www.howtoforge.com/mysql_database_replication for a HOWTO on  
>> setting
>> this up.
>
> If the data is critical, frequently changes, and/or you have a  
> backup system
> with a reliable Internet connection, I'd say go for it.  I don't have
> anything critical in a MySQL RDBMS, so I just do `mysqldump`.
>

Replication is not a replacement for backups, even though it is a  
backup of sorts (by definition,it's another copy somewhere else).   
Rather replication helps in two areas, load distribution and high  
availability.

true backups are snapshots in time, replication doesn't do that.   
Corrupt data gets replicated immediately (or very close to  
immediately) and will corrupt your backup.  Only backup snapshots can  
recover from that.

--am