The MySQL Utilities that come with Workbench can make short work of some important tasks. Back before MySQL 4, I used to have to regualrly create a copy of a production database by using a script that used mysqldump to save the database, create the new database, and feed in the data from the dump. It was not pretty but it worked reasonable well. But I longed for a more universal, one step process to do this work. And now we have mysqldbcopy.


$mysqldbcopy \
--source=root:xxxx@localhost:3306:/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock \ 
--destination=root:xxxx@localhost:3306:/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock \
world:world_copy
# Source on localhost: ... connected.
# Destination on localhost: ... connected.
# Copying database world renamed as world_copy
# Copying TABLE world.City
# Copying TABLE world.Country
# Copying TABLE world.CountryLanguage
# Copying …

Today’s Dilbert asks how long to train a technical writer to become a Database Analyst. The answer? 45 minutes!

Right now there is a big shortage of MySQL DBAs. Recently at OSCON, I asked a group how do we best develop new DBAs. The consensus was to train Linux administrators. For the past year I have been working on The Proper Care and Feeding of a MySQL Database for Linux Administrators and will work to expand it in hopes it will become a good starting place for those wanting to add MySQL DBAs skills to their professional arsenal. Please let me know what you have found that works in this area for your situation so we can get more MySQL DBAs.

And there will be a Dallas MySQL Users Group Meeting (or the Dallas Oracle Users Group MySQL Special Interest Group) On Tuesday Septermber 4th …

Today on MySql Forums, there was a question in the newbie section about two users — I have a doubt on db host and db user relationship . What does this mean ?

New DBAs are often confused by the quirky methods of authentication that MySQL uses. Heck, extremely experienced MySQL DBAs can get confused.

From the manual, 6.2.4. Access Control, Stage 1: Connection Verification

When you attempt to connect to a MySQL server, the server accepts or rejects …

MySQL Stickers

How to measure a Storm’s Fury One Breakfast at a Time is a non MySQL-Centric story I need to share with my fellow DBAs. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has a metric to judge the severity of a storm. They monitor the status of Waffle House Restaurants. Waffle House goes to extreme measures to open up storm damaged or impacted restaurants that need to be studied by anyone who had any disaster recovery duties. Their measures are so extensive that FEMA now tracks which Waffle Houses are open, closed or operating in a diminished capacity after a storm. After Katrina, seven restaurants were destroyed and one hundred more shut down. But they were quickly …

“I needed a password eight characters long so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarfes.” — Nick Helm1

MySQL Account Management is often nebulous mess to new DBAs. Frank2 is a new MySQL with many years of Linux administration duties in his background and now he has been taking on more duties after his companies previous DBA departed. One of his co-workers was in the middle of a name change and could no longer access the need instance. Frank had run

mysql -u root mysql
mysql>UPDATE user SET Name='jjones' where Name='jsmith';

But Mrs. Jones was not able to access the database. Frank tried for a while to find the answer. To greatly simplify the MySQL authorization process, the sever checks the Host of a new connection, then the User and Password. Frank had checked all three. The name of the host Mrs. Jones used had not changed. Neither …

Yes. Any customer that is comfortable with the Community Edition of the server but
desiring Oracle Support can get it. This gives you 7/24 support for Oracle for the world’s most popular open source database.

For details, see page ten of http://www.oracle.com/us/support/library/057419.pdf

…

It is hard to keep track of what is evolving in the MySQL environment. But there are three quick things you can do to help keep yourself up to speed.

1. Podcasts

Sheeri K. Cabral and Sarah Novotny put together a weekly podcast that you need to be hearing. The February 11th edition was an in depth look at using logical volume snapshots with my colleague Lenz Gimmer. If you use LVM or are looking for a way to snapshot your instance, this is a master class on the subject.

2. Webinars

Upcoming free seminars on MySQL Administration Tools, the new Enterprise backup product, and the latest on cluster are going to be presented in the next few weeks.

3. …

Many novice MySQL DBAs peek at their option files with some trepidation. Many experienced members of their brethren view the files as incantations from some Harry Potter-ish dark art. These files are fairly simple to read and are there to help DBAs. The option or configuration files exist to keep you from having to type all your variations on the command line each time you restart your server.

At the bottom of this entry is the complete my.ini file from the MySQL instance on my laptop. It is nothing special, MySQL 5.5 on a Windows XP Oracle-standard Dell desktop, and I asked the Windows Installation Wizard that I wanted tables to support transactions.

This results in an option file that has fewer than two dozen lines to run the server. There are a good deal of comment lines that make the file larger. But the options set are relatively few. Such a small file is a good place to start learning how to configure a server …

This is a continuation of the previous blog entry but now I am going to assume that you have your MySQL 5.5.8 software installed but not started – yet.

Why option files?

The MySQL server can be run with options provided on the command line and any DBA who has been around the job for a while will know –skip-grant-tables. Most instances run with too many options to input the desired options by hand over and over again. So most people use a option file to keep the configuration information.

What is the option file named?

Windows instances will have a my.ini file.

*NIX instances will have a my.cnf,

But that configuration file name can be changed on the command line.

Where are these files found?

Windows folks will should start to look in c:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5. And *NIX folks should …

The new calendar year is a good time to review what coaches call fundamentals or basics and martial arts senseis call ki-hon.

What version of MySQL should I be using?

Hopefully you are using MySQL 5.5.8 as it is the latest generally available release. If you are running the version 5.1 or older, you need to start reading the release notes and upgrade procedures. 5.5.8 has better performance and has many new features.

What platforms are supported by MySQL 5.5.8 ?

• Windows 32-bit and 64-bit in either MSI Installer format or as a Zip archive.
• SuSE SLES Version 11 in 32-bit and 64-bit RPMs for x86 SLES Version 10 in 32-bit and 64-bit RPMs for x86 or IA-64 RPMs.
• Red Hat & Oracle Enterprise Linux 5 in 32-bit or 64-bit RPMs and IA-64 RPMs. Red Hat & Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 in 32-bit or 64-bit RPMs and IA-64 RPMs
• Linux Generic 2.6 in RPMs …