How to Migrate MySQL Database Between Two Servers?

There are many use cases when you must migrate MySQL database between two servers, like cloning a database for testing, a separate database for running reports, or completely migrating a database system to a new server. Migrating a MySQL database doesn’t have to be a headache! Be it scaling up your app or switching servers, a smooth and secure migration is the key to keeping your operations running like clockwork.

In this blog, discover the classic methods like mysqldump and game-changing no-code solutions like Hevo to make your migration process fast, efficient, and error-free. Let’s dive in!

What Is MySQL?

MySQL is a widely used open-source Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) developed by Oracle. It employs structured query language (SQL) and stores data in tables with defined rows and columns, making it a robust choice for applications requiring data integrity, consistency, and reliability. Read about database migration and strategy formulation to ensure a smooth transition in detail. Connect other databases such as MariaDB to MySQL and manage databases of websites and applications with high traffic. MySQL allows you to consolidate all your customer data in one place, making it available for overall analysis and reporting which is useful while connecting Salesforce to MySQL.

Benefits of Migrating a MySQL Database Between Two Servers

• Improved Performance: Distribute the database load across servers to enhance speed and efficiency.
• Better Reliability: Minimize downtime and reduce the risk of data loss with backups on another server.
• Scalability: Easily expand your database infrastructure as your business grows.
• Enhanced Security: Store data in a more secure environment or upgrade to a better-protected server.
• Disaster Recovery: Maintain a backup server to quickly restore data in case of failure.

How to Migrate MySQL Database Between Two Servers?

Let’s understand the steps to migrate the MySQL database between 2 servers. Understanding the process of transferring MySQL databases from one server to another is crucial for maintaining data integrity and continuity of services. To migrate the MySQL database seamlessly, ensure both source and target servers are compatible.

Method 1: Using Hevo’s No-Code Solution

Step 1: Configure MySQL As Source

Step 2: Configure MySQL As Destination

Now, your source is connected to the destination, and the pipeline will start ingesting the data. Hevo automatically maps schema, and you will receive alerts in case of any error.

Method 2: Using MySQL Dump

Below are the steps you can follow to understand how to migrate MySQL database between 2 servers:

Step 1: Backup the Data

• The first step to migrate MySQL database is to take a dump of the data that you want to transfer. This operation will help you move the MySQL database to another server.
• To do that, you will have to use mysqldump command. The basic syntax of the command is:

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] > dump.sql

• If the database is on a remote server, either log in to that system using ssh or use -h and -P options to provide host and port respectively.

mysqldump -P [port] -h [host] -u [username] -p [database] > dump.sql

There are various options available for this command, let’s go through the major ones as per the use case.

Use Case 1: Backing Up Specific Databases

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] > dump.sql

• This command dumps specified databases to the file.

Use Case 2:  Backing Up Specific Tables

• The above commands dump all the tables in the specified database, if you need to take backup of some specific tables, you can use the following command:

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] [table1] [table2] > dump.sql

Use Case 3: Custom Query

• If you want to backup data using some custom query, you will need to use the where option provided by mysqldump.

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] [table1] --where="WHERE CLAUSE" > dump.sql

Example: mysqldump -u root -p testdb table1 --where="mycolumn = myvalue" > dump.sql

Note:

• By default, mysqldump command includes DROP TABLE and CREATE TABLE statements in the created dump.

Other use cases 

Here’s a list of uses for the mysqldump command based on use cases:

• To backup a single database:

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] > dump.sql

• To backup multiple databases:

mysqldump -u [username] -p --databases [database1] [database2] > dump.sql

• To backup all databases on the instance:

mysqldump -u [username] -p --all-databases > dump.sql

• To backup specific tables:

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] [table1] [table2] > dump.sql

• To backup data using some custom query:

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] [table1] --where="WHERE CLAUSE" > dump.sql

Example: 

mysqldump -u root -p testdb table1 --where="mycolumn = myvalue" > dump.sql

• To copy only the schema but not the data:

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] --no-data > dump.sq

• To restore data without deleting previous data (incremental backups):

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database] --no-create-info > dump.sql

Step 2: Copy the Database Dump on the Destination Server

• Once you have created the dump as per your specification, the next step to migrate MySQL database is to use the data dump file to move the MySQL database to another server (destination).

Scp -P [port] [dump_file].sql [username]@[servername]:[path on destination]

• Examples:

scp dump.sql root@130.243.18.62:/var/data/mysql
scp -P 3306 dump.sql root@130.243.18.62:/var/data/mysql

• To copy to a single database, use this syntax: 

scp all_databases.sql user@example.com:~/

• For a single database:

scp database_name.sql user@example.com:~/

• Here’s an example:

scp dump.sql root@130.243.18.62:/var/data/mysql scp -P 3306 dump.sql root@130.243.18

Step 3: Restore the Dump

• The last step in MySQL migration is restoring the data on the destination server. 
• MySQL command directly provides a way to restore and dump data to MySQL.

mysql -u [username] -p [database] < [dump_file].sql

• Example:

mysql -u root -p testdb < dump.sql

• Note: Don’t specify the database in the above command if your dump includes multiple databases.

mysql -u root -p < dump.sql

• For all databases:

mysql -u [user] -p --all-databases < all_databases.sql

• For a single database:

mysql -u [user] -p newdatabase < database_name.sql

• For multiple databases:

mysql -u root -p < dump.sql

Limitations with Dumping and Importing MySQL Data

Dumping and importing MySQL data can present several challenges:

1. Time Consumption: The process can be time-consuming, particularly for large databases, due to creating, transferring, and importing dump files, which may slow down with network speed and database size.
2. Potential for Errors: Human error is a significant risk, including overlooking steps, misconfiguring settings, or using incorrect parameters with the mysqldump command.
3. Data Integrity Issues: Activities on the source database during the dump process can lead to data inconsistencies in the exported SQL dump. Measures like putting the database in read-only mode or locking tables can mitigate this but may impact application availability.
4. Memory Limitations: Importing massive SQL dump files may encounter memory constraints, necessitating adjustments to MySQL server configurations on the destination machine.

Conclusion

Following the above-mentioned steps, you can migrate MySQL database between two servers easily, but to migrate MySQL database to another server can be quite cumbersome activity especially if it’s repetitive. An all-in-one solution like Hevo takes care of this effortlessly and helps manage all your data pipelines in an elegant and fault-tolerant manner.

Read about connecting MongoDB to MySQL to store data in a structured manner when  dealing with large volumes of data.

Hevo will automatically catalog all your table schemas and do all the necessary transformations to copy MySQL database from one server to another. Sign up for a 14-day free trial and make your data transfer easy! Also, check out our unbeatable pricing for the best plan that fits your needs.

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