Backing up MySQL database

[rob.w]

I am new to MySQL. I have an application using MySQL running on Windows
Server 2000. If I were using Microsoft SQL Server 2000, I would need
special software to back up an open SQL Server database. Does this same
problem exist with My SQL?

In otherwords, could I take the native NTbackup.exe that comes with
Server 2000 and back up an open MySQL database without stopping the
engine first?

Thanks.

[Gordon Burditt]

>I am new to MySQL. I have an application using MySQL running on Windows

Server 2000. If I were using Microsoft SQL Server 2000, I would need
special software to back up an open SQL Server database. Does this same
problem exist with My SQL?
It's going to exist with just about any database. Use mysqldump.
The problem is that the server may modify the files *while* you are
backing them up and it may have cached data in memory that hasn't
been written to disk yet. This gives you inconsistent data in the
backed-up copy.

Another issue is that the file format may change between versions.
In otherwords, could I take the native NTbackup.exe that comes with
Server 2000 and back up an open MySQL database without stopping the
engine first?

Assuming that NTbackup.exe backs up a set of files, on an active
database that would not work reliably.

Gordon L. Burditt