Movable Type Knowledge Base: Backup MySQL Database

Question

How can I back up all of the data in my MySQL database?

Answer

When using MySQL for your database, you can export the entries, comments, templates, and all settings into a single file.

Using phpMyAdmin

If your host has phpMyAdmin available on your server, you can use this tool to export your database.

After selecting your database, click the Export link. This should bring up a new screen that says View dump (schema) of database (or something similar).
In the Export area, click the Select All link to choose all of the tables in your database.
In the SQL options area, make sure both the Structure and Data options are selected.
Check Save as File and then click the Go button. A dialog box should appear prompting you to save the file locally.

From the Command Line

You can also create a backup with command line access:

mysqldump -h server -u username -ppassword database > filename

using the appropriate values:

server - your MySQL server name
username - your database username
password - your database password (note there is no space between -p and the password)
database - your database name
filename - the name you want for the dump file

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