If you’re looking to up your game with MariaDB data storage, then you’ve come to the right place. This guide will show you how to safely keep your MariaDB data on an external drive while using Ubuntu. Buckle up as we step up your MariaDB knowledge in a big way!
MariaDB, as most of you might already know, is one of the most popular database servers in the world. It’s a powerful, robust and free open-source relational database management system developed by the original developers of MySQL.
This guide assumes you already have MariaDB installed on your Ubuntu system. If not, you can install it by following the official guide here.
Getting Started
Step 1: Backup Your MariaDB Database
Before moving any data, it’s crucial to back up your current database. This is an important safety measure to prevent any data loss. You can use the mysqldump command like so:
mysqldump -u root -p --all-databases > alldb.sql
Step 2: Stop MariaDB Service
Before moving your database files to the external drive, make sure the MariaDB service is stopped.
sudo systemctl stop mariadb
Step 3: Copy MariaDB Data Directory to External Drive
Now, copy the entire MariaDB data directory to your external drive. The default directory is usually /var/lib/mysql. Replace ‘/path/to/external/drive’ with the actual path where you want the data to be stored.
sudo cp -R /var/lib/mysql /path/to/external/drive
Step 4: Rename or Remove the Old MariaDB Directory
We want to ensure MariaDB uses the new directory. To prevent it from using the old one, rename or remove it.
sudo mv /var/lib/mysql /var/lib/mysql-old
Step 5: Link the New Directory to the Old Directory Path
MariaDB will still look for the data in the old path, so we’ll create a symbolic link to the new directory.
sudo ln -s /path/to/external/drive/mysql /var/lib/mysql
Step 6: Set the Correct Permissions
We need to ensure MariaDB has the right permissions to read and write data to the new directory. To set these permissions, use the chown command:
sudo chown -R mysql:mysql /path/to/external/drive/mysql
Step 7: Start MariaDB Service
Now you can start the MariaDB service again:
sudo systemctl start mariadb
Step 8: Test Your New Setup
Test your new setup to confirm everything is working as expected:
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"
You should see a list of your databases, which confirms that MariaDB is now reading data from the new location on the external drive.
Conclusion on Using MariaDB from an External Drive
And there you have it! You’ve successfully moved your MariaDB data to an external drive on Ubuntu. Now you have a much more flexible and scalable database setup that can accommodate larger data sets and grow as your needs do.
Remember to backup your database regularly and ensure the external drive is always connected when MariaDB service is running.
If you have any questions or run into any issues, don’t hesitate to check out the MariaDB’s official documentation or Ubuntu’s community help pages.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s critical to backup your data before moving it.
- You have to stop the MariaDB service before moving the data.
- Linking the new data directory to the old path is crucial.
- Don’t forget to set the correct permissions for the new directory.
- Make sure to test your new setup to ensure it works as expected.
Happy data managing, folks!
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