Backing up MySQL Database

How is it done:

mingle database is hosted on mySQL. To backup this database we use mysqldump utility which is invoked through a VB script. Earlier we were using "My SQL Administrator" utility, but it lacks some capabilities and due to which we saw that some of tables were missing in the backup. After testing we found that mysqldump is good for our purpose.

Here is how the VB script looks like

'Mingle_Bkp.vbs
on error resume next

Dim TodaysFileName, BatchFileTxt

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

TodaysFileName = DatePart("yyyy", Now) & Lpad(DatePart("m", Now), "0", 2) & Lpad(DatePart("d", Now), "0", 2) & _
     "_" & Lpad(DatePart("h", Now), "0", 2) & Lpad(DatePart("n", Now), "0", 2)  & _
     Lpad(DatePart("s", Now), "0", 2)

BatchFileTxt = "mysqldump -uroot -p" & CryptVBS("#^rT4", "mingle") & " mingle > ""E:\Backups\Mysql Daily\Mingle_"& _
     TodaysFileName &".sql"""


'*** Add delete old backup files using FORFILES cmd
BatchFileTxt = BatchFileTxt & vbcrlf & "forfiles /P ""E:\Backups\Mysql Daily"" /M *.SQL /D -3 /C ""CMD /c del @file"" "


'*** Add delete "myself" step to batch file
BatchFileTxt = BatchFileTxt & vbcrlf & "del backup.bat"


'*** create a batch file with all the step/commands
OpenTextFileForWrite BatchFileTxt, "backup.bat"


'*** invoke the batch file
WshShell.Run "backup.bat"



'*** Function to LEFT pad the number to create fixed length number string. ***
Function Lpad (MyValue, MyPadChar, MyPaddedLength)
 Lpad = string(MyPaddedLength - Len(MyValue),MyPadChar) & MyValue
End Function




'*** Procedure to DECRYPT the string ***
Function CryptVBS(Text, Key)
 KeyLen = Len(Key)
 For i = 1 To Len(Text)
  KeyPtr = (KeyPtr + 1) Mod KeyLen
  sTxtChr = Mid(Text, i, 1)
  wTxtChr = Asc(stxtchr)
  wKeyChr = Asc(Mid(Key, KeyPtr + 1, 1))
  CryptKey = Chr(wTxtChr Xor wKeyChr)
  hold = hold & CryptKey
 Next
 CryptVBS = hold
End Function



'*** Procedure to WRITE the output to a given file ***
Sub OpenTextFileForWrite (TxtToWrite, strFileName)

 Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 8
 Dim fso, f
 Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
 Set f = fso.OpenTextFile( strFileName, ForWriting, True)
 f.Write TxtToWrite & VBCRLF
 f.Close

End Sub

This is how the output batch file would look like..at the end it delets itself!

:backup.bat
mysqldump -uroot -p****** mingle > "E:\Backups\Mysql Daily\Mingle_20080508_111407.sql"
forfiles /P "E:\Backups\Mysql Daily" /M *.SQL /D -3 /C "CMD /c del @file"
del backup.bat

Currently VB script Mingle_Bkp.vbs is located in WINNT system folder on C:\ drive and that is where it creates the backup.bat and triggers it from.

The backup file retention period is set to 3 days, any files older than 3 days will get deleted. We are doing it using *FORFILES* utility. forfiles.exe is part of windows OS & is available on all windows systems(computers).

The script lines are not completely written by me I picked them up from different places and modified them to suite my requirements, but you are free to use it as you like.