Backing up MySQL to tape provides a reliable, offline solution for long-term data storage. It ensures data integrity, supports disaster recovery, and is ideal for archiving large, important datasets securely.
Updated by Dan Zeng on 2025/04/10
Backing up your MySQL database is essential to ensure data integrity and prevent data loss. While there are several modern backup solutions available, backing up data to tape remains a reliable and cost-effective method for long-term storage. Tape backups offer a durable, offline storage option that is particularly useful for archiving large datasets.
This guide will walk you through the steps required to back up your MySQL database to tape, including preparing your system, creating the backup, writing it to tape, and verifying the integrity of the backup. By the end of this guide, you'll be equipped with the knowledge to securely back up and restore your MySQL databases using tape storage.
1. You have a MySQL/MariaDB database that is installed and configured.
2. The server is connected to a tape device, typically located at /dev/st0 or a similar path.
3. You have root privileges or the necessary permissions to operate the tape device.
4. The system has the required tools installed, such as mt, tar, mysqldump, and others.
Use mysqldump to export the database to a .sql file:
mysqldump -u root -p your_database_name > /tmp/backup.sql
The system will prompt you to enter the password. Alternatively, you can use --password=yourpassword (not recommended due to security risks).
Confirm the tape device name (usually /dev/st0), and then execute the following commands:
sudo mt -f /dev/st0 rewind # Rewind the tape to the beginning sudo tar -cvf /dev/st0 /tmp/backup.sql
tar will write the backup.sql file to the tape. You can write multiple files or back up multiple databases by including them in the tar command.
List the contents on the tape:
sudo mt -f /dev/st0 rewind # Rewind the tape to the beginning sudo tar -tvf /dev/st0 # List the contents on the tape
If you need to restore data from the tape:
sudo mt -f /dev/st0 rewind sudo tar -xvf /dev/st0 -C /tmp/ mysql -u root -p your_database_name < /tmp/backup.sql
While manual backups using `mysqldump` and `tar` are straightforward and effective, modern backup solutions like Vinchin Backup & Recovery provide a more streamlined, secure, and automated way to back up MySQL databases—including support for tape storage.
Why use Vinchin?
✅ Agentless backup: Simplifies configuration and reduces system load
✅ Automated scheduling: Set it and forget it—no more manual intervention
✅ Database consistency: Ensures data integrity with consistent backup snapshots
✅ Support for tape devices: You can write backups to tape libraries for long-term storage
✅ Easy restore: Quickly restore full databases or individual tables when needed
Vinchin Backup & Recovery's operation is very simple, just a few simple steps. Below are the steps to back up to tape.
1.Just select VMs on the host
2.Then select backup destination(here you can choose tape as your destination)
3.Select strategies
4.Finally submit the job
Whether you're protecting critical MySQL databases or archiving long-term data, Vinchin simplifies the process with an intuitive interface and robust feature set. To help users fully explore its capabilities, Vinchin offers a free 60-day trial, allowing you to experience the full functionality in a real-world environment. For more details or assistance, please contact Vinchin directly.
Q: What are the considerations in the backup and recovery process?
A: Regular testing: Make sure you test your backup and recovery processes regularly in case something goes wrong when you really need it.
Security considerations: backup files may contain sensitive information, consider encrypting backup files.
Tape management: Be mindful of tape maintenance and replacement as they have a useful life and can fail over time.
Backing up MySQL to tape ensures data security, durability, and cost-effective long-term storage. Whether using manual methods or automated tools like Vinchin, having a solid backup strategy is essential for safeguarding critical database information against data loss or disasters.
Share on:
