i have doubts about xtrabackup –apply-log.
is there any difference when use it? should it be done right after dump or before restore (even few months later)? seems stupid, but maybe i missing something.
documentation says this:
Prepare a backup in BACKUP-DIR by applying the transaction log file named xtrabackup_logfile located in the same directory. Also, create new transaction logs. The InnoDB configuration is read from the file backup-my.cnf created by innobackupex when the backup was made.
thanks for help 🙂
Best Answer
PURE OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT
You need to decide which protocol works best for you
PLAN A : AFTER DUMP
Run
--apply-log
immediately after backup, and you would have the most currently full backup. You would not have to spend your recovery time applying applying logs at the time of a restore (especially at an actual disaster recovery event). Thus, recovery would be only focus at such a dire time.PLAN B : BEFORE RESTORE
This might work to your advantage if and only if you do not need the transactions that were accumulated after the point-in-time start of the backup. Such a situation would hardly make sense in a write-heavy environment.
Perhaps under these circumstances it would be better
EPILOGUE
Whichever way one choose, make sure all the logs are good. If you apply the logs immediately, you'll know right then and there if the transaction logs are corrupt or not.
You also need to take into account how transaction-heavy the production system is. Why?
If the backup is recording incoming transactions as fast or faster than the backup process, then you have no choice but to go with PLAN B.