Hi I am reposting this just in case someone who would be able to assist me did not see it first time around. Thanks Deon. I am currently putting together a backup system for our MySQL server. The way I want to do this is to make use of mysqldump to perform the backup and have the binary log (on a different disk to my databases) turned on so as to be able to recover up until just before the point of failure. My question in essence is this: How do I control what is recovered from the binary after performing a restore? I am thinking as an example of the scenario where just before a table is backed up, data is modified in that table - thus adding the entry to the binary log - with the result that the modification is already in my backup, as well as in the log. I then, after a failure, restore my backup, replay my log and the modification is duplicated. A second question which may answer my first is, the "--lock-tables" option in mysqldump, does that lock all tables in the database which is currently being backup up, or just the table which is currently being backed up? With regards to my question above, the first option would be advantageous, but obviously it would not be helpful to have a database which takes an hour to backup locked for that entire time??? Any thoughts will be appreaciated. Thanks Deon. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Before posting, please check: http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) To request this thread, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Trouble unsubscribing? Try: http://lists.mysql.com/php/unsubscribe.php --------------------------------------------------------------------- Before posting, please check: http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) To request this thread, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Trouble unsubscribing? Try: http://lists.mysql.com/php/unsubscribe.php