To restore a MySQL database to a specific point in time, first ensure you have a full backup and binary logs enabled. 1) Enable binary logging by configuring log_bin and server_id in my.cnf/my.ini and optionally set expire_logs_days. 2) Restore the latest full backup using mysql -u root -p
Restoring a MySQL database to a specific point in time can save you from data loss due to accidental deletions, failed updates, or other issues. The key is using binary logs and a recent backup.

What You Need for Point-in-Time Recovery
Before jumping into the process, make sure you have these components ready:

- A full backup (like a mysqldump or filesystem snapshot)
- Binary logs enabled on your MySQL server
- The exact time or position of the event you want to recover up to—or just before something went wrong
Without binary logs, this won’t work. Also, those logs must cover the time period between your last backup and the recovery point.
Enable Binary Logging
If it’s not already set up, turn on binary logging in your MySQL configuration file (my.cnf
or my.ini
):

[mysqld] log_bin = /var/log/mysql/bin.log server_id = 1
Restart MySQL after making changes. Once active, MySQL will record every change made to the database—this is what lets you replay events up to a certain moment.
Also, don’t forget to rotate or manage log retention if disk space matters. Use expire_logs_days
to automatically clean old logs:
SET GLOBAL expire_logs_days = 7;
keeps logs for a week
Restore From Backup First
Start by restoring your latest full backup. For example, if you used mysqldump
, run:
mysql -u root -p < backup.sql
This gets your database back to the state it was in when the backup was taken. Now you're halfway there—next step is applying changes from the binary logs.
You might want to restore to a temporary instance first, especially if you’re unsure which logs contain the right data. It avoids messing with your live environment.
Apply Binary Logs to Reach the Desired Time
Once the base backup is restored, replay the binary logs up to a specific point.
Use mysqlbinlog
to convert binary logs into SQL statements. If you know the time you want to stop at, do something like:
mysqlbinlog --stop-datetime="2024-04-05 10:30:00" /var/log/mysql/bin.000001 | mysql -u root -p
Or, if you have a specific position:
mysqlbinlog --stop-position=123456 /var/log/mysql/bin.000001 | mysql -u root -p
To find the right time or position:
- Look through the logs using
mysqlbinlog
- Watch for suspicious queries like
DROP TABLE
or badUPDATE
statements
It's common to apply logs in chunks, especially when dealing with multiple files or long timeframes.
Here are a few tips:
- Use
--start-datetime
and--stop-datetime
together for a window - Pipe output directly into mysql to avoid saving intermediate files
- Be careful with timezone settings—logs use server time unless configured otherwise
Wrap-Up
That’s the core of point-in-time recovery for MySQL. It’s not overly complex, but it does require planning and some attention to detail. Make sure binary logs are enabled early and backed up regularly. And test the process once in a while—you’ll be glad you did when something goes wrong.
The above is the detailed content of Implementing point-in-time recovery for MySQL databases. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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