Can I Recover a MySQL Database from Just .frm Files?

Recover a MySQL Database from .frm Files

MySQL dumps typically include both the table definition (.frm) files and the data files (.MYD or .MYI). However, in certain situations, only the .frm files are available as a backup. This raises the question: Can a database be restored from just the .frm files?

Restoring the Database

Yes, it is possible to restore a MySQL database with data solely from .frm files, provided that the database is InnoDB-based. To achieve this, the following steps are necessary:

1. Copy .frm Files: Transfer all the .frm files for the tables in the database to the appropriate MySQL data directory.
2. Copy Essential Files: In addition to the .frm files, copy both the ib_logfiles and ibdata files from the original database to the new location.

3. Change File Ownership: Grant ownership of the copied files and the data directory to the MySQL user by executing the command:

   sudo chown -R mysql:mysql /var/lib/mysql

By performing these steps, the missing data files are replaced, allowing MySQL to access and restore the database from the recovered .frm files.

Note: It's important to exercise caution when restoring from .frm files alone, as this approach may result in data loss if the original data files are not available.

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