Optimizing MySQL LOAD DATA INFILE Performance
When importing large amounts of data into MySQL tables using the LOAD DATA INFILE command, performance can be a significant concern. One challenge that arises is the tradeoff between importing without keys, which can result in faster data loading but slower key creation, and importing with keys, which slows down the import process. Here are some strategies to accelerate the import:
Order Data by Primary Key:
Before loading the data, sort your CSV file according to the primary key order of the target table. This is especially beneficial when using InnoDB, as it uses clustered primary keys, meaning data will be loaded faster when sorted.
Disable Constraints:
Temporarily disable unique and foreign key constraints (set unique_checks = 0; set foreign_key_checks = 0;) to improve import speed. Once the data is loaded, you can enable these constraints again (set unique_checks = 1; set foreign_key_checks = 1;).
Disable Binary Logging:
Disabling binary logging (set sql_log_bin=0;) can also boost import times. When enabled, MySQL logs all write queries to the binary log for replication purposes. Disabling it frees up resources that can be used for loading data.
Truncate Table:
Before loading data, truncate the target table to remove any existing rows (truncate