How to Migrating Data from MySQL to MariaDB?

Many times we developers and database administrators, want things like high performance, the ability to be open source, as well as additional features that MariaDB provides frequently move their data from MySQL to Maria DB.

So Migrating data from MySQL to MariaDB can be done through several steps that will allow your data and configurations to be properly migrated.

MySQL, an RDBMS system, is widely used for web applications and other forms of data storage. It was developed by MySQL AB, a Swedish company in the mid-90s and has since become one of the most widely used databases in the world. MySQL uses SQL in its database access and manipulation. In addition, reliability, performance, and user-friendliness are among the numerous things that make MySQL stand out from others. Consequently, its adaptability extends to supporting different types of OS ranging from Windows and Linux to macOS.

MariaDB is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS), which is a fork of MySQL. It was developed by the same team that created MySQL, under the leadership of Michael “Monty” Widenius, and in response to fears about Oracle Corporation’s purchase of MySQL. MariaDB hopes to be compatible with MySQL but has better performance, stability, and more features. In terms of migration, it simply means that MariaDB has similar SQL syntaxes, APIs, and tools to those used in MySQL databases.

For migration of MySQL data to MariaDB, the steps are defined below:

• Backup Your MySQL Database: Export your MySQL database to an SQL file.
• Install MariaDB: Download and install MariaDB on your Windows system.
• Import the MySQL Data into MariaDB: Use the SQL file to import data into MariaDB.
• Update Configurations(optional): Adjust any configuration files and settings to ensure MariaDB runs correctly.

Below is a Step-by-Step process by which we can migrate from MySQL to MariaDB.

Step 1: Backup Your MySQL Database

First, generate a backup sql file of the MySQL database using the mysqldump command:

So, Open the Command Prompt and execute:

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database_name] > [the_path]

• [username]: Your MySQL username.
• [database_name]: The name of the database you want to back up.
• [the_path]: The path where your backup file will be saved.

for example,

mysqldump -u root -p gfgdb > F:\backup.sql

Step 2: Install MariaDB

Install MariaDB on your server. The installation process will depend on your operating system.

how to install MariaDB?

also create a new database in maiadb server to import.

Step 3: Stop MySQL Service

net stop MySQL

How to Stop MySQL Server?

Step 4: Start MariaDB Service

net start MariaDB

How to start it?

Step 5: Import the MySQL Data into MariaDB

After installing MariaDB, open Command Prompt and start the MariaDB service, then import your data:

mysql -u [username] -p[password] [database_name] < [backup_path]

• [username]: Your MariaDB username.
• [database_name]: The name of the database you want to restore.
• [the_path]: The path where the backup file was saved.

example,

mysql -u root -p newgfgdb < F:\backup.sql

Step 6: Verify the Migration

To verify the migration, retrieve the tables and data from new database in mariadb.

SHOW DATABASES;
USE newgfgdb;
SHOW TABLES;
SELECT * FROM users;

To transfer data from MySQL to MariaDB, there is some steps need to be do: first you have to backup your existing MySQL database, then install MariaDB, after that stop the MySQL service, start the MariaDB service and finally restore the database dump and verify. Additionally, it is possible to optimize MariaDB’s performance by modifying configuration files. This sequence of steps will guarantee a hassle-free moving into MariaDB. Always ensure that you have backed up your data before beginning the migration so as not to run into any problems during the process.

Why should I switch from MySQL to MariaDB?

Switching from MySQL to MariaDB can provide multiple advantages like performance improvement, security enhancements and increased functionalities that are not in MySQL. Furthermore, MariaDB is committed to open-source values thus free and community-based.

Does MariaDB work smoothly with MySQL?

Yes, MariaDB is meant as a drop-in replacement for MySQL. It uses the same SQL syntax, APIs and tools as MySQL hence makes it easy for one to migrate. It is however good practice to always test the migrated applications for full compatibility.

What should I do before migrating from MySQL to MariaDB?

Make sure you have done a backup of your MySQL database using mysqldump, installed MariaDB on your system and stopped all running services or processes of MySQL.

How can I ensure that my data will not be lost during the migration?

To avoid loss of data, make it a habit of producing backup copies of your current MySQL databases using mysqldump. Run SQL queries on imported backup into MariaDB followed by checking database content so as to verify integrity and completeness of your data.

If the error “Unknown collation: ‘utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci’” happens, what should I do?

This error is caused by MariaDB not supporting the utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci collation that newer versions of MySQL have. To fix it, open your SQL dump file in a text editor and replace all instances of utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci with utf8mb4_general_ci before importing it to MariaDB.