Database Dump

What Does Database Dump Mean?

A database dump is a major output of data that can help users to either back up or duplicate a database. This can be considered part of a the more general term data dump, which involves revealing a set of stored data from a given technology.

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Techopedia Explains Database Dump

Professionals often point out that a database dump typically uses Structured Query Language (SQL) and may be formatted as a collection of SQL statements. The database dump usually reveals a detailed record of tables in the database.

Users can take advantage of provided utilities to perform a database dump. For example, in MySQL, the mySQLdump utility will produce this result and can send the data to a remote server if necessary. The use of this utility promotes the database manager’s ability to back up and restore a database very efficiently with a few simple commands. Users can also back up multiple databases.

In doing any sort of database dump, however, users will have to think about compatible data formats, because an inconsistent data type can lead to different kinds of problems with transplanting the contents of a dump.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…