MySqlBackup.NET - MySQL Backup Solution for C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET

• Download MySqlBackup.NET_v2.3.5_.zip (Sep 22, 2021)

Available at:

• https://github.com/MySqlBackupNET/MySqlBackup.Net
• ASP.NET Online Demo: http://mysqlbackup.somee.com
• ohloh.net - https://www.ohloh.net/p/MySqlBackupNET
• Install via NuGet:

  PM> Install-Package MySqlBackup.NET
  https://www.nuget.org/packages/MySqlBackup.NET/

  PM> Install-Package MySqlBackup.Net.DevartExpress
  https://www.nuget.org/packages/MySqlBackup.Net.DevartExpress/

  PM> Install-Package MySqlBackup.NET.MySqlConnector
  https://www.nuget.org/packages/MySqlBackup.NET.MysqlConnector/

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Features & Dependencies
3. Background
4. Basic Usage
5. Example of Using in ASP.NET
6. More Guides And Examples
7. History

1. Introduction

This article introduces a tool (DLL) that can backup/restore MySQL database in C# or VB.NET and some sample codes on how to use it. It is an alternative to MySqlDump.

Another benefits of making this tool is, we don't have to rely on two small programs - MySqlDump.exe and MySql.exe to perform the backup and restore task. We will have better control on the output result.

The most common way to backup a MySQL Database is by using MySqlDump.exe and MySQL Workbench.

MySQL Workbench is good for developers, but, when it comes to client or end-user, the recommended way is to get every parameter preset and all they need to know is press the big button "Backup" and everything is done. Using MySQL Workbench as a backup tool is not a suitable solution for client or end-user.

On the other hand, MySqlDump.exe cannot be used for Web applications. As most web hosting providers forbid that, MySqlBackup.NET will be helpful in building a web-based (ASP.NET/Web-Services) backup tool.

2. Features & Dependencies

Features

• Backup and Restore of MySQL Database
• Can be used in any .NET Language
• Export/Import to/from MemoryStream
• Conditional Rows Export (Filter Tables or Rows)
• Progress Report is Available for Both Export and Import Task
• Able to export rows into different modes (Insert, Insert Ignore, Replace, On Duplicate Key Update, Update)
• Can be used directly in ASP.NET or web services

Prerequisite / Dependencies

MySqlBackup.NET relies on the following component to work.

Option 1: MySql.Data (Connector/NET)

• MySQL dot net Connector/Net (MySql.Data.DLL)
• A reference of this DLL must be added into your project in order for to compile or work with MySqlBackup.NET.
• MySql.Data.DLL is developed by Oracle Corporation, licensed under GPL License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html).
• MySql.Data.DLL

Option 2: Devart Express (dotConnect)

• Devart dotConnect for MySQL Express
• A reference of this DLL must be added into your project in order for to compile or work with MySqlBackup.NET.
• For license agreement, please read: https://www.devart.com/dotconnect/mysql/licensing-faq.html
• Devart.Data.DLL
• Devart.Data.MySql.DLL

Option 3: MySqlConnector (MIT)

• MySqlConnector: High Performance MySQL Library for .NET
• A reference of this DLL must be added into your project in order for to compile or work with MySqlBackup.NET.
• Project URL: https://github.com/mysql-net/MySqlConnector
• Licensed under MIT
• MySqlConnector.DLL

3. Background

This article assumes that you are already familiar with MySQL dot net connector (MySql.Data.dll) with minimum knowledge that you are able to perform the four basic operations, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE. In case you are not, you can read the walk-through and explanation on Connecting C# to MySQL at: [http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/43438/Connect-C-to-MySQL].

4. Basic Usage

Add this using statement before coding with MySqlBackup.NET:

using MySql.Data.MySqlClient; 

Simple Export Example

string constring = "server=localhost;user=root;pwd=qwerty;database=test;";
string file = "C:\\backup.sql";
using (MySqlConnection conn = new MySqlConnection(constring))
{
    using (MySqlCommand cmd = new MySqlCommand())
    {
        using (MySqlBackup mb = new MySqlBackup(cmd))
        {
            cmd.Connection = conn;
            conn.Open();
            mb.ExportToFile(file);
            conn.Close();
        }
    }
}

Simple Import Example

string constring = "server=localhost;user=root;pwd=qwerty;database=test;";
string file = "C:\\backup.sql";
using (MySqlConnection conn = new MySqlConnection(constring))
{
    using (MySqlCommand cmd = new MySqlCommand())
    {
        using (MySqlBackup mb = new MySqlBackup(cmd))
        {
            cmd.Connection = conn;
            conn.Open();
            mb.ImportFromFile(file);
            conn.Close();
        }
    }
}

The above examples will export and import a MySQL database with default options. There are some options that can modify the export and import behavior. These options are defined in:

• MySqlBackup.ExportInfo
• MySqlBackup.ImportInfo

Example of customize export behavior:

• Create new database
• Only export table's structures
• Don't export rows of data

Sample Codes:

string constring = "server=localhost;user=root;pwd=1234;database=test1;";
string file = "Y:\\backup.sql";
using (MySqlConnection conn = new MySqlConnection(constring))
{
    using (MySqlCommand cmd = new MySqlCommand())
    {
        using (MySqlBackup mb = new MySqlBackup(cmd))
        {
            cmd.Connection = conn;
            conn.Open();
            mb.ExportInfo.AddCreateDatabase = true;
            mb.ExportInfo.ExportTableStructure = true;
            mb.ExportInfo.ExportRows = false;
            mb.ExportToFile(file);
        }
    }
}

Full List of ExportInfo Options

ExportInfo.GetDocumentHeaders(cmd)

• return: List<string>
• default value: Demonstrated in test app
• Gets the list of document headers

ExportInfo.SetDocumentHeaders(List<string>)

• Sets the document headers

ExportInfo.GetDocumentFooters()

• return: List<string>
• default value: demonstrated in test app
• Gets the document footers

ExportInfo.SetDocumentFooters(List<string>)

• Sets the document headers

ExportInfo.ExcludeTables - List<string>

• default value: empty list
• Gets or Sets the tables (black list) that will be excluded for export. The rows of these tables will not be exported too.

ExportInfo.TablesToBeExportedList - List<string>

• default value: empty list
• Gets or Sets the list of tables that will be exported. If none, all tables will be exported.

ExportInfo.TablesToBeExportedDic - Dictionary<string, string>

• default value: empty dictionary
• Gets or Sets the tables that will be exported with custom SELECT defined
• If none or empty, all tables and rows will be exported
• Key = Table's Name. Value = Custom SELECT Statement
• Example 1: SELECT * FROM product WHERE category = 1;
• Example 2: SELECT name,description FROM product;

ExportInfo.RecordDumpTime - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the Dump Time should be recorded in dump file

ExportInfo.AddCreateDatabase - bool

• default value: false
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the SQL statement of "CREATE DATABASE" should be added into dump file.

ExportInfo.AddDropDatabase - bool

• default value: false
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the SQL statement of "DROP DATABASE" should be added into dump file

ExportInfo.ExportTableStructure - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the Table Structure (CREATE TABLE) should be exported.

ExportInfo.AddDropTable - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the SQL statement of "DROP TABLE" should be added into the dump file

ExportInfo.ResetAutoIncrement - bool

• default value: false
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the value of auto-increment of each table should be reset to 1

ExportInfo.ExportRows - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the Rows should be exported.

ExportInfo.MaxSqlLength - int

• default value: 5 * 1024 * 1024 (5mb)
• Gets or Sets the maximum length for combining multiple INSERTs into single SQL
• Default value is 5MB.
• Only applies if RowsExportMode = "INSERT" or "INSERTIGNORE" or "REPLACE"
• This value will be ignored if RowsExportMode = ONDUPLICATEKEYUPDATE or UPDATE

ExportInfo.ExportProcedures - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the Stored Procedures should be exported

ExportInfo.ExportFunctions - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the Stored Functions should be exported

ExportInfo.ExportTriggers - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the Stored Triggers should be exported

ExportInfo.ExportViews - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the Stored Views should be exported

ExportInfo.ExportEvents - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the Stored Events should be exported

ExportInfo.IntervalForProgressReport - int

• default value: 100
• Gets or Sets a value indicates the interval of time (in miliseconds) to raise the event of ExportProgressChanged

ExportInfo.ScriptsDelimiter - string

• default value: |
• Gets or Sets the delimiter used for exporting Procedures, Functions, Events and Triggers

ExportInfo.ExportRoutinesWithoutDefiner - bool

• default value: true
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the exported Scripts (Procedure, Functions, Events, Triggers, Events) should exclude DEFINER

ExportInfo.RowsExportMode - enum RowsDataExportMode

• default value: Insert
• Gets or Sets an enum value indicates how the rows of each table should be exported
• INSERT = The default option. Recommended if exporting to a new database. If the primary key existed, the process will halt.
• INSERT IGNORE = If the primary key existed, skip it
• REPLACE = If the primary key existed, delete the row and insert new data
• OnDuplicateKeyUpdate = If the primary key existed, update the row. If all fields are primary keys, it will change to INSERT IGNORE.
• UPDATE = If the primary key does not exist, skip it and if all the fields are primary key, no rows will be exported.

ExportInfo.WrapWithinTransaction - bool

• default value: false
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the rows dump should be wrapped with transaction.
• Recommended to set this value to FALSE if using RowsExportMode = "INSERT" or "INSERTIGNORE" or "REPLACE", else TRUE.

ExportInfo.TextEncoding - System.Text.Encoding

• default value: UTF8Encoding(false)
• Gets or Sets a value indicates the encoding to be used for exporting the dump. 

ExportInfo.BlobExportMode - enum BlobDataExportMode

• default value: BlobDataExportMode.HexString
• Gets or Sets an enum value indicates how the BLOB should be exported.
• BinaryChar = char format
• Note: Export BLOB into Binary Char is not intended for real deploy usage at the moment. Exporting into BinaryChar will raise an exception which attempts to alarm the developers that this function is meant for development and debugging purposes. Read more: https://github.com/MySqlBackupNET/MySqlBackup.Net/issues/47

ExportInfo.BlobExportModeForBinaryStringAllow - bool

• default value: false
• If you wish to help to debug, fix or develop the function of exporting BLOB into binary char format (BlobExportMode=BinaryChar), set this value to true

ExportInfo.GetTotalRowsMode - enum GetTotalRowsMethod

• default value: InformationSchema
• Gets or Sets a value indicates the method of how the total rows value is being obtained
• This function is useful if you are developing a progress bar
• InformationSchema = Fast, but approximate value
• SelectCount = Slow but accurate
• Skip = Skip obtaining total rows. Use this option if you are not doing any progress report.

ExportInfo.EnableComment - Boolean

• default value: True
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether the comments should be included in the dump content.

Full List of ImportInfo Options

ImportInfo.IntervalForProgressReport - int

• default value: 100
• Gets or Sets a value indicates the interval of time (in milliseconds) to raise the event of ExportProgressChanged

ImportInfo.IgnoreSqlError - bool

• default value: false
• Gets or Sets a value indicates whether SQL errors occurs in import process should be ignored

ImportInfo.ErrorLogFile - string

• default value: string.empty
• Gets or Sets the file path used to log error messages

5. Example of Using in ASP.NET

Sample code for Export. The below codes will export the content into MemoryStream, then transmit it directly for download.

using System.IO;

string connstr = "server=localhost;user=root;pwd=1234;database=test;";
MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream();
using (MySqlConnection conn = new MySqlConnection(connstr))
{
    MySqlCommand cmd = new MySqlCommand();
    MySqlBackup mb = new MySqlBackup(cmd);
    cmd.Connection = conn;
    conn.Open();
    mb.ExportToMemoryStream(ms);
}
Response.ContentType = "text/plain";
Response.AppendHeader("Content-Disposition", "attachment; filename=backup.sql");
Response.BinaryWrite(ms.ToArray());
Response.End();

Sample code for Upload and Import:

string connstr = "server=localhost;user=root;pwd=1234;database=test;";
byte[] ba = FileUpload1.FileBytes;
MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream(ba);
using (MySqlConnection conn = new MySqlConnection(connstr))
{
    MySqlCommand cmd = new MySqlCommand();
    MySqlBackup mb = new MySqlBackup(cmd);
    cmd.Connection = conn;
    conn.Open();
    mb.ExportToMemoryStream(ms);
}
Header.Controls.Add(new LiteralControl
     ("<script type=\"text/javascript\">alert('ok');</script>"));

6. More Guides And Examples

More guides and examples are available at the project site's documentation:
https://github.com/MySqlBackupNET/MySqlBackup.Net

Below are some of the guides.

• Example of Using in MemoryStream, Zip and ASP.NET
• Using Progress Report With Export/Backup
• Using Progress Report With Import/Restore
• Conditional Rows Export for Each Table
• FAQ - Commonly Seen Errors

7. History

• Sep 22, 2021, Release of v2.3.5
• View full change log