Last updated 16th September 2020
Objective
Following an error on your database, you must be able to restore a backup or import a local database.
This guide explains how to restore and import your database onto your database server.
Requirements
- a Private SQL Web Hosting plan
- access to the OVHcloud Control Panel
Instructions
Please note that there is no root access.
Generic SQL commands work normally, and software such as HeidiSQL, SQuirreL or Adminer is fully compatible.
Restoring and importing a database from the Control Panel
Log in to your OVHcloud Control Panel and select Web Cloud in the top navigation bar. Click Databases in the services bar on the left-hand side, then choose the database name concerned. Next, switch to the Databases tab.
In the Backups column, the number corresponds to the available backups for your database.
Restoring a specific backup
Click the ... button to the right of the database, then click Show backups.
The list of available backups will appear. Click on the ... button to the right of the backup you want to restore, then Restore the backup.
A restoration involves replacing the contents of the database. If you are not sure about the procedure, please create a backup first.
Importing a local backup
Click on the ... button to the right of the database, then click Import file.
There are two ways of doing this:
1. Importing a new file
Click on Import a new file, then Next.
Specify a name for your imported file, click Browse to select it, confirm with Submit, and then click Next.
The file must be in the .gz format.
If you wish, tick Empty the current database before importing, and Send an email when importing is complete to be informed of the completion of the operation using the primary email address of your OVHcloud account. Then click Confirm.
2. Using an existing file
If you had already imported a file before, you can choose the Use an existing file option.
Then choose the file from the dropdown menu and click Next.
If you wish, tick Empty the current database before importing, and Send an email when importing is complete to be informed of the completion of the operation using the primary email address of your OVHcloud account. Then click Confirm.
Importing MySQL or MariaDB databases outside the OVHcloud Control Panel
In some cases, the RAM available in your database server may not be sufficient to perform the desired import. If this is the case, we recommend using the tool available in the OVHcloud Control Panel.
Importing MySQL or MariaDB databases with phpMyAdmin
To import your database directly from phpMyAdmin, you will need to log in to the interface first. To do this, you can refer to the section in this guide.
Once you have logged in to phpMyAdmin, select your database by clicking on its name.
Then click on the Import tab.
Select your backup file by clicking Browse. (Please note that the file cannot exceed 100 MB).
We recommend splitting your database into several files if it exceeds 100 MB and importing these files from phpMyAdmin.
You can import files larger than 100 MB in the OVHcloud Control Panel by following the step Restoring and importing a database from the Control Panel.
Keep the default options and click Run to start the import.
Exporting a MySQL or MariaDB database from the command line
This action is only possible via SSH from an OVHcloud Web Hosting plan.
cat database_name.sql | mysql --host=server --user=username --port=port --password=password database_name
Importing a MySQL or MariaDB database from a PHP file
1. <?php
2. echo "Your database is being restored.......";
3. system("cat database_name.sql | mysql --host=server --user=username --port=port --password=password database_name");
4. echo "Completed. Your database is in place on this Web Hosting plan.";
5. ?>
- To prevent someone from accessing this file containing sensitive data, you can secure access to it.
- This action is only possible on an OVHcloud Web Hosting plan.
Importing PostgreSQL databases from the OVHcloud Control Panel
In some cases, the RAM available in your database server may not be sufficient to perform the desired import. If this is the case, we recommend using the tool available in the OVHcloud Control Panel.
Importing a PostgreSQL database from the command line
This action is only possible via SSH from an OVHcloud Web Hosting plan, in stable or higher versions.
psql --host=server --port=port --user=username --password=password database_name < database_name.sql
Importing a PostgreSQL database from a PHP file
1. <?php
2. echo "Your database is being restored.......";
3. system("PGPASSWORD=password psql --host=server --port=port --user=username --password=password database_name < database_name.sql");
4. echo "Completed. Your database is in place on this Web Hosting plan.";
5. ?>
- To prevent someone from accessing this file containing sensitive data, you can secure access to it.
- This action is only possible on an OVHcloud Web Hosting plan.
Go further
Join our community of users on https://community.ovh.com.