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MySQL 9.4 Reference Manual  / ...  / Optimization  / Optimizing the MySQL Server  / Using Symbolic Links  /  Using Symbolic Links for Databases on Unix

10.12.2.1 Using Symbolic Links for Databases on Unix

On Unix, symlink a database using this procedure:

  1. Create the database usingCREATE DATABASE:

    mysql> CREATE DATABASE mydb1;

    UsingCREATE DATABASE creates the database in the MySQL data directory and permits the server to update the data dictionary with information about the database directory.

  2. Stop the server to ensure that no activity occurs in the new database while it is being moved.

  3. Move the database directory to some disk where you have free space. For example, usetar ormv. If you use a method that copies rather than moves the database directory, remove the original database directory after copying it.

  4. Create a soft link in the data directory to the moved database directory:

    $> ln -s/path/to/mydb1/path/to/datadir

    The command creates a symlink namedmydb1 in the data directory.

  5. Restart the server.