Import a large sql dump file to a MySQL database from command line

How to import a very large SQL dump file (6 Gb) to a MySQL database using windows command line. If you are using linux it is the same. The process is the following:

Open a command prompt (or shell in Linux) with administrative privilleges

Connect to a mysql instance using command line:

# mysql -h 192.168.1.1 --port=3306 -u root -p

if you are in localhost you do not need host and port

# mysql -u root -p

Or if plesk,

# mysql -uadmin -p`cat /etc/psa/.psa.shadow`

You are now in mysql shell. Set network buffer length to a large byte number. The default value may throw errors for such large data files

mysql&gt; set global net_buffer_length=1000000;

Set maximum allowed packet size to a large byte number.The default value may throw errors for such large data files.

mysql&gt; set global max_allowed_packet=1000000000;

Disable foreign key checking to avoid delays,errors and unwanted behaviour

mysql&gt; SET foreign_key_checks = 0;
mysql&gt; SET UNIQUE_CHECKS = 0;
mysql&gt; SET AUTOCOMMIT = 0;

Import your sql dump file

mysql&gt; use db_name;
mysql&gt; source backup-file.sql;

Remember to enable foreign key checks when procedure is complete!

 mysql&gt; SET foreign_key_checks = 1;
 mysql&gt; SET UNIQUE_CHECKS = 1;
 mysql&gt; SET AUTOCOMMIT = 1;

If you are in Linux you can create a Bash script which will do the dirty job and write to stdout start and end time of import:

  #!/bin/sh 

  # store start date to a variable
  imeron=`date`

  echo "Import started: OK"
  dumpfile="/home/bob/bobiras.sql"

  ddl="set names utf8; "
  ddl="$ddl set global net_buffer_length=1000000;"
  ddl="$ddl set global max_allowed_packet=1000000000; "
  ddl="$ddl SET foreign_key_checks = 0; "
  ddl="$ddl SET UNIQUE_CHECKS = 0; "
  ddl="$ddl SET AUTOCOMMIT = 0; "
  # if your dump file does not create a database, select one
  ddl="$ddl USE jetdb; "
  ddl="$ddl source $dumpfile; "
  ddl="$ddl SET foreign_key_checks = 1; "
  ddl="$ddl SET UNIQUE_CHECKS = 1; "
  ddl="$ddl SET AUTOCOMMIT = 1; "
  ddl="$ddl COMMIT ; "

  echo "Import started: OK"

  time mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -u root -proot -e "$ddl"

  # store end date to a variable
  imeron2=`date`

  echo "Start import:$imeron"
  echo "End import:$imeron2"

Other solutions:
Big Dump
http://www.ozerov.de/bigdump/ seems good

Split Files
http://www.rusiczki.net/2007/01/24/sql-dump-file-splitter/

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