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Percona XtraBackup Pro feature - Reduced backup lock time

Percona XtraBackup Pro includes the capabilities that are typically requested by large enterprises. Percona XtraBackup Pro contains packages created and tested by Percona. These packages are supported only for Percona Customers with a subscription.

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Important

The --lock-ddl=REDUCED option is a tech preview. Before using this option in production, we recommend that you test restoring production from physical backups in your environment, and also use the alternative backup method for redundancy.

Percona XtraBackup 8.4.0-2 adds the --lock-ddl=REDUCED option to reduce the time the server remains locked by xtrabackup during full and incremental backups. Now, you can execute Data Definition Language (DDL) operations while the backup is in progress.

Benefits

The --lock-ddl=REDUCED option features are as follows:

  • Acquire and release the backup lock quickly: The backup process minimizes the time it holds the backup lock, allowing for concurrent DDL operations.

    Comparing the backup duration with --lock-ddl=REDUCED

    While we strive to provide accurate performance benchmarks, real-world results may vary depending on your hardware and software configurations.

    The following tables illustrate the approximate time differences between --lock-ddl=ON and --lock-ddl=REDUCED for local and cloud backups (Amazon S3). The Improvement (X times) column shows how many times less the server is locked by xtrabackup using --lock-ddl=REDUCED compared to --lock-ddl=ON.

    Data size in gigabytes Backup duration with --lock-ddl=ON in seconds Backup duration with --lock-ddl=REDUCED in seconds Improvement (X times)
    50 GB 460.2 sec 2.169 sec 212.17
    100 GB 901.8 sec 1.305 sec 691.03
    200 GB 1820.4 sec 1.347 sec 1351.45
    400 GB 3580.2 sec 1.24 sec 2887.26
    500 GB 5436 sec 1.264 sec 4300.63
    Data size in gigabytes Backup duration with --lock-ddl=ON in seconds Backup duration with --lock-ddl=REDUCED in seconds Improvement (X times)
    50 GB 469.8 sec 3.859 sec 121.74
    100 GB 927.6 sec 4.072 sec 227.80
    200 GB 1851.6 sec 4.408 sec 420.05
    400 GB 3888 sec 3.948 sec 984.80
    500 GB 4896 sec 4.065 sec 1204.43

    Using --lock-ddl=REDUCED leads to a dramatic reduction in backup time compared to --lock-ddl=ON, especially with larger data sizes.

  • Track changes with redo logs: Redo logs record all file-level changes, ensuring data consistency during the backup process.

  • Handle DDL operations: The backup process generates metadata files to account for any DDL operations that occur while the backup is in progress.
  • Ensure consistency: The --prepare step processes generated metadata files and uses redo and undo logs to create a consistent database state.

Limitations

  • Certain DDL operations consume significant resources, and xtrabackup simultaneously requires I/O to copy and read files. This requirement can increase resource demand from DDL operations during the backup process.

  • The master key rotation with the ALTER INSTANCE ROTATE INNODB MASTER KEY is prohibited while backup is in progress.

  • Backups may be larger because new DDL operations are executed concurrently on the server, and the files generated by the server are included in the backup. Additionally, certain DDL operations, such as ADD INDEX or encryption changes to existing data files, will cause the data files to be recopied, increasing the backup size.

  • The number of open file handles in your operating system should be configured to match the number of files in the server data directory.

  • Taking a backup using page tracking is not supported with --lock-ddl=REDUCED option.

Learn more in the Reduced backup lock time document.