This is where proves its worth. Let’s walk through a real-world offline recovery and activation scenario. The Scenario: A Dead ibdata1 Assume MySQL is hard-down. The InnoDB system tablespace ( ibdata1 ) has a corrupted double-write buffer or a corrupted undo log. Standard innodb_force_recovery (levels 1-6) fails. You need to extract the raw data without the engine running. Step 1: Isolate & Image (Don’t Work on the Original) First, clone the dead datadir. We’re activating the recovery tool offline—against a copy .
./systools_sql_recovery --activate --license-key=XXXX-XXXX-XXXX You should see: systools sql recovery offline activation
./systools_sql_recovery \ --export=recovered_data.sql \ --format=sql-insert \ --skip-corrupt-rows \ --max-errors=100 This is where proves its worth
sudo systemctl stop mysql # it's already dead, but ensure it's stopped sudo cp -rp /var/lib/mysql /var/lib/mysql_corrupt sudo chown -R $(whoami) /var/lib/mysql_corrupt If you suspect physical disk damage, use ddrescue first. systools works on logical corruption, not failing sectors. Step 2: Offline Activation of systools SQL Recovery Unlike live mysqlcheck or pg_repair , systools runs completely offline. It parses the binary table files ( .ibd , .frm , or PostgreSQL heap files) directly. The InnoDB system tablespace ( ibdata1 ) has
# Create a fresh MySQL instance sudo mkdir /var/lib/mysql_fresh sudo mysqld --initialize-insecure --datadir=/var/lib/mysql_fresh sudo chown -R mysql:mysql /var/lib/mysql_fresh sudo systemctl start mysql@fresh # custom service Then import the recovered data:
Activate the tool (assuming a licensed binary):