今天有空尝试了一下MYSQLHOTCOPY这个快速热备MYISAM引擎的工具。
(本文是针对单个服务器的情况，以后将会加入多服务器相关操作)
他和MYSQLDUMP的比较：
1、前者是一个快速文件意义上的COPY，后者是一个端的SQL语句集合。
2、前者只能运行在数据库目录所在的机器上，后者可以用在远程客户端。
3、相同的地方都是在线执行LOCK TABLES 以及 UNLOCK TABLES
4、前者恢复只需要COPY备份文件到源目录覆盖即可，后者需要倒入SQL文件到原来库中。(source 或者.或者  < 备份文件)
用MYSQLHOTCOPY备份的步骤：
1、有没有PERL-DBD模块安装
我的机器上：
[root@localhost data]# rpm -qa |grep perl-DBD | grep MySQL

perl-DBD-MySQL-3.0007-1.fc6
2、在数据库段分配一个专门用于备份的用户
mysql> grant select,reload,lock tables on *.* to  identified by 123456;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> flush privileges;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

3、在/etc/my.cnf或者登陆用户的个人主文件.my.cnf里面添加
[mysqlhotcopy]
interactive-timeout
user=hotcopyer
password=123456
port=3306
4、开始备份。
[root@localhost ~]# mysqlhotcopy t_girl t_girl_new

Locked 4 tables in 0 seconds.
Flushed tables (`t_girl`.`category`, `t_girl`.`category_part`, `t_girl`.`id`, `t_girl`.`parent`) in 0 seconds.
Copying 22 files...
Copying indices for 0 files...
Unlocked tables.
mysqlhotcopy copied 4 tables (22 files) in 5 seconds (5 seconds overall).

备份后的目录：
[root@localhost data]# du -h | grep t_girl

213M ./t_girl
213M ./t_girl_copy
[root@localhost ~]#

5、MYSQLHOTCOPY用法详解。
1)、mysqlhotcopy 原数据库名，新数据库名
[root@localhost ~]# mysqlhotcopy t_girl t_girl_new

Locked 4 tables in 0 seconds.
Flushed tables (`t_girl`.`category`, `t_girl`.`category_part`, `t_girl`.`id`, `t_girl`.`parent`) in 0 seconds.
Copying 22 files...
Copying indices for 0 files...
Unlocked tables.
mysqlhotcopy copied 4 tables (22 files) in 5 seconds (5 seconds overall).
2)、mysqlhotcopy 原数据库名，备份的目录
[root@localhost ~]# mysqlhotcopy t_girl /tmp/

Locked 4 tables in 0 seconds.
Flushed tables (`t_girl`.`category`, `t_girl`.`category_part`, `t_girl`.`id`, `t_girl`.`parent`) in 0 seconds.
Copying 22 files...
Copying indices for 0 files...
Unlocked tables.
mysqlhotcopy copied 4 tables (22 files) in 6 seconds (6 seconds overall).
3)、对单个表支持正则表达式
(除了id 表外)
[root@localhost data]# mysqlhotcopy t_girl./~id/

Using copy suffix _copy
Locked 3 tables in 0 seconds.
Flushed tables (`t_girl`.`category`, `t_girl`.`category_part`, `t_girl`.`parent`) in 0 seconds.
Copying 19 files...
Copying indices for 0 files...
Unlocked tables.
mysqlhotcopy copied 3 tables (19 files) in 6 seconds (6 seconds overall).
[root@localhost data]#

4)、可以把记录写到专门的表中。具体察看帮助。
perldoc mysqlhostcopy

mysql> create database hotcopy;
Query OK, 1 row affected (0.03 sec)
mysql> use hotcopy
Database changed
mysql> create table checkpoint(time_stamp timestamp not null,src varchar(32),dest varchar(60), msg varchar(255));
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.01 sec)
同时记得给hotcopyer用户权限。
mysql> grant insert on hotcopy.checkpoint to ;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> flush privileges;
Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

mysql> q
Bye
重复第三步的操作

[root@localhost ~]# mysqlhotcopy t_girl./~id/ --allowold --checkpoint hotcopy.checkpoint

Using copy suffix _copy
Existing hotcopy directory renamed to /usr/local/mysql/data/t_girl_copy_old
Locked 3 tables in 0 seconds.
Flushed tables (`t_girl`.`category`, `t_girl`.`category_part`, `t_girl`.`parent`) in 0 seconds.
Copying 19 files...
Copying indices for 0 files...
Unlocked tables.
mysqlhotcopy copied 3 tables (19 files) in 12 seconds (13 seconds overall).

默认保存在数据目录下/t_girl_copy/
看看记录表。
mysql> use hotcopy;
Database changed
mysql> select * from checkpoint;
+---------------------+--------+-----------------------------------+-----------+
| time_stamp | src | dest | msg |
+---------------------+--------+-----------------------------------+-----------+
| 2008-03-11 14:44:58 | t_girl | /usr/local/mysql/data/t_girl_copy | Succeeded |
+---------------------+--------+-----------------------------------+-----------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

5)、支持增量备份。
[root@localhost ~]# mysqlhotcopy t_girl./~id/ --allowold --checkpoint hotcopy.checkpoint --addtodest t_girl_new

Locked 3 tables in 0 seconds.
Flushed tables (`t_girl`.`category`, `t_girl`.`category_part`, `t_girl`.`parent`) in 0 seconds.
Copying 19 files...
Copying indices for 0 files...
Unlocked tables.
mysqlhotcopy copied 3 tables (19 files) in 7 seconds (7 seconds overall).
6)、其它的等待测试过了再发布。。。