Make a local copy of database as backup?

[accampbell]

Is there a good way to make a local copy of my database that would allow me to upload it to a new server if that became necessary?

[Timbalu]

Yes!
Hosting services giving you php and mysql to hand, should normally give access to some database administration tool, like it is PhpMyAdmin. There you can easily export the whole database.
Maybe its worth truncating the spambloglog table first.

[accampbell]

Yes!
Hosting services giving you php and mysql to hand, should normally give access to some database administration tool, like it is PhpMyAdmin. There you can easily export the whole database.
Maybe its worth truncating the spambloglog table first.

I have PhpMyAdmin but I don't see how to use it to export the database to my own computer. I can Export the database (optionally as a file) but there doesn't seem to be ay way to say where it should be exported to. I.m reluctant to experiment for fear of messing the whole thing up.

[Timbalu]

Yes. Thats what I meant.
Assume you database is called acc12345 carrying all tables serendipity installs, then you can go to acc12345 and export all these tables and their data as a file to your local computer.
The database program itself, MYSQL, wont be exportable by this. You have to install a local copy to your pc to include/import the data you saved. This is commonly done with XAMPP http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html in save enviroments.

What do you mean by "say where it should be exported to" ?
If you want it to be a backup on your hosting plan, use some optional backup tools the provider has given you, or use the shell access, if you have, or download it as said and upload it via ftp again.

[accampbell]

OK, thanks; I googled a useful step-by-step guide to how to save a copy locally and this seems to have worked.

[Timbalu]

That may be some sort of modified version, which backups you data to a hidden folder on your server only. It does not really sound like phpmyadmin, but more like a hosters administration panel. Open you ftp program and have a look into its data structure. (look into things like /_db_backups)

Edit:
Oops, what happend to your post?

[accampbell]

Sorry - I edited my last post when I found the answer to my question. The method of using the program is not very intuitive at all but it is nicely explained here:

http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/php ... export.htm

There are actually two files on my database: acampbell.sql and information_schema.sql. I've downloaded both of them though I don't know if I would need both to restore things to a different server.

[Timbalu]

That one says:

A download window will pop up prompting for the exact place where you would like to save the file on your local computer. It is possible that the download starts automatically. This depends on your browser's settings.

Anyway, the acampbell.sql is the one you are up to. Every backup->go will overwrite this file to its last version (if stored on your server).

But if you ever move to another server there might be some changes in the global or blogs path structures, you have to know about, which are set in these database tables. So there might be a future mess...