Mysql backup file ok?

[aberg]

Today i have backup the forum with SSH. ( sqldump)
I see that this file is smaller than if i do it in the admin from vbulletin.
When i take a look inside the file with make through SSH i can't read everything.
Is the file throught SSH crypt??
Now this backup is on the server, if i want downloaded it to my computer.
If i use FTP must i than use ASII or BIN ??
Now is my question how do i know that i have make a good back-up?
And why is this file smaller than the backup through the admin in Vbulletin?

[tgillespie]

Today i have backup the forum with SSH. ( sqldump)
I see that this file is smaller than if i do it in the admin from vbulletin.
When i take a look inside the file with make through SSH i can't read everything.
Is the file throught SSH crypt??
Now this backup is on the server, if i want downloaded it to my computer.
If i use FTP must i than use ASII or BIN ??
Now is my question how do i know that i have make a good back-up?
And why is this file smaller than the backup through the admin in Vbulletin?The file could possibly be smaller using mysqldump because of dump options. For example, if vBulletin's backup comments the dump file, that will add more to the data size. If vBulletin's backup includes DROP commands, that will add more to the data size.

If you cannont read the SSH dump on your server, you probably have a faulty backup. After each dump I do, I view the file using pico just to make sure its there. I then transfer the document using an SSH file transfer to insure no FTP corruption. If I were to do it using FTP, I would use ASCII. Once the backup is on your computer, open it up in your favorite text editor. I always scroll to the very end to make sure the last table is "word".

[eva2000]

best way to test a mysql sql dump file is create a new empty database, and import the sql dump into it, setup a private test copy of vB and set config.php to the new empty database name you created which now holds your restored sql dump and see if it works..

you can do this locally on your own pc running apache/php/mysql if you want to