Hybrid Incremental MySQL Backups

This post details significant improvements to Facebook's database backup system, transitioning from slow logical backups (mysqldump) to faster, more efficient physical backups using an enhanced XtraBackup tool. Key contributions include the development of hybrid incremental backup strategies to optimize IO calls and avoid reading unmodified pages, the implementation of table-level restore for faster recovery of individual tables, and performance optimizations for both full and incremental backups through adjusted IO sizes. These enhancements drastically reduce backup times and server load while maintaining data reliability.