How to migrate 1.5 TB from MySQL 5.6 to MySQL 8.0.25?

Migrating a large MySQL database of 1.5 TB in size can be a challenging task, especially when there is a major version difference between the source and destination servers. Here are a few options that you can consider:

  1. Backup and restore: You can create a backup of your current MySQL database using the mysqldump utility and then restore it on the new server using the MySQL command. However, this method may take a long time and require a lot of disk space due to the large size of the database.
  2. In-place upgrade: You can try to upgrade the version of MySQL on the current server to version 8.0.25 and then move the data files to the new server. However, this method can be quite risky and may not be possible if there are any major version differences between the source and destination servers.
  3. Replication: You can set up replication between the current and new servers so that the data is automatically copied over to the new server. This method can minimize downtime, but it may require additional configuration and maintenance.
  4. Third-party tools: There are several third-party tools available that can help with migrating large MySQL databases. For example, Percona XtraBackup, MySQL Enterprise Backup and others. You can use such tools to take an online backup of your database and restore it on the new server.

It is important to also test the migration process in a staging environment before attempting it in production. And also, you should consult the MySQL documentation for the specific version upgrade process, and best practices.