Delayed Replica
A delayed replica applies changes with a configurable delay — acting as a rolling backup to recover from accidental DROPs or DELETEs.
MySQL
Advanced
4 min read
Delayed Replication
Example
-- Set 1-hour delay on replica
CHANGE REPLICATION SOURCE TO SOURCE_DELAY = 3600;
START REPLICA;
-- After accidental DROP TABLE on primary:
-- 1. Stop replica SQL thread
STOP REPLICA SQL_THREAD;
-- 2. Fast-forward to just before the DROP
START REPLICA UNTIL SQL_BEFORE_GTIDS = "primary_uuid:error_gtid";
-- 3. Promote replica or restore from it
-- Check delay setting:
SHOW REPLICA STATUS\G -- SQL_Delay field Pro Tip
A 1-hour delayed replica can save you from accidental deletes — far easier than restoring from backup.