# I asked to backup one table, but xtrabackup backups all tables matching pattern

**URL:** <https://forums.percona.com/t/i-asked-to-backup-one-table-but-xtrabackup-backups-all-tables-matching-pattern/30648>\
**Category:** Percona XtraBackup\
**Created:** [May 28, 2024, 12:32pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/i-asked-to-backup-one-table-but-xtrabackup-backups-all-tables-matching-pattern/30648 "2024-05-28T12:32:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Modestas\_Mockus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.percona.com/modestas_mockus/32/9024_2.png) [@Modestas\_Mockus](https://forums.percona.com/u/Modestas_Mockus)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 12:32pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/i-asked-to-backup-one-table-but-xtrabackup-backups-all-tables-matching-pattern/30648/1 "2024-05-28T12:32:10Z")

</div>

i want to backup one table:

`xtrabackup --tables='test.transactions' --backup -u devxxxxxx -p --target-dir=/home/xtrabackup4test`

But extrabackup starts backup all tables like switching-on the patterns. Tables: transactions\_t1, transactions\_t2, transactions\_t3… almost 15 tables. When I need only one master table. The rest tables are very big, because they are child tables.  
I tried:

```auto
--tables=test.transactions
--tables='test.transactions'
--tables="test.transactions"
--tables="^test[.]transactions"

```

Nothing helps.  
HOW to backup only one table?

`xtrabackup version 8.0.35-30 based on MySQL server 8.0.35 Linux (x86_64) (revision id: 6beb4b49)`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yunus.uyanik](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.percona.com/yunus.uyanik/32/19250_2.png) [@yunus.uyanik](https://forums.percona.com/u/yunus.uyanik)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 9:37am UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/i-asked-to-backup-one-table-but-xtrabackup-backups-all-tables-matching-pattern/30648/2 "2024-06-03T09:37:24Z")

</div>

Hi @Modestas_Mockus  
Thanks for the details.

I have tested with the same approach that you have, and I am sure it takes all other tables’ backups.

```auto
[root@default ~]# xtrabackup --backup -uuns -p123 --target-dir=/tmp/backup4/ --tables="^test[.]transactions" 
...
2024-06-03T09:25:28.739650-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Copying ./ibdata1 to /tmp/backup4/ibdata1
2024-06-03T09:25:28.781977-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Done: Copying ./ibdata1 to /tmp/backup4/ibdata1
2024-06-03T09:25:28.782350-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Copying ./test/transactions.ibd to /tmp/backup4/test/transactions.ibd
2024-06-03T09:25:28.782481-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Done: Copying ./test/transactions.ibd to /tmp/backup4/test/transactions.ibd
2024-06-03T09:25:28.782555-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Copying ./test/transactions_t1.ibd to /tmp/backup4/test/transactions_t1.ibd
2024-06-03T09:25:28.782640-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Done: Copying ./test/transactions_t1.ibd to /tmp/backup4/test/transactions_t1.ibd
2024-06-03T09:25:28.782684-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Copying ./test/transactions_t2.ibd to /tmp/backup4/test/transactions_t2.ibd
2024-06-03T09:25:28.782766-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Done: Copying ./test/transactions_t2.ibd to /tmp/backup4/test/transactions_t2.ibd
2024-06-03T09:25:28.782813-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Copying ./test/transactions_t3.ibd to /tmp/backup4/test/transactions_t3.ibd
2024-06-03T09:25:28.782896-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Done: Copying ./test/transactions_t3.ibd to /tmp/backup4/test/transactions_t3.ibd

```

It’s related to the regex that you were used.  
You’re looking for this option `--tables="^test[.]transactions$"`  
This pattern `^test[.]transactions$` will match only the `test.transactions` table and exclude any other tables that start with `transactions` (like `transactions_t1` , `transactions_t2` , etc.).

```auto
[root@default ~]# xtrabackup --backup -uuns -p123 --target-dir=/tmp/backup6 --tables="^test[.]transactions$"
...
2024-06-03T09:29:01.201606-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Copying ./ibdata1 to /tmp/backup6/ibdata1
2024-06-03T09:29:01.246563-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Done: Copying ./ibdata1 to /tmp/backup6/ibdata1
2024-06-03T09:29:01.246887-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Copying ./test/transactions.ibd to /tmp/backup6/test/transactions.ibd
2024-06-03T09:29:01.247057-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Done: Copying ./test/transactions.ibd to /tmp/backup6/test/transactions.ibd
2024-06-03T09:29:01.247131-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Copying ./mysql.ibd to /tmp/backup6/mysql.ibd
2024-06-03T09:29:01.326182-00:00 2 [Note] [MY-011825] [Xtrabackup] Done: Copying ./mysql.ibd to /tmp/backup6/mysql.ibd

```