6.6. Replication Compatibility Between MySQL Versions
The binary log format as implemented in MySQL 5.1 is
considerably different from that used in previous versions,
especially with regard to handling of character sets,
LOAD DATA INFILE, and time zones.
We recommend using the most recent MySQL version available because
replication capabilities are continually being improved. We also
recommend using the same version for both the master and the
slave. We recommend upgrading masters and slaves running alpha or
beta versions to new (production) versions. In many cases,
replication from a newer master to an older slave will fail. In
general, slaves running MySQL 5.1.x can be used with
older masters (even those running MySQL 3.23, 4.0, or 4.1), but
not the reverse.
Note: You
cannot replicate from a master that uses a
newer binary log format to a slave that uses an older format (for
example, from MySQL 5.0 to MySQL 4.1.) This has significant
implications for upgrading replication servers, as described in
Section 6.7, “Upgrading a Replication Setup”.
The preceding information pertains to replication compatibility at
the protocol level. However, there can be other constraints, such
as SQL-level compatibility issues. For example, a 5.1
master cannot replicate to a 5.0 slave if the
replicated statements use SQL features available in
5.1 but not in 5.0. These and other
issues are discussed in Section 6.8, “Replication Features and Known Problems”.
