Types of Database Backups Dump Backup Types

A dump backup, usually using mysqldump, is done by dumping individual rows, tables or DBs out to a filesystem level flat file, or directly to a backup device.
Dump Pros:
Simple: to do and integrate into existing pre-backup scripts
Open: Backups can be manually edited or grep'ed for data
Flexible: Good for migrating between other SQL engines
Universal: Good for all table types (and for converting types)
Remote: Can be easily configured to dump over the network
Dump Cons:
Fat: Can require > space/backup than DB files themselves
Slow: Much slower backup & restores than RAW based
Limited: to smaller DBs

A dump backup, usually using mysqldump, is done by dumping individual rows, tables or DBs out to a filesystem level flat file, or directly to a backup device.