What is the difference between Replication and Synchronization?

Question

In phpMyAdmin there is a tab for configuring Replication and one for Synchronization.

• What is the difference between Replication and Synchronization?
• When do you should use the one or the other?

Thanks, Udo

Answer 1

After some digging, the answer in the MySQL/phpMyAdmin context is as follows:

• Synchronization: Brings 2 DBs in sync (schema and data)
  Note: This is a 1-time process, which can be run every time you would like to sync 2 DBs, but is triggered manually.
• Replication: This is used to continuously (automatically) replicate data between 2 DBs. This is done asynchronously, which means that you do not have to have a permanent connection between the 2 DBs.

Note:
To setup replication the sequence is this:

• Run Synchronization to sync DBs
• Setup Replication

Answer 2

Replication is used to describe the event of copying data. Synchronization is continuous (at least one way) replication that maintains consistency between multiple data sources.

From phpmyadmin.net documentation

9.1 How can I synchronize two databases/tables in phpMyAdmin?

You can now synchronize databases/tables in phpMyAdmin using the Synchronize feature. It allows you to connect to local as well as remote servers. This requires you to enter server host name, username, password, port and the name of the database. Therefore you can now synchronize your databases placed on the same server or some remote server.

This feature is helpful for developers who need to replicate their database’s structure as well as data. Moreover, this feature not only helps replication but also facilitates the user to keep his/her database in sync with another database. Other than the full database, certain tables of the databases can also be synchronized.