### 13.7.5 CLONE Statement

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```
CLONE clone_action

clone_action: {
    LOCAL DATA DIRECTORY [=] 'clone_dir';
  | INSTANCE FROM 'user'@'host':port
    IDENTIFIED BY 'password'
    [DATA DIRECTORY [=] 'clone_dir']
    [REQUIRE [NO] SSL]
}
```

 The [`CLONE`](clone.html) statement is used to clone data locally or from a remote MySQL server instance. To use [`CLONE`](clone.html) syntax, the clone plugin must be installed. See [Section 5.6.7, “The Clone Plugin”](clone-plugin.html).

[`CLONE LOCAL DATA DIRECTORY`](clone.html) syntax clones data from the local MySQL data directory to a directory on the same server or node where the MySQL server instance runs. The `'clone_dir'` directory is the full path of the local directory that data is cloned to. An absolute path is required. The specified directory must not exist, but the specified path must be an existent path. The MySQL server requires the necessary write access to create the specified directory. For more information, see [Section 5.6.7.2, “Cloning Data Locally”](clone-plugin-local.html).

[`CLONE INSTANCE`](clone.html) syntax clones data from a remote MySQL server instance (the donor) and transfers it to the MySQL instance where the cloning operation was initiated (the recipient).

* `*`user`*` is the clone user on the donor MySQL server instance.

* `*`host`*` is the [`hostname`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_hostname) address of the donor MySQL server instance. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address format is not supported. An alias to the IPv6 address can be used instead. An IPv4 address can be used as is.

* `*`port`*` is the [`port`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_port) number of the donor MySQL server instance. (The X Protocol port specified by [`mysqlx_port`](x-plugin-options-system-variables.html#sysvar_mysqlx_port) is not supported. Connecting to the donor MySQL server instance through MySQL Router is also not supported.)

* `IDENTIFIED BY '*`password`*'` specifies the password of the clone user on the donor MySQL server instance.

* `DATA DIRECTORY [=] '*`clone_dir`*'` is an optional clause used to specify a directory on the recipient for the data you are cloning. Use this option if you do not want to remove existing data in the recipient data directory. An absolute path is required, and the directory must not exist. The MySQL server must have the necessary write access to create the directory.

   When the optional `DATA DIRECTORY [=] '*`clone_dir`*'` clause is not used, a cloning operation removes existing data in the recipient data directory, replaces it with the cloned data, and automatically restarts the server afterward.

* `[REQUIRE [NO] SSL]` explicitly specifies whether an encrypted connection is to be used or not when transferring cloned data over the network. An error is returned if the explicit specification cannot be satisfied. If an SSL clause is not specified, clone attempts to establish an encrypted connection by default, falling back to an insecure connection if the secure connection attempt fails. A secure connection is required when cloning encrypted data regardless of whether this clause is specified. For more information, see [Configuring an Encrypted Connection for Cloning](clone-plugin-remote.html#clone-plugin-remote-ssl).

 For additional information about cloning data from a remote MySQL server instance, see [Section 5.6.7.3, “Cloning Remote Data”](clone-plugin-remote.html).

