To avoid confusion, for the purposes of this discussion we define the term “ib-file set” to mean the set of operating system files that InnoDB manages as a unit. The ib-file set includes the following files:

This collection of files is transactionally consistent, and recoverable as a unit. An “ib-file set” specifically does not include the related MySQL .frm files that contain meta data about InnoDB tables. The .frm files are created and managed exclusively by MySQL, and can sometimes get out of sync with the internal meta data in InnoDB.

Instead of “ib-file set”, we might call such a collection a “database”. However, MySQL uses the word “database” to mean a logical collection of tables, what other systems term a “schema” or “catalog”. Given MySQL terminology, multiple tables (even from more than one database) can be stored in a single “ib-file set”.

The InnoDB storage engine incorporates several checks to guard against the possible crashes and data corruptions that might occur if you use an ib-file set in a file format that is not supported by the software release in use. These checks take place when the server is started, and when you first access a table. This section describes these checks, how you can control them, and error and warning conditions that may arise.