I am familiar with SQLServer and CFML. My only exposure to MySQL has been blogs I've had in PhP for a long time but I didn't do any db work with them really. I would like to do more dev and interact more with MySQL. Starting with a backup of a big schema on a shared server for an old/large Simple Machines forum having a crisis.

I recently downloaded MySQL, installed it and its various minion-children, and it seems to be 'running' and in my taskbar -- but I have no idea what the heck to do to USE it.

1. For example: for dev, how would I connect my cfadmin to my localhost MySQL? Where would I get the various settings for it?

2. Also (maybe more important): is there some kind of simplified schema manager for MySQL, that will let me download an online database full of info to my local MySQL (and possibly restore/upload it again later)?

I just want to say "back up this entire path of tables and their data." And have it be able to be sent back to the remote server once the disaster online is dealt with.

Since I actually know cfml and not much of php/python/perl (and webstuff isn't my ~80 hour real job so learning curve time is a real issue for me right now) I'd like to use that, if it's possible. But many eons ago I could have sworn I had some kind of MySQL panel that actually let me do this kind of (backup) stuff, it's just been so long (and so much missed sleep perhaps!) that now that I got everything installed, and it seems very not-obvious where that might be, I realize I don't know if I failed to install it, or it's buried somewhere or called something else, or if that no longer exists, or... what.

I literally just don't know where to start. I think I expected some kind of minimal software for interaction that would show up in my applications list (Windows 8) or that click/right-click on the taskbar icon would eventually find for me. Is there a certain module/component that I might have failed to download?

Is there info I can provide that would be more helpful (where to find it)?

Many thanks and I apologize for my appalling ignorance about all this.

PJ