synchronizing two Mysql databases

Hello,

Perhaps someone can give me ideas for what I'm trying to accomplish..

Scenario: I have a MySQL database that is running on a server. If this server goes down, a backup server with the same database is automatically started. The backup database is synchronized with the first one periodically.

Suppose that during the downtime of the primary server several new rows have been added to a table in the backup database. What I wish to do is merge the two databases, in such a way that no rows are lost. The problem is that the tables in both databases are the same up to a point, then the last few records are different. (in both databses, not only in one of them).

I can't simply "merge" the two db files, since they are binary.... anyone got an idea about any tools that can do this?

or perhaps someone could tell me how to synchronize the backup db incrementally, like checking for new records and adding only them?