Tablespaces ALTER TABLE tbl_name TABLESPACE [=] innodb_file_per_table; ALTER TABLE ... TABLESPACE  operations cause a full table rebuild, even if the  TABLESPACE  attribute has not changed from its previous value. ALTER TABLE ... TABLESPACE  syntax does not support moving a table from a temporary tablespace to a persistent tablespace. The  DATA DIRECTORY  clause is permitted with  CREATE TABLE ... TABLESPACE=innodb_file_per_table  but is otherwise not supported for use in combination with the TABLESPACE  option. As of MySQL 8.0.21, the directory specified in a  DATA DIRECTORY  clause must be known to  InnoDB . For more information, see Using the DATA DIRECTORY Clause. Restrictions apply when moving tables from encrypted tablespaces. See Encryption Limitations. Renaming a general tablespace is supported using  ALTER TABLESPACE ... RENAME TO  syntax. The  CREATE TABLESPACE  privilege is required to rename a general tablespace. RENAME TO  operations are implicitly performed in  autocommit  mode regardless of the  autocommit setting. A  RENAME TO  operation cannot be performed while  LOCK TABLES  or  FLUSH TABLES WITH READ LOCK is in effect for tables that reside in the tablespace. Exclusive metadata locks are taken on tables within a general tablespace while the tablespace is renamed, which prevents concurrent DDL. Concurrent DML is supported. The  DROP TABLESPACE  statement is used to drop an  InnoDB  general tablespace. All tables must be dropped from the tablespace prior to a  DROP TABLESPACE  operation. If the tablespace is not empty,  DROP TABLESPACE  returns an error. Use a query similar to the following to identify tables in a general tablespace. A general  InnoDB  tablespace is not deleted automatically when the last table in the tablespace is dropped. The tablespace must be dropped explicitly using  DROP TABLESPACE  tablespace_name . A general tablespace does not belong to any particular database. A  DROP DATABASE  operation can drop tables that belong to a general tablespace but it cannot drop the tablespace, even if the  DROP DATABASE operation drops all tables that belong to the tablespace. Similar to the system tablespace, truncating or dropping tables stored in a general tablespace creates free space internally in the general tablespace .ibd data file which can only be used for new  InnoDB  data. 3058 mysql>  SELECT a.NAME AS space_name, b.NAME AS table_name FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.INNODB_TABLESPACES a, INFORMATION_SCHEMA.INNODB_TABLES b WHERE a.SPACE=b.SPACE AND a.NAME LIKE ’ts1’; +------------+------------+ | space_name | table_name | +------------+------------+ | ts1 | test/t1 | | ts1 | test/t2 | | ts1 | test/t3 | +------------+------------+ Dropping a General Tablespace Renaming a General Tablespace ALTER TABLESPACE s1 RENAME TO s2;