Dumping data from a seemingly corrupted database? (no replies)

Hello all,

From time to time we're having an issue with MySQL / InnoDB databases. For unknown reasons it becomes impossible to dump a database. The error from mysqldump is always the same:

Error 2020: Got packet bigger than 'max_allowed_packet' bytes when dumping table `XXXXX` at row: YYYYYY

Of course, we checked our configuration to allow packets of the right size :-).

When using's mysqldump option --force we are given some more information. For example:

mysqldump: Error 2020: Got packet bigger than 'max_allowed_packet' bytes when dumping table `properties` at row: 134563351
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'properties'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show table status like 'receivefolder'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SET OPTION SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE=1': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show fields from `receivefolder`': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'receivefolder'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show table status like 'searchresults'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SET OPTION SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE=1': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show fields from `searchresults`': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'searchresults'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show table status like 'settings'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldumop: Couldn't execute 'SET OPTION SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE=1': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show fields from `settings`': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'settings'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show table status like 'stores'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SET OPTION SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE=1': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show fields from `stores`': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'stores'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show table status like 'syncs'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SET OPTION SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE=1': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show fields from `syncs`': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'syncs'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show table status like 'usergroup\_acl'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SET OPTION SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE=1': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show fields from `usergroup_acl`': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'usergroup\_acl'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show table status like 'users'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SET OPTION SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE=1': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show fields from `users`': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'users'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show table status like 'versions'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SET OPTION SQL_QUOTE_SHOW_CREATE=1': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'show fields from `versions`': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'SHOW TRIGGERS LIKE 'versions'': MySQL server has gone away (2006)
mysqldump: Couldn't execute 'UNLOCK TABLES': MySQL server has gone away (2006)

Could I somehow figure out what's going wrong where and how to fix this? Will dumping with --force give me a useable dump (in case there's one corrupted record.. well... that's mostly okay).

Thanks!