The first step is to create the database schema. The code below is an excerpt from the SNOMED CT example database MySQL import script which carries out the following steps:

• Creates a database called "snomedct"
• Sets the default character set of the database as "utf8mb4"
• Sets snomedct as the default database for the following script.
• Sets timeouts appropriate to the import process.
• Clears sql_mode settings some of which, if present, may cause import issues.

DELIMITER ;
SELECT Now() `--`,"Create Database and Initialize" '--';
-- CREATE DATABASE
DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS `snomedct`; 
CREATE DATABASE `snomedct` /*!40100 DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 */;
USE `snomedct`;
-- INITIALIZE SETTINGS
SET GLOBAL net_write_timeout = 60;
SET GLOBAL net_read_timeout=120;
SET GLOBAL sql_mode ='';
SET SESSION sql_mode ='';