Upgrade + Server Migration: what is the best course of action?

[marcnyc]

Hello SMF users, I have two boards (one is a SMF 1.0 Beta 5 Public and the other one is a YaBB SE 1.5.5) and I need to move them both a new server while at the same time upgrating them to the new SMF 1.0 version. I would like to know what the best course of action is to do this. Should I upgrade them both on the server where they are and then copy the entire folder structures and the databases to the new server? Or should I move the folder structures and databases first and upgrade on the new server?

Please note that both installations the MySQL table's prefix is yabbse_ which makes me wonder if the upgrade process will rename the prefix into smf_

On a different note I'd like to ask about a chat mod. I've heard talk about this and I've heard there are several types implemented on sites using SMF 1.0 but in the Mods section of this site I couldn't find any Chat mod (except for the Shoutbox one). Can somebody direct me to the appropriate link please?

Thanks

[ryanbsoftware]

so i take it each board has its own database if they use the same prefix?

[[Unknown]]

The upgrade process will not affect the prefix.

As for how to upgrade... this is pretty simple.  I'd follow these steps for both:

  - download all the files and attachments from server A (old.)
  - before uploading them anywhere, unzip the smf_1-0-rc1_upgrade zip file over all the files.
  - now make a database backup from server A.
  - load the backup on server B.
  - upload the files (with upgrade files applied) to server B.
  - run upgrade.php from server B.

-[Unknown]

[-Garion-]

On a different note I'd like to ask about a chat mod. I've heard talk about this and I've heard there are several types implemented on sites using SMF 1.0 but in the Mods section of this site I couldn't find any Chat mod (except for the Shoutbox one). Can somebody direct me to the appropriate link please?

I set up a testing account on my forum so you can check out our chat and see if it's what you're looking for.

http://www.bashyou.com/forum

Username: Tester
Password: Tester

Once logged in, click the Chat button and you'll get in there (the script is integrated w/ SMF).  If you like it, you can purchase the script for $5 here:
http://www.tufat.com/script.php?script=chat  

[marcnyc]

Thanks for the reply.
So I guess it isn't important that the database prefix is smf_... I was about to start manually renaming all the tables...
Thanks for the tester account. I like that chat more than others I have seen but it doesn't seem to be integrated in the forum (neither visually, nor in terms of registered user accounts), is it? I was hoping for something with the same graphics of the forum where registered users can chat among themselves.

[marcnyc]

The upgrade process will not affect the prefix.

As for how to upgrade... this is pretty simple.  I'd follow these steps for both:

  - download all the files and attachments from server A (old.)
  - before uploading them anywhere, unzip the smf_1-0-rc1_upgrade zip file over all the files.
  - now make a database backup from server A.
  - load the backup on server B.
  - upload the files (with upgrade files applied) to server B.
  - run upgrade.php from server B.

-[Unknown]

These instructions don't mention how to deal with the differences in databases. For example on my SMF Beta installation I tried making a backup from the Admin interface but for some reason it doesn't work. From my host's phpMyAdmin I was able to do it of course but I am not sure how to deal with it because I see that there are a few new tables in the new SMF 1.0 that weren't there in the beta, plus they have the different prefixes.

In addition to that I have downloaded both the update zip and the fresh installation install zip of SMF and I noticed that in my other two installations (SMF Beta and YaBB SE) there are a lot of other files as if the folder structure was different or as if there are a lot of files that will never be used again (such as the ones whose name starts with YaBB something)... How do I clean up the folder to have only what it needs? or am I being too picky?
Here is what I thought of doing (hopefully you can stop me if something is not to be done).
1. backup old server A
2. install fresh copy of SMF 1.0 on server B (new)
3. upgrade old server A's version to SMF 1.0
4. rename all yabbse_ database prefixes to smf_ or whatever I have specified in the installation of the fresh copy
5. export an SQL database of the newly renamed database tables
6. import it in the fresh installation
Is something wrong with this method? I am just trying to get a clean installation instead of something that carries on lots of old files from older installations that never got deleted. Thanks for the input.

[marcnyc]

I have tried following the instructions given by [Unknown] and I get these errors when running upgrade.php:

Warning: mysql_connect(): Access denied for user: 'gull@localhost' (Using password: YES) in /home/placeh00/domains/placeholder.com/public_html/gull/upgrade.php on line 58

Warning: mysql_error(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL-Link resource in /home/placeh00/domains/placeholder.com/public_html/gull/upgrade.php on line 58

It looks to me as if these errors are due to the fact that upgrade.php is trying to access the database on the new server with the details of the old server, and if that assumption is right then I probably would need to run upgrade.php from the old server and then move the files, wouldn't?

[marcnyc]

I tried upgrading on the old server A but I get the message:

The upgrader found some old or outdated language files.
Please make certain you uploaded the new versions of all the files included in the package, even the theme and language files for the default theme.

I have tried deleting all the old files except for the settings.php and settings backup file but I still get the same message... :-(

[marcnyc]

so i take it each board has its own database if they use the same prefix?

yes it's two different boards with two different databases, only one of them was converted from YaBB Gold to YaBB SE and the other one was installed as YaBB SE and then upgraded to SMF Beta 5

[marcnyc]

Ok, as you can see I've been trying and trying... I think I managed now and I just wanted somebody to confirm that I did everything right and maybe suggest a way so I can test that everything is correct...

1. installed a fresh install of SMF 1.0RC1 on new server B
2. deleted the smf_ tables from the new MySQL database on the new server B
3. created a backup of the yabbse_ database on the old server A
4. modified the resulting sql file so that every instance of yabbse is replaced with smf
5. uploaded/imported the resulting sql file into the new database on the new server B
6. deleted/dropped the table smf_calendar_holiday (which seemed to be an old, outdated wrong duplicate of the new smf_calendar_holidays table - is that correct?)
7. uploaded the file upgrade.php to the new server A and run it to update the database and create the missing table smf_log_search

Everything seems to work and I successfully went through all the options in the "Forum Maintenece" section. Did I miss something?
Can somebody confirm that this method works? Is there are way to make sure everything is in place?

[-Garion-]

Thanks for the tester account. I like that chat more than others I have seen but it doesn't seem to be integrated in the forum (neither visually, nor in terms of registered user accounts), is it? I was hoping for something with the same graphics of the forum where registered users can chat among themselves.

Actually it is integrated with the forum.    The chat is tied to SMF's user database, and only registered users of the forum can get into the chat, which is why I posted the Tester account. 

[[Unknown]]

Too many messages.  Let me first say that I am assuming you want to do this:

Forum 1, Server A --> Forum 1, Server B
Forum 2, Server A --> Forum 2, Server B

If you are wanting to combine them, this is not yet possible.

Depending on your template, you may not wish to delete all of those files.  If you are using the SMF default theme, you can delete YaBBHelp and YaBBImages.

Installing a fresh copy shouldn't be neccessary.  It doesn't actually do anything except modify Settings.php and create the database.  If you're going to *UPGRADE* the database anyway, it should be fine - and only require a bit of modification to Settings.php.  I think you lost what I meant when you assumed the installer had to be run again on Server B.

Again, the prefix doesn't matter.  There are many SMF forums out there running with yabbse_, and it doesn't hurt anyone.  You're adding a step that will only complicate things for you .

Sorry, though, I did skip a step.  Use repair_settings.php (from the downloads page) to correct the database settings in your Settings.php.

You went around the long way, but what does it matter anyway .

-[Unknown]

[marcnyc]

I definitely took the longer and harder path but everything seems to be working now (http://65.254.42.100/~placeh00/gull/index.php). I just wanted to know if there is a way for my own peace of mind to test that everything IS actually allright as it seems to be!

[[Unknown]]

If you can login, logout, see all images, and post... you should be fine.

-[Unknown]

[marcnyc]

Yes it all works, the only thing that is very weird is the selection of themes...
When I select a theme from the drop down menu nothing changes...
The only way that seems to work is to click on the text "CHOOSE..." right next to the drop down menu...