Moving hosts from 2.0 RC5 to 2.0.3

[warfacegod]

I am moving hosts.

From:
Host A which has smf version 2.0 rc5 with various mods installed.

To:
Host B which has smf version 2.0.3 and is totally clean.

This is probably obvious but I'll say it anyway; I need to have all users, posts, PM's, attachments, etc. copy from Host A's forum to Host B's forum.

I need some guidance on what my course of action should be. Thanks in advance.

[warfacegod]

Perhaps I should also mention that the forum maintenance backup function on my 2.0 RC5 forum has only been working intermittently recently.

[kat]

Why not read my sig, first.

Then, perhaps, upgrade site with host A to v2.0.3. Once done, move the lot to host B?

That's how I'd do it (Other than the fact that I'd never use an RC version on a live site, of course)

[warfacegod]

So it is possible to upgrade from rc5 to 2.0.3. My other Admin. is under the impression that it isn't. From reading through some of the other threads here, it looks like I need to uninstall my mod packages to do an upgrade. Is this accurate?

I don't have access to either hosts panels and I'm unlikely to get that access anytime soon. My other Admin. is the one that dealt with this stuff until now. He's extremely busy so I need to take over and I have almost no idea what I'm doing.

I do have Administrative user and FTP access on the old site. On the new one, I have FTP, SSH, and MySQL access.

[kat]

Most of the mods, I suspect, won't work with v2.0.3, anyway. (Probably none will)

However, if you upgrade using the large package http://download.simplemachines.org/index.php?thanks;filename=smf_2-0-3_upgrade.zip it'll overwrite your present files, anyway. So, no need to uninstall, unless you want to.

Once done (Or, even, beforehand), you can delete them from the Packages directory, using FTP.

[MrPhil]

Do NOT, repeat DO NOT use SMF's Admin database backup. It's broken. Use phpMyAdmin or a similar utility to make a backup.

I don't know if there are any database schema differences between your two versions. If there are, you will need to edit the backup (.sql) file, or possibly the "upgrade.php" utility can do it for you (operating against the live database).

You're best off with a fresh install (or Large Upgrade) of 2.0.3, rather than trying to monkey with incremental upgrades, and import a database backup that's been brought up to 2.0.3 level (if necessary). Then you can decide what to do about the mods you want, once you have a working vanilla 2.0.3.

[warfacegod]

Where do I find these schemas?

[tumbleweed]

here ya go.
http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Phpmyadmin
Chances are you can enter into that right from your webspace control panel.
However if old host and new host have same control panel I am sure there is a way to either backup entire site and or just the databases to use as a install for new host.

[MrPhil]

Where do I find these schemas?

Either look in phpMyAdmin at the 'structure' of each table and compare them, or do a backup on both that includes CREATE TABLE commands, which includes the structure of each table. Either way, you have the structure (schema) of both databases at hand, and can see if there are any differences to be dealt with. If there are, you would update the old database backup (.sql file) table structure to match the new, and update the INSERT commands to add or change any data.

What might be easier is to create the database on the new machine, and run "upgrade.php" from SMF to modify it in-place. You should end up with a database in the newer format (structure) with the old data.

[warfacegod]

Alright, we've gotten the old forum updated to 2.0.3 using the big update. Am I correct in assuming I shouldn't install any mods in the old or new forum until after the move?

[Kindred]

Probably the wisest not to bother doing mods before the move...

[warfacegod]

As I thought.

[Night09]

Probably the wisest not to bother doing mods before the move...

As I thought.

Keeping the forum files in clean condition beforehand will rule out a mod issue if you do have any problems.

[warfacegod]

Now that both forums are on the same version, is there any reason I shouldn't ftp the old one to the new one?

[Kindred]

ummm... huh?   ftp what?

If you need to get the avatars and/or attachments, then, yes.. grab those via ftp and load them into the same directories on your new server...

However, there are no other files that you need, ifyou have 2.0.3 running on the new host.

What you need to do now is get a copy of the database contents. (as described, via phpmyadmin, export from the old host and then import to the new host)

then run repair_settings.php to correct any bad urls and paths.

finally, on the new host, install mods, one at a time with testing and backups between

[warfacegod]

I should have been more specific. Sorry. Yes, the attachments and what not. Should I do the actual forum move first or does it matter if I do Avatars and such now?

[warfacegod]

Never mind. That's a stupid question. If I move attachments, the new form won't have any posts to attach them to.

[Kindred]

Actually, that should not matter....   the attachments are just files on the harddisk, until the database associates that file to a post...

[warfacegod]

I had thought of that as well but I still think it would be wiser to wait until the move has been done.

[Kindred]

well, on the flip side, if you put the database in place without the files being present, the system will throw errors for each and every one for missing the linked file.

[warfacegod]

Perhaps but I can't copy over the files and the posts at the same time, can I?

[warfacegod]

A belated thanks for everyone's help and advice. This is Solved.

[kat]

Yay!