Server Migration

[*Halo*]

Hi guys, have a few questions on server migration, if anyone can offer some advice?

 

Preparaing to move an online community from a free forum host, to our own new server and domain.

 

Looking to do so as cost effectively as possible, and preferably, to do it ourselves, to further reduce costs.

(We're all relatively tech savvy, but not undertaken a migration before).

 

 

Any suggestions as to any essential software needed (if free, even better) to tackle this process?

 

Also, we're wanting to keep the old free forum as a back up, in case we ever have any future downtime, and need somewhere else to communicate.

 

 

- What are any potential pitfalls to be aware of during migration?

 

- Will all topics & posts on old forum be removed or retained when transfering to new forum?

(In other words, is it more of a cut and paste, or copy/paste, by way of a weak analogy?)

 

- And is there an option either way, depending on if we want to keep the old posts on old forum or not?

 

- If anything goes wrong during migration, is there a risk of members' accounts being deleted from old forum, and again, if we decided we actually wanted to delete accounts from old forum during migration, is that an option?

 

I think that's it for preliminary questions anyway, many thanks in advance for any help and advice you can offer.

[Joensuu]

I think you'll need to give a few more details. What software/product is your forum based on? I assume it's open source?

[*Halo*]

Thanks for replying.

 

We are currently using phpBB3, yes, open source.

We're considering switching to Invision for the new forum, but may yet stay with phpBB3.

 

We've definitely decided on the move to getting our own server and domain, but we're not ready to go ahead with the move literally right away, just doing our 'due diligence' and research first.

 

Any other info useful for you?

[stevegrant]

Assuming you're using MySQL as the database, you should be able to use a program on the old server called mysqldump, which will take a snapshot of the database and dump the SQL statements required to recreate it into a file. You can then transfer this file to the new server and run it to create the new copy.

 

The only problem you might have is that a free hosting package might not give you the level of access you need to do that.

 

I have a feeling phpBB might have its own import/export mechanism, so you may be able to run a dump from within the admin control panel instead.

[Baj]

If the free hosts are myfreeforum.org, let me know, my colleague owns it and I can probably get a database dump for you

[Tractor_Saint]

See if your current free hosting company does domain parking - that'd mean that you can buy a http://www.x.co.uk address and 'park' it to point to the free hosting company. Failing that, I've used hostrocket.com in the US but that was for mid-sized PHPBB forums. There are loads of companies out there that willl give you a good deal on hosting a phpbb forum. Just need to make sure they have MySQL and a control panel to upload and manage the website.

 

PM me if you need any tech help, I've set up many many PHPBB forums (the last one being about 2 weeks ago!)

[stevegrant]

See if your current free hosting company does domain parking - that'd mean that you can buy a http://www.x.co.uk address and 'park' it to point to the free hosting company.

I'm assuming the reason they want to move to their own solution is for performance reasons, so parking a domain to the same place they're operating from at the moment wouldn't make a blind bit of difference.

[Tractor_Saint]

I'm assuming the reason they want to move to their own solution is for performance reasons, so parking a domain to the same place they're operating from at the moment wouldn't make a blind bit of difference.

 

Wasn't stated as the reason they wanted to move. I'd assumed that they wanted to 'personalise' the site by having their own domain name...

[*Halo*]

Cheers for all your replies, much appreciated.

Sorry for my late response, been away for a bit and internet dongle expired.

 

 

Assuming you're using MySQL as the database, you should be able to use a program on the old server called mysqldump, which will take a snapshot of the database and dump the SQL statements required to recreate it into a file. You can then transfer this file to the new server and run it to create the new copy.

 

The only problem you might have is that a free hosting package might not give you the level of access you need to do that.

 

I have a feeling phpBB might have its own import/export mechanism, so you may be able to run a dump from within the admin control panel instead.

 

 

Thanks a lot for your input Steve, yes we are using MySQL, I will look into mysqldump. I don't recall ever seeing it in the ACP, even as a root admin. I could have just not noticed it, or maybe as you indicate, our free host does not afford us the opportunity.

 

 

If the free hosts are myfreeforum.org, let me know, my colleague owns it and I can probably get a database dump for you

 

Very kind of you Baj, thanks a lot for the offer.

 

Unfortunately we use forumotion as our host, but thanks for the thought.

 

 

See if your current free hosting company does domain parking - that'd mean that you can buy a www.x.co.uk address and 'park' it to point to the free hosting company. Failing that, I've used hostrocket.com in the US but that was for mid-sized PHPBB forums. There are loads of companies out there that will give you a good deal on hosting a phpbb forum. Just need to make sure they have MySQL and a control panel to upload and manage the website.

 

PM me if you need any tech help, I've set up many many PHPBB forums (the last one being about 2 weeks ago!)

 

Thank you for your reply Tractor_Saint. Yes, there is a domain parking option as I understand.

I'll just tie in your and Steve's last two posts too, as it relates.

 

I'm assuming the reason they want to move to their own solution is for performance reasons, so parking a domain to the same place they're operating from at the moment wouldn't make a blind bit of difference.

 

Wasn't stated as the reason they wanted to move. I'd assumed that they wanted to 'personalise' the site by having their own domain name...

 

You are both correct. The community is growing, and certain upcoming events are likely to see another considerable increase in traffic too, so yes, we are looking to boost performance; and yes, we do also want our own domain and server for the extra security, as well as the extra powers of customisation, control, and freedom to expand that having our own place can offer us.

 

It is looking very likely now that we'll be looking to move from phpBB3 to Invision Power forum software too.

 

 

Thanks again for you input guys, much appreciated.

 

The main concern we have at the moment, is if we are going to undertake the migration ourselves, how great is the possibility of us messing something up and deleting things we don't want to? Of course, it will all be being backed up first, but still want to be prepared for the worst case facepalm scenarios. --->