Moving Phpbb Forums

[NoDeity]

The main component of our site is our message board. It's phpBB

 

We are considering a move, although it won't be very soon because we've got a number of months left before what we've already paid for at our present host runs out.

 

The key question for me is this: is there likely to be any difficulty moving the board intact, without losing the message base or user base data?

[borfast]

NoDelty, you shouldn't have any problems at all.

 

The only problems might be the name and username for the database, and the path for the webboard but these are easily solved by editing phpBB's configuartion file. Nothing will happen to your posts or users

 

The process will consist basically of these steps:

1 - backing up the existing database;

2 - copying the webboard files from your current host over to TCH;

3 - importing the database into your TCH account;

4 - adjusting the database name, username, possibly password and paths in phpBB's config file;

 

You should do this whith your current account still active, obviously. Or else you won't have access to the files

I also suggest that you shut down the webboard while the transfer is made, so people don't post new messages that will not be kept on the new webboard.

 

When the time comes, just ask for help here at the forums and we'll gladly help you out with that. Hope to see you soon

Edited September 4, 2003 by borfast

[TCH-JimE]

Hi,

 

You will find that because of the domain name not being transferred, you may have to set the cookie part of phpBB to a different name, don't worry, it wont damage the board or anything.

 

As borfast said, if you got any more questions about phpBB, you know where to come!

 

Jim

[NoDeity]

Okay, some time before the final transfer is done, I want to do a test run.

 

I have the .com .net and .org of our domain name. Of course, one will be primary and the other two will be parked. On our current host, the .net is primary but I want to change that when we make the move.

 

So, some time before we make the move, I plan to set up the new account here with the .com (when the time comes, I'll park the .net and .org here). I'll try to transfer the board over and, once I'm confident that I can do it successfully, I'll delete what I moved and move it all over (some days or weeks may pass between the test and the final move, so it'll all be out of date by then).

 

Then, I assume that I'll have to do a bit of editing to make sure phpBB knows that the .com and not the .net is the primary.

 

Does that make sense? Does it sound like it would be effective?

[TCH-JimE]

Hi,

 

Intresting,

 

1st Its not a problem to do it that way

 

2nd No i dont think the forum will care whether its a .co.uk or a .org or whatever, just make sure you cahnge the settings in the admin setup

 

Jim

[NoDeity]

About MySQL versions...

 

My current host uses MySQL version 3.x and TCH uses 4.x

 

Is that likely to be a problem when I transfer my forums here?

[TCH-Sales]

If it was the other way around it might, but since TotalChoice Hosting uses faster and better MySQL I don't think it should be.

[NoDeity]

Good. I appreciate all the help. I'll know where to come crying if I screw up the transfer.

[TCH-Sales]

That's what we're here for! We're just one big happy hosting family.

[NoDeity]

I have another pre-sales question. This one might seem strange but please humour me.

 

If I start a site here using domain name A and have domain name B parked on it, can I later change to having domain name B as the primary and domain name A as the parked one?

 

(If the answer is yes, I'll probably be starting sooner rather than later.)

[TCH-Andy]

Yes

 

Just open a ticket in the help desk and we would sort it out for you.

 

Andy