How to transition PHPBB and MySQLl database to DA?

[Rich]

My site is using PHPBB and PCPIN Chat both of which use the same MySQL database.

I need to transition to the directadmin but I can't find the documentation on how to do download the database to my local machine and then reload into the new server.

I assume I need to do the following steps but I can't find the doc's on this and a search came up with nothing.

1) Lock down the phpbb forums to keep new messages from appearing
2) Download the current phpbb directory structure from the webserver to my local machine
3) Download the current phpbb MySQL database from the webserver to my local machine.
4) Upload the phpbb directory structure to the new server
5) Upload the phpbb MySQL database to the new server
6) Unlock the forum

The steps seem simple, but I don't know how to do steps 3 and 5 (download/upload MySQL).

If anyone else has done this, can you lend a hand by posting the steps here?
Also if I'm missing anything, please point that out? For example, I see that the directadmin version of MySQL requires that all databases start with username_ So I assume I have to change my phpbb config file.

I'd like to not lose all of my current users and postings so I do not want to start all over from scratch. There must be an easy way to do this.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

[eugene]

If you have phpMyAdmin (http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/), it is very easy to do steps 3 and 5.
And yes, you are correct in that you'll have to update the config file.

If you don't have phpMyAdmin and don't plan to install it, you can whip up a simple php script that will do the same thing.

Let me know if you need help (via Private Message).
-Eugene

[eugene]

I just created a little php script to read dump files. Contact me if you want it.
-Eugene

[Rich]

Eugene,

Thanks for your information.

I see how to download and upload with phpmyadmin.

However, i see that DA requires all database files to be prepended with username_

I was worried that this might not import a export properly as the database name would no longer align.

For example, if I previously had a database named: phpbb

My phpbb database entries seem to look like: phpbb_config

With DirectAdmin and the requirement that my database be named username_XXX my new database will be called username_phpbb

Will I be able to directly import the mysql database which without having to worry about the different names?


Also, if this database export/import is no problem, I guess just FTPing the phpbb directory structure and doing the import is all that i need to do (and the config file).

Thanks

[Nick]

hello NHFTRich

just download the tables and data
then go to the new DA control panel and go to phpmyadmin
import the talbes and data
then change your config file to access the new database name

[thevillageinn]

NHFTRich-

The easiest way I know of to download a backup of your phpbb tables is to login to the administration control panel on phpbb and from the left column choose "Backup Database" under General Admin. You will be given a new screen on the right hand side, and will have the option of the structure, data or both.

After this is complete, you can create the appropriate mySQL database, restore your backup file using myAdmin, install phpbb on the new server, and then configure your new installation of phpbb.

You do not need to worry about the database name, from the old server to the new. The table names will all stay the same, and the configuration of phpbb is where you specify the name of the database, the username and the password. Those will be sufficient for phpbb.

This move is not particularly difficult, but may be a little time consuming and confusing at times.

Best of luck, it can definitely be done, as I and many others (I'm fairly certain) have done it already.

[Rich]

HI,

THanks for all your help. I'm new to MySQL. I did this and it all seems to work now, it was easier than I thought!

Now here's some strange things!

I changed our name servers last night to bring the new site live.

This morning, everything was working on the new servers.

I rebooted my local machine.

Then I found that my phpbb forums (using a subdomain) was pointing to the OLD IP address of the old server, but the main domain was pointing to the new server IP!

I could confirm this by pinging www.mysite.com to get the new address but pinging forums.mysite.com brings up the old server! However if I go to www.mysite.com/forums (same directory as the subdomain) I get the proper path.

Is this a propogation issue? I thought the subdomains would be handled by the local server.

[Nick]

Hello NHFTRich

my first thoughts tell me its a propagation issue

ill do some more research and let you know

[Joe]

Yep, what Nick said.

ISP's typically use dynamic DNS... which means during propogation, it can bounce up/down etc... thats what you're going through. When your ISP fully propogates, all their nameservers will be seeing it in the same place.

Just a matter of time now.

Joe

[Ben]

Also, make sure you made the subdomain on the DA box through the DA CONTROL PANEL and not with your FTP client. ;)

Wont work otherwise. :D

[Rich]

Thanks for checking. This seems to be more stable today.

It was just too strange to me, I could ping www.myhost.com and get one IP and then ping forums.myhost.com and get another! I thought sub-domains were all generated by the root domain.

Perhaps it was a router caching thing, but it's more stable today although I did get one user saying he saw the same thing.

Thanks for the help and support.

[thevillageinn]

Originally posted by Andrax@Nov 15 2003, 10:54 AM
Also, make sure you made the subdomain on the DA box through the DA CONTROL PANEL and not with your FTP client. ;)

Wont work otherwise. :D
that's what I was thinking when you mentioned this problem...however, full and complete propagation will either solve the problem, or break the forum if you've not set up the subdomain correctly in DA.

[Rich]

All seems to be fine! :D

I created the subdomain in the DA panel, why fight the instruction manual! ;)