Basic Questions - Where are threads saved and how does posts come to play (for a mod)

[Quarterbore]

I want to create a long term "Archive" database that will live on my server that will ONLY have the old posts and threads that I have archived frommy active forum database to the new archive database...

I outlined my logic months ago in this thread:

https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=114702

I have been working on enough custom mods and hacks to my various forums now that I am darned near ready to just code this myself if I can...

What I would like confirmation of is that the "threads" and "posts" tables alone would be adequate to allow vbulletin to search?

My plan, is to create a script that will look at the age of a thread and if the thread has not beed replied to in say 2-years (my forum is not so huge yet) then I would copy that thread and all posts from the "primary" database over to my "archive database".

Now, for people to use the archive database, I plan to simply modify the search code to include a toggle that will let me select if the search will look at the current site or the archives. To view threads in the archives, I will also use copies of "showthread" and "showpost" such that these will be read only (no replies, polls, etc).

I welcome any advise but I g=have been looking for this long enough... I just need some advise before I get started working on it!

[Ntfu2]

Im not sure if it will work how you have planned. Instead I offer this idea.

Create a seperate forum category called Archives, then simply move all old posts into the Archive after the time period you decide upon.

[Quarterbore]

Im not sure if it will work how you have planned. Instead I offer this idea.

Create a seperate forum category called Archives, then simply move all old posts into the Archive after the time period you decide upon.

This would leave all the threads and posts in the same database, right? My goal was to prune out the old posts but prune them to a new location where they would help reduce the database size so the site runs better BUT do so in a way that the old posts are not lost.

I also plan to use the forum IDs in the thread and post tables so that when it is done the advanced search will allow still allow my members using the "real archive" to have the abuility to only pull up threads from specific forums. I also plan to expand the advanced seach to include an option to search "FROM" and "TO" a specific date as I am doing this as a long term plan so for example in three years when vBulletin 4.0 comes out I can recall in summer 2006 I asked about making an ARCHIVE and I can easily find this thread...

Again, my archive will be read only BUT it will use the forum tables, user tables, permissions, etc. from the main forums...

If the easiest way to do this is to just create a new table inside my database for "archivedposts" and "archivedthreads" this may be a good way for me to start this addition as that removes all the issues with connecting to multiple databases.

Thanks again for the suggesion...