php to html for archive.

Hello,
I would like to keep some of my older posts but since my board is a little busy I feel that I have to delete and prune posts to keep it from running slow.

I just got suspended from communitech for too many mysql requests which I think happened because of a bug in an older post. I dont my account back one minute after picking up the phone but I do not want this to happen again and I would like to have less requests to my database while still allowing people to read old posts.

I deleted the post and another 20,000 posts just to be sure.

What I need is a hack that automatically (cron job maybe) or by request in the control panel can first close and then convert older messages that haven't been replied to in thirty days to html and create an index of all the older html pages.

All posts over thirty days would be more or less archived but out of my mysql database because it doesn't need to be replied to but maybe referenced by a link.
It would help if this could be searchable too.
I understand that might be slower or cause a problem but if they are converted to html it might get more listing in search engines and I will not feel so bad after pruning to keep the database tables smaller.

Does everyone understand what I mean?
Basically removes older posts out of the mysql database and into html form while creating a index that has the title and the link of each older posts.

I would assume that all of this is possible and that others would need this feature if they have steadily growing tables and free space left from converting from ubb and wanting to limit the connects to the mysql database.

Dump database to text files for backup and convert to html.
This feature might be a good addition to this already great program.

thanks.

I've actually thought about that myself (also on CT). I however have thought about creating a archive table with all those posts, and then create html out of those. I mgiht look into this after the next release of the vB

I'm looking into this too. When I implement a few hacks I will be sure to post, but of course it will take me a long time to go through this having a full time job and all.

have you all tried stallions showthread.php optimisation yet ?

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=2774

also fodder's http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=2985

yes eva,

The point is to make the tables full of less data and to let people read old post but not reply and get it out of the table so it doesn't add to the problem of too many mysql requests.

Plus it will be better for search engines, I will not feel so guilty when I prune, and I have plenty of room for a html files archive.

Someone please help if they have some knowledge in this subject.

We need conversion of the php-mysql post to plain html with an index page that only has the titles of the posts.

Thanks if anyone is smart enough to figure this one out.
That was the great thing about UBB.
I could archive and not worry about the html files taking up too much space.
And since vbulletin has saved me 250MB over UBB I would love to use the space for a really good old archive.

thanks.

I made this suggestion some time ago, but didn't get much support, since it seems people here are firmly opposed to any kind of HTML static page in their VB.

However, I think this is an EXCELLENT idea for those like me who will NEVER prune their board and keep all their post years after years.

I support 100% this idea for the archives. Se we might keep 50000 / 70000 posts in the live database and the rest in html (shtml/htm/php) static pages.

I might add

- There should be a rebuild all feature for the static archives
-Archived posts should be REMOVED from the search index also (so it will not slow it down), but maybe, we could have a specific archive seach engine that will contain ONLY all the archive subjects fields to search ?
-The archive should reflect the categories of our forums: one folder per category so we can easily link it from the live categories.

Another solution might be to switch to an oracle database that might be able to handle almost unlimited number of posts without slowdowns. (John said that VB would support oracle and sybase....).

Benj

[Edited by Benj on 09-13-2000 at 08:06 AM]

I will not feel so guilty when I prune I know what you mean :D

Benj

how much is a oracle database... suppose it ain't free :D

I heard its about $1500 a year.... which is reasonable, because if you need it it means you have lots of traffic and good advertisements.

Benj