REQ: Prune Theads to Archive Database and Read Only vB for these old archive threads
 

I am looking for advise on this project and offering to help to work on this project with anybody else that is willing and able to work on this major hack for vB!

What I would like to build a true ARCHIVE database for older threads that need to be pruned from the database. Following is my basic idea of how this might be done:

After a thread in a public forum (Special permissions forums would likely be too complicated initially) has hit a set prune age (we could set an "archive age" in the forum settings), I would like the standard vB forum software to take a thread (Thread Info, Posts in thread, Post Number, User ID, Forum Info, etc, etc.) and move the thread into an archive database.

Some basic assumptions are likely needed:

• Member IDs in the archive will need to be the same as the active forum
• Forum Numbers will need to be constant (renaming a forum will cause problems with search)
• Archive database will need to be able to have new members and forums added based on the current database. Deleted forums or users must remain in the archive!

As for attachments, My personal oppinion is that attachments could be very difficult to archive (size as well as practicality issues) so for an initial product I could live without attachments being archived but it would be smart to consider that addition in the future.

Once the thread(s) have been moved to the archive database (the second database) I would then like the original thread to be removed from the forums.

Now, to use the archive, permssions would only be needed based on if the group has access to the archive search script. The archive would be strictly READ ONLY so it might involve the removing of some of the buttons in scripts like "showthread" as the "Post Reply" would not be needed.

So, this is my dream but it is a project I can not do by myself due to time issues... If this already exists, I would love more information as I would be willing to pay for a super modification that could accomplish this!

And what would be the function of this?

Reduce database siye at the cost of thread not being searchable anymore? Doubt many want to use that.

Actually, I thought that if a member didn't like the search results in the "current database" that they could go to the archive database and search that for older posts.

The forum I want this for is more if an information resource website so my posts could be something that a person might want to be able to search back into the past.

Am I really out in left field with thinking this would be a great addition?

Also, with the lite version it might also be possible to export the archives to a CD format (access database perhaps) so that a "year in review" could be published of the public threads. Yea, that would require some extensive work as well but once you get the public only threads the rest of the export and manipulation of the data should be possible.