How do I Test Mods & Hacks without Messing up my Live Site?

[NashChristian]

Lynne,

I backed up the live site database through my vB AdminCP>Maintenance>Database Backup. Is that ok?

I'm on hold with my ISP right now. They're phpMyAdmin control panel is not allowing me to import a file over 8mb to restore the database, and my file is 13 MB! So they are having to import it via the SSH option for me, as I don't have SSH permissions on my account.

I need to find a new host for this site. 1&1 only allows a max database size of 100MB. They will allow me multiple databases, but their max. file size is still 100MB per data base, which is not going to be enough.

I've heard that SiteGround.com has awesome prices for forum sites, so I've been planning to look into making the switch once my site got up and running. I was just trying to hold off on getting another monthly expense, since I already had the shared hosting package through 1&1.

I was thinking that without the data, I would still get my site looking like the day I purchased it from vB, just without content. I was forgetting that vB uses the database to store a lot of settings and internal data besides just the threads and posts.

So I have to run the upgrade script after this database gets restored? I wasn't anticipating this step. What will the upgrade script do in this instance?

I'm also curious, if later on, I want to update the data in my TEST site, how do I OVERRIGHT the data that I'm currently importing into the test database tables?

Also, how do I know which settings I change are stored in the database? So basically, if you make changes on your test site that are stored in the database, you have to go in and manually make the same changes again to your live site, since there is no way of automating this process once you like the changes, is that correct?

So do you just use this for modifying templates and installing mods? If I go in and edit phrases and things like that, a test site really won't help much will it?

I'm a little confused. I was hoping that a test site would be as simple as testing all changes and functions, then once you work the bugs out, upload it to the new site. It seems that there is a bit more to it than that. Can you give me an idea of what you realisitically use it for, and what types of changes are more a pain than their worth in a test environment?

Thanks a bunch!
Jeff

--------------- Added [DATE]1203412348[/DATE] at [TIME]1203412348[/TIME] ---------------

It's been a long day, but I think that I've got this all worked out now. (Thanks to all your help!!!)

After I got my database restored to the new test database, and the config file setup correctly, the two sites (live and test) now seem to be operating independantly.

Once this was done correctly, I was able to reinstate my .htaccess password protection on my test site, without it affecting my live site anymore.

I still have a couple of outstanding questions which I would like to understand, if anyone would be so kind as to answer:

First I did not run the upgrade.php, and I want to ensure that is OK. The reason I didn't run it, is because I am not wanting to modify my site version prior to 3.7 going gold. I'm simply wanting to setup a test site at the moment for any mods/hacks. Did this need to be run for some reason, even without actually upgrading to a newer version of vB?

Am I correct in thinking that any settings which I change, or hacks that I implement are stored in the DATABASE except for the templates for each style? Or maybe the templates are too, but they can be downloaded and then imported into my live site?

I'm confused about what changes I should try to make on my test site, and what I shouldn't bother trying to do because I will still have to go manually make the same changes on my live site afterwards. Can someone please explain this to me? What changes are worth making in a test environment?

Initially I thought that I could test ALL changes, and then simply FTP overwright my live site with my test site after I work out all the bugs. This seems to NOT be the case though, for two reasons: First with an online test site some of the pathing would be different. Surely I could try to minimize this, but still SOME would be different. This may be avoidable with an OFFLINE/LOCAL test environment, if the .htaccess file will allow ALL site variables to remain the same, however there still is another problem: any settings or changes stored in the database will not upload along with the test site when I overwright my live site. I don't see any way around this, since there is no way for your test database to stay current in Real Time, with the data that has been entered via posts & threads, since the time when the test environment was created. Unless there were some sort of a mirroring of the data, which I'm unfamiliar with in this application.

Do Admin's who use local test sites find it more helpful to do so? Do they really NOT have to modify any site variables? Can they simply FTP overwright their live site with their test site once the work is done? How is it better and why does it help?

So, how do admins really and truly get the MOST out of a test site? Do they typically only use it for template modifications and upgrades? How can I use this to my best advantage?

I'm also curious, if later on, I want to update the data in my TEST site, how do I OVERWRIGHT the data that I've just imported into my database? Is there some way to flush out the database and reload it? Or must I create a new database and simply delete the old one, forcing me to redo a bit of configuration work?

I have one last question I mentioned earlier, for Marco or another vB staffer:

With my entire test site directory .htaccess protected, how do I request help from others on public forums such as this one and vbadvanced? I have a lot of situations where I post a link to demonstrate the problem I am encountering, for whoever reads and responds to my post. (This could be anyone.)

Is there a work-around for this with .htaccess, or do I need to temporarily disable it in times like this, or do I need to publically post a temporary User Name and Password, or what do most admins do to facilitate this?

Thanks again for everyone's help! Thank you especially Lynne for all the time you took to help me today!


Jeff