Loading 2nd database as read-only

[ElecMoHwk]

I've done some searching on the forums but haven't found anything really hitting this topic.
If I've missed something, please point me to a link if you have one. Thanks.

This issue is that the owner of the forum I'm helping out on, wants to load the vbulletin database of another site which he's acquired, as a read-only sub forum on his site. This would make the other sites old content searchable to his users, but not modifiable by them.

As far as I see it I have 2 options to get this done:

1) Load the 2nd database content into the exisiting database as a sub-forum. This seems pretty iffy and like it would require alot of db manipulation to avoid overwriting the current site's content and such.

2) Leave the 2 databases seperate, and use a sub-forum link on the current site to link into the other site's content, and leave the whole thing marked read-only, but accessible by non-logged in users, as non of the usersnames will match up with the other site's db (or, overwrite their user list with ours?)

Has anyone out there done anything like this?
What was your situation, and experience doing it?
Best practices for something like this?

Is there any method that is supported by the vBulletin team, or maybe just recommended as easiest/safest?

As always, thanks for all of the input in advance.

[SEOvB]

1. Use the impex tool available at vBulletin.com to merge the two databases together. It won't over write anything.

Create a subforum on your site, and then either move or place the imported forums underneath that.

Job finished.

[ElecMoHwk]

I don't want to merge the databases.

I want to keep the old site that was acquired as a totally seperate structure... and just put it under a subforum of the current site. My understanding with merging them, would make them both mixed together, forums from the old site along side forums of the same hirearchy of the new site.

Am I wrong in this understanding?

[ImmortalForums]

Then just leave the old forum as it is, set each forum to closed, which is under edit forum.

Then just create a link to the old forum.

[ElecMoHwk]

The old forum site is long gone. All we have is the vbulletin database. We would like to get it online without having to purchase another entire vbulletin license to resurrect a read-only archive of historical posts.

[SEOvB]

Nope, if you run another DB i do believe you'll have to purchase another license for a forum to be read only.

You can easily and safely merge the database.

On the active site, create a subforum called "Old Site Archive", then place all the "archive" posts and threads and forums underneath of that and make it so everyone can read it but not post.

[ElecMoHwk]

I have never used or tried the Impex tool. Will it let me bring in the "old site" database, into an exisiting sub-forum from the get-go? Or do I have to merge them, then move them all one by one?

[Angel-Wings]

Well - read the Impex Manual

It can import the old forum / posts / threads into your existing VB. Then or before create a subforum moving the imported forums there, making the created sub-forum read-only that nobody can post there or open new threads.

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/impex is the location

[ElecMoHwk]

Thanks all for the input. Will be doing some Impex reading today and will post the results here after we give it a shot.