How 2 Guide - Backups, Upgrades, and Recovery!

[Bacon Butty]

Originally Posted by TheLastSuperman

Your welcome, when I launch my new vB3 and vB4 sites I will be making this into a video tutorial including how to use BigDump and install mysqldumper .

I don't suppose you have any indication when you'll be doing that?

I may hold off until you have you see.

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by Bacon Butty

I don't suppose you have any indication when you'll be doing that?

I may hold off until you have you see.

At the earliest this weekend otherwise first of next week.

[Bacon Butty]

Top man!

Will wait. Cheers.

Of course, feel free to use my vBulletin website if you need an example for the demo!

[fxwoody]

Great tut TLSman
Fallowed everything down to the letter and kind a worked ok until i removed the "define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);" from the config! lol ended up with CALL errors
Here's where i'm a bit confused, in the 3.8, i have like 28 plugins installed, now the proper way is to shut them off from whit in the options and then uninstalled them all one at a time and search from the FTP for the "uploaded files" of the plugins in question and delete them ! Yes?

Once all plugins are removed, then upload the copy of the test V4 and overwrite every files in the root. Yes?
OK, now in the ACP from the V4, we have the possibility to download from the "Plugins&Products" option at the bottom of it with the download/upload Plugins the plugins Hook location , ex: Hook Location : cache_templates , Hook Location : admindata_start etc etc.
Do we have to download these also and reinstall them after or simply reinstall every plugins used from the test V4 without reuploading "vbulletin-plugins.xml" that we can download???

I think that this part of the TUTS should be a bit more defined, for the newbies like me

Also, when making backup of the different styles that we have, normally every mods that we made in them for what ever reasons will be included in them , right? Do when making the backup in question, should both of these: Get customizations made only in this style /Get customizations made in this style and all parent styles be "on" when doing so?

I have made lots of mods in the CSS for certain plugins and styles to be adapted to the board and don't want to start all over again

Tks for the great help !

[ArchAngelz]

I am currently using Cpanel to backup my home directory but this can be clunky as it can only backup the entire directory and not just parts of it.

Can anyone recommend me an alternative backup script that can backup specific directories (with permissions intact?)?

I'm now looking for an alternative to cpanel's scripts which tend to be slow and timeout often (like I've now switched to mysqldumper instead of cpanel's sql backup).

If there is something similar for files backup, that would be great!

[fxwoody]

Ok, i redid the whole test site starting from the 3.8 with latest database, then removed every plugins (FTP and all) overwrite it with my V4 test, upgraded, reinstalled every thing, plugins,styles, updates counters and repair fix tables
All seemed to be ok except none of the modifications that were made in the templates were back.
So if i understood, i have to copy then paste in every CSS changes i made in the V4test to the new upgraded one, YES?

Now , i imported the vbulletin-plugins XML that i backed up from the V4 test and got into a nice fatal error!

Fatal error: Cannot redeclare verify_hhr_installation() (previously declared in /home/woodbumg/public_html/test/includes/init.php(331) : eval()'d code:10) in /home/woodbumg/public_html/test/includes/init.php(331) : eval()'d code on line 110

lollll i guess we learn with our mistakes!
Anyway to fix this one or i should restart from beginning again?
Also, there is no other way to save every mods i made in the template managers as i have 3 skins already and every one have modifcations for the smilies, shoutbox etc etc etc Lots of stuff to find back!!

Tks again

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by fxwoody

Great tut TLSman
Fallowed everything down to the letter and kind a worked ok until i removed the "define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);" from the config! lol ended up with CALL errors
Here's where i'm a bit confused, in the 3.8, i have like 28 plugins installed, now the proper way is to shut them off from whit in the options and then uninstalled them all one at a time and search from the FTP for the "uploaded files" of the plugins in question and delete them ! Yes?

No

Here's the steps:

1) Review your mods on 3.8, in the Plugin & Products area of the admincp you can review the mods installed, that is those who had actual product files. If you had simple little template edits for a custom script etc it will be lost and or you will need to add it back in 4.0.
2) Most of the mods are clickable (or should be) click their links and see if the author OR site it linked to has released an update for 4.0.
3) If they have released an update then simply disable the mod because many will simply update the old mod data in your database however it can't if you uninstall it can it?
4) If there is not an update, uninstall the mod (bare in mind some authors may not have it completely 100% uninstalling so watch for the tables in the database and also remove any of the old files associated with that mod.)
5) After review of the mods and the ones you want to keep are disabled then disable them via the config file as well before the upgrade.
6) Backup your style too while your at it :P

Now do all that other stuff but your issue was with old 3.8 mods coming back into play when you removed the disable hooks from the config plain and simple. You can't use many of the 3.x mods on 4.x it depends on how in-depth they were basically.

Remember to install the new mod versions, read all their notes correctly before doing so and sometimes a review of the thread to see if other 4.x owners had an issue will help if one comes up for you.

Originally Posted by fxwoody

Once all plugins are removed, then upload the copy of the test V4 and overwrite every files in the root. Yes?

See above but Yes once you have reviewed and prepared by downloading the new version if any for 4.0 then upload the new 4.x files over the 3.x files in your testvb folder etc.

Originally Posted by fxwoody

OK, now in the ACP from the V4, we have the possibility to download from the "Plugins&Products" option at the bottom of it with the download/upload Plugins the plugins Hook location , ex: Hook Location : cache_templates , Hook Location : admindata_start etc etc.
Do we have to download these also and reinstall them after or simply reinstall every plugins used from the test V4 without reuploading "vbulletin-plugins.xml" that we can download???

No, see above as most 3.x mods will not work on 4.x so you need to do a review of your mods as I described above before attempting to upgrade, make sure upgrading will not leave you without a function that you depend on heavily from a current 3.x mod .

Originally Posted by fxwoody

I think that this part of the TUTS should be a bit more defined, for the newbies like me

Also, when making backup of the different styles that we have, normally every mods that we made in them for what ever reasons will be included in them , right? Do when making the backup in question, should both of these: Get customizations made only in this style /Get customizations made in this style and all parent styles be "on" when doing so?

Hey hey now I try and can't anticipate everyone's level of expertise, one of those Catch-22 situations where you can;t make it too easy as explaining too much would confuse you worse but at the same time giving "enough" is also hard to get right .

Styles in 4.0 have changed dramatically especially with the introduction of the StyleVars system or the change I should say. Therefor based on that you should be aware that you;ll need to create a new style or download a free one from the Styles section, I recommend only using a style released in the same version as yours.

Originally Posted by fxwoody

I have made lots of mods in the CSS for certain plugins and styles to be adapted to the board and don't want to start all over again

Tks for the great help !

That's going to require some updating then, be sure to check and see if many of your mods made the jump to 4.0 by doing a review like I mentioned above otherwise you'll need to go about it much like the rest of us and simply get it done .

Originally Posted by ArchAngelz

I am currently using Cpanel to backup my home directory but this can be clunky as it can only backup the entire directory and not just parts of it.

Can anyone recommend me an alternative backup script that can backup specific directories (with permissions intact?)?

I'm now looking for an alternative to cpanel's scripts which tend to be slow and timeout often (like I've now switched to mysqldumper instead of cpanel's sql backup).

If there is something similar for files backup, that would be great!

Filezilla is quick and easy for folders and files, permissions are safe at CHMOD 644 some things will say change them to 77 but most times 755 is sufficient, not everything will work as intended if the folder is 644 it depend son what it is and also putting every folder chmod 77 is a huge security risk :P.

Originally Posted by fxwoody

Ok, i redid the whole test site starting from the 3.8 with latest database, then removed every plugins (FTP and all) overwrite it with my V4 test, upgraded, reinstalled every thing, plugins,styles, updates counters and repair fix tables
All seemed to be ok except none of the modifications that were made in the templates were back.
So if i understood, i have to copy then paste in every CSS changes i made in the V4test to the new upgraded one, YES?

Now , i imported the vbulletin-plugins XML that i backed up from the V4 test and got into a nice fatal error!
lollll i guess we learn with our mistakes!
Anyway to fix this one or i should restart from beginning again?
Also, there is no other way to save every mods i made in the template managers as i have 3 skins already and every one have modifcations for the smilies, shoutbox etc etc etc Lots of stuff to find back!!

Tks again

Hmm if you did in fact do this as a test site then your live site should still be up for comparison correct? If so please go back and read above, you basically need to review your mods and make a well informed decision on what to keep and well more but take your time. Style, if you had a custom one you will need to re-customize if it was a free style form here check and see if they released a 4.x version, if a paid style check with the respective site you purchased from to see etc.



*Also if your reading the posts from here on out and you plan to reply, noticing I have not posted in a few days or a while then simply PM and say, "Can you take a look at your article?" and upon next login I'll be here.

[fxwoody]

a thousand tks my friend for the feed back

This is what you can call, major good support!

I'll keep on working on those steps as it seems to me it's the most important part of upgrading from a live 3.8 to 4.xx .
Still, i am a bit disappointed regarding the whole process that vbulletin put us threw with this upgraded version in relation with the transferring process!
Maybe Impex should be revised and adjusted, therefor making the upgrade smoother between versions?!?!
To be consider

Merci mon ami!

[TheLastSuperman]

Originally Posted by fxwoody

a thousand tks my friend for the feed back

This is what you can call, major good support!

I'll keep on working on those steps as it seems to me it's the most important part of upgrading from a live 3.8 to 4.xx .
Still, i am a bit disappointed regarding the whole process that vbulletin put us threw with this upgraded version in relation with the transferring process!
Maybe Impex should be revised and adjusted, therefor making the upgrade smoother between versions?!?!
To be consider

Merci mon ami!

4.1 is said to have a new "Refined" upgrade script: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/entry...roved-Upgrader

[fxwoody]

hi TLSman, it looks like phpmyadmin had a little update and changed the template for the export function!!
Now, i tried to download and upload in my test a db but always end up with #1062 - Duplicate entry '1' for key 1 !!!

I filled the info from your tut asper what i think should be right but seems like i'm missing something....or, i have a wrong configuration in my WHM?!?

Tks
Woody