Shared database, only users, possible?

[Eagle Creek]

Howdy!

I have a question. I'll try to explain it so clear as possible.

I'm going to set-up 5 new vBulletin forums. So far no problem. But here it is.
My client wants to have a single-registration for all forums (if possible with selection).
So for example. I have forums A-B-C-D-E.
A user is browsing the web and sees forum A. He clicks "register" fills in the forum and then: he can tick checkboxes on wich forum he wants to be registered also. So he sees on forum A:
"On what forums do you want to register
A
B
C
D
E
"

Something like this.
The user is ticking the boxes A C and D and he is registered on that forums.
OTHER OPTION (maybe easyer) IS:
just register at all forums at the same time (no checkboxes at all). So, somebody sees forum C, starts to register and when he access forum E he just can log in and post..

BUT:, and this is the hard part I'm affraid..
The other foruminformation has to be seperated!
So when I give "Thomas" A nickban on forum A, he just have to have access on forum B-C-D-E. And when I make "Thomas" moderator on forum D, he still have to be a normal user on forum A-B-C-E.

Is this possble to do??? I heared it was a lot easyer in 3.5 then in 3.0.7 but how?
I know don't much about MYSQL so if possible, explain it easy to me.

[Xenon]

the checkbox option would be easier to do, just except regarding already existing nicknames.

sharing the userDB is possible theoretically, but as you mentioned already, the moderator or usergroup problem in general is a tough thing to to....


so possible yes, but easy no

[Eagle Creek]

Originally Posted by Xenon

the checkbox option would be easier to do, just except regarding already existing nicknames.

sharing the userDB is possible theoretically, but as you mentioned already, the moderator or usergroup problem in general is a tough thing to to....


so possible yes, but easy no

Checkbox system easier?

Why?

In my idea; it seems easier for me to register once and put the registerinformation in all forums.. But like I said I don't know much about MYSQL so when you say this is ""simple""; ok. .

I don't know exactly what data is shared. I already tolled my client that I was affraid that it wasn't possible because more data (like usergroup membership) is shared.

So; do you have any tips for me how I can do this? Or is ut just "too hard" to do?

Sure; everything is possible but it shouldn't take a month of work : -)

[Marco van Herwaarden]

It is never too hard, but it will need a lot of work to do it right (and if you can't do that yourself, a lot of money probably).

Reading users from 1 database is not too difficult. But keeping the postcounts, permissions etc seperated is.

Consider this a major project, to be done by an expert.

[Eagle Creek]

Ok, thanks. This is enough information for now.

I will ask if it's worth the money for him.

Thank you Marco and Xenon!

Edit:
Hi, I'm back ( )

My client is still interested. How much would such a thing cost?
I know different persons would calculate other prices but can you give me a "average price", what would you want to have for a job like this?

[Xenon]

Hmm, if you have one seperate DB to store some infos in additional to the normal forum's db, i think there would be a way which is not too hard to achieve. (ok, just a small idea in my mind )

i'd say a prize around $50 - $100 depending on what exactly would be done, but don't quote me on that

[Eagle Creek]

Originally Posted by Xenon

Hmm, if you have one seperate DB to store some infos in additional to the normal forum's db, i think there would be a way which is not too hard to achieve. (ok, just a small idea in my mind )

i'd say a prize around $50 - $100 depending on what exactly would be done, but don't quote me on that

I don't know yet or I will have just one database..

The 5 different forums are on 5 different accounts..
So maybe one account with a shared database only for the userdata?

I don't know what's more easier to make.

There are (in this example) 5 different webserver account configured on the webserver. These accounts contain the vBfiles (and database? don't know yet).
So it shouldn't be one account on the webserver, containing 5 folders with 5 forums .

[Dean C]

Apparently 3.5 was meant to make a shared user db a possiblity. I haven't poked with the source much yet but on first glance it still seems a pain in the ass to do

[The Geek]

In a nutshell it would just be much easier if vb had a table for base user data and then a seperate table for items like postcounts, activity and such. I wouldnt be so much difficult to do - just a pain in the butt to impliment as it means re-routing all existing queries accordingly.

On a side note, you could in theory just push user row changes to other forums. I havent looked close enough to see if there is a hook around the creation/saving of a user profile. But If there is, you could simply place a script in there that would push the releavant data to another database - in essence replicating it (seems the sanest way of doing it).

Hell, in fact... it seems very logical and not overly difficult to do.

[Xenon]

@The Geek: that was mainly the idea i was thinking about

there isn'T much to replicate -> passwordchanges, email, homepage, signature everything else like options or so, can stay individual i think.