Invision Community 4: SEO, prepare for v5 and dormant account notifications By Matt Monday at 02:04 PM
FFOC Posted May 21, 2020 Posted May 21, 2020 I am having problems moving my site and forum over to another server, posted in the server section. I have taken over the forum and site management as we had no-one else to do it. As a result the PHP side of it all, and the amount of files dotted around in PHP5.4 is nuts. I am wondering if it is possible to do a complete new install my server that we are moving this too, but still use all of the old database info. I ask this as the current install is IPB 3.4, I am unable to upgrade this on the current server due to the PHP issue and I don't yet have the knowledge to upgrade it. Is what I am thinking possible? We have a lot of posts and topics that we really don't want to lose.
Morrigan Posted May 21, 2020 Posted May 21, 2020 You would need to transfer the database over and upgrade it before using the converter to pull it into a new database. But transferring the database and upgrading it should work just fine. You may need to make an incremental upgrade. You can reach out to someone in here to help you with the upgrade:https://invisioncommunity.com/third-party/providers/
FFOC Posted May 21, 2020 Author Posted May 21, 2020 32 minutes ago, Morrigan said: You would need to transfer the database over and upgrade it before using the converter to pull it into a new database. But transferring the database and upgrading it should work just fine. You may need to make an incremental upgrade. You can reach out to someone in here to help you with the upgrade:https://invisioncommunity.com/third-party/providers/ HI, sorry I got lost on that. What do you mean upgrade the database? Can you do that on it's own without the webspace and ACP? I am happy doing it. I have a copy of the database on my new server.
Morrigan Posted May 21, 2020 Posted May 21, 2020 You said you're moving the database. It would take some minor finagling (which I know I've done before) to get the database in a place to be upgraded but it is completely doable even if your previous server couldn't handle it.
FFOC Posted May 21, 2020 Author Posted May 21, 2020 I think I get what you mean. The database originally wasn't the issue. I cannot upgrade the forum on the current server as the forum is running PHP 5.4 and the IPB 4 software requires PHP7.1 or 7.1. I have tried to move the whole website, databases and contents onto the new server but it won't work therefore I am unable to get into the ACP on the new server to upgrade it that way. I suspect it is to do with the PHP coding and my new server as it uses apache and PHP5 is redacted in that version on it. So my thought was to do a fresh install of the forum software on the new server, then use my old databases and import the tables so I can retain all of our posts etc. Is this possible or won't the database tables for my current forum version 3.4, work with the new version without doing the upgrade. My priority is the information and members etc, I am not fussed about starting the design, PHP and look of the boards again if this way is doable as long as my members can still access it and the topics and posts are kept. I hope that helps explain a little better.
Morrigan Posted May 21, 2020 Posted May 21, 2020 You have to update the database as there are a ton of database changes from 3.x to 4.x. Having the server install files on the new thing and creating the config file correctly pointing to your database should allow you to upgrade the database. Sometimes you have to do it incrementally (like you may have to have a developer from the link I provided above) do it because you may need to go from 3.x to 4.0 to 4.1 to 4.2 etc to reduce on possible issues but I've upgraded databases from Jcink that are running on IPB 1.2 to IPS 4 before so its completely doable as long as the server is setup with the correct settings for IPS4.x. FFOC 1
Miss_B Posted May 21, 2020 Posted May 21, 2020 2 minutes ago, FFOC said: I think I get what you mean. The database originally wasn't the issue. I cannot upgrade the forum on the current server as the forum is running PHP 5.4 and the IPB 4 software requires PHP7.1 or 7.1. I have tried to move the whole website, databases and contents onto the new server but it won't work therefore I am unable to get into the ACP on the new server to upgrade it that way. I suspect it is to do with the PHP coding and my new server as it uses apache and PHP5 is redacted in that version on it. So my thought was to do a fresh install of the forum software on the new server, then use my old databases and import the tables so I can retain all of our posts etc. Is this possible or won't the database tables for my current forum version 3.4, work with the new version without doing the upgrade. My priority is the information and members etc, I am not fussed about starting the design, PHP and look of the boards again if this way is doable as long as my members can still access it and the topics and posts are kept. I hope that helps explain a little better. If the php in your new server can not be downgraded temporarily to the version that supports the 3.4. forum version, you can try the method that you mentioned. i.e. install a new 4.1.10 Ipb, import the database and then run the upgrader to upgrade your database. It is worth a try imo. But before you try the upgrade, it is best to make a backup of your database and check it to make sure that it has been done properly. Doing that will ensure that no matter what happens, nothing will be lost. FFOC 1
FFOC Posted May 21, 2020 Author Posted May 21, 2020 39 minutes ago, Morrigan said: You have to update the database as there are a ton of database changes from 3.x to 4.x. Having the server install files on the new thing and creating the config file correctly pointing to your database should allow you to upgrade the database. Sometimes you have to do it incrementally (like you may have to have a developer from the link I provided above) do it because you may need to go from 3.x to 4.0 to 4.1 to 4.2 etc to reduce on possible issues but I've upgraded databases from Jcink that are running on IPB 1.2 to IPS 4 before so its completely doable as long as the server is setup with the correct settings for IPS4.x. Thank you, I understand that now. I may give it a go and see. I can do a test install on another domain I have to see if it works, then if it does change the right domain to point at it. 38 minutes ago, Miss_B said: If the php in your new server can not be downgraded temporarily to the version that supports the 3.4. forum version, you can try the method that you mentioned. i.e. install a new 4.1.10 Ipb, import the database and then run the upgrader to upgrade your database. It is worth a try imo. But before you try the upgrade, it is best to make a backup of your database and check it to make sure that it has been done properly. Doing that will ensure that no matter what happens, nothing will be lost. I've got a backup of it all so thats ok. I'll give it a go and see how I get on. If it works at least it is a solution if i cannot migrate the original one. Do you just run the upgrader by going to mysite.com/admin/upgrade I will use my test install domain to try this and see.
Morrigan Posted May 21, 2020 Posted May 21, 2020 1 minute ago, FFOC said: Do you just run the upgrader by going to mysite.com/admin/upgrade I will use my test install domain to try this and see. Yes. FFOC 1
FFOC Posted May 21, 2020 Author Posted May 21, 2020 I have another quick question to this. It appears to have picked up the database as it asked for my login credentials and accepted them, it isn't letting me add the -TESTINSTALL bit on the license key. It skips this section. Is this recorded in the database somewhere, where I can edit it and include the test install part? With me testing this on my registered test install domain I guess it is going to have a problem shortly.
Morrigan Posted May 21, 2020 Posted May 21, 2020 Its going to be based on your already used license key that's already in the database. It shouldn't update anything and if you end up having an issue with it IPS support is really accommodating to upgrade issues/domains so fixing it shouldn't be an issue you'll just have to submit a ticket. FFOC 1
FFOC Posted May 22, 2020 Author Posted May 22, 2020 (edited) Well, it picked up the database, converted it etc. Said it had done it but then got a 404 error when trying to go to the ACP. Tried to go to the actual site and got this: If I try to click on anything else or attempt to log in then I just get the 404: I am guessing the old site webspace and PHP has something to do with this. I got excited again thinking I had a work round but alas, another wall. EDIT: In fact disregard the above. I'M IN!!! It worked. I had a look at the pictures and realised it was pointing to /forum which didn't exist in this. So I changed the conf_global.php info to remove that and it loaded up. Now to check around. Thank you so much for your help so far. Hopefully this is fine, I can learn the PHP side and add skins and themes as I learn to make it look more like the original. Edited May 22, 2020 by FFOC Morrigan 1
Morrigan Posted May 22, 2020 Posted May 22, 2020 Good to hear it was successful! Great theming guides are here: https://invisioncommunity.com/4guides FFOC 1
FFOC Posted May 22, 2020 Author Posted May 22, 2020 I’ve had a look at them. Might have to buy the pages addon too to help. Been reading about the Subscriptions manager we used o have, guess thats another addon I need to look at buying now too, the commerce one. We had 2 extensions, Subscriptions Manager and Custom Sidebar Blocks and both appear to not be compatible with IPB4, just my luck, lol.
Morrigan Posted May 23, 2020 Posted May 23, 2020 IPS has its own sidebar manager, you don't need Pages for it unless you want to make super custom blocks. Subscription manager is a Commerce only item though.
FFOC Posted May 23, 2020 Author Posted May 23, 2020 Thanks, I have managed to utilise the sidebar using for how we had it using the advertisements bit, along with some of the other features it has, same for just below the header too. I think we will probably upgrade to the commerce soon for that.
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