Backing up your catalog

[inetbiz]

On the new server, go into WHM and add remote host allowed in the SQL section. Edit your firewall and allow that remote connection to 3306.

On the older hosting account, edit any web applcations database settings for mysql host to be the IP of the new main server, new mysql user and new mysql pass. The transfer will be a bit sluggish durring DNS propogation but it's a great headache saver.

[inetbiz]

The version should not matter.  The complete backup facilities should be the same across all currently supported versions.

cPanel and other hosting control panel systems generally offer automated methods of creating such backups as quicker alternatives to FTP retreival.

David

If backup service is not enabled on your old host, the CPanel migration with acount username and password will not work. In this situation, login to the old cpanel and create a full backup. Select SCP and give the root copy to /home(x) folder. Go to backup from cpbulk and give it the old user name. The newly uploaded file would be detected by the new CPanel server. Now, all the account settings, emails, DB's, files are transferred over. Double check PHP version requirements of the web apps to what you run. Update fantastico if needed on auto installs. Check security strength of mysql user pass and linux user account. It should meet PCI requirements on your new server.

Edit the zone file to 300 seconds on your new server and tell them to update the nameservers. It will take approximately 24 to 72 hours for full domain propogation.

[David M. Graham]

Actually, your contribution would be most welcome.  Comparing notes could be very helpful to everyone.

David

[Liquid]

Thank you for clarifications David.

I was going to post a checklist of my running Cre Loaded website migration notes, as a punchlist of numbered items to this thread, since it's entitled "Backing up your catalog".

However I don't want to post information that is not entirely accurate, and I'll bet you already have a list somewhere.

[David M. Graham]

To get clarity, please correct me if this is not accurate:

Version: CRE Loaded6 v6.2 B2B White Label[13.2 (SP1)]

The version should not matter.  The complete backup facilities should be the same across all currently supported versions.

Backing up the database is done by Admin->Tools->Backup mySQL which is the same as Admin->Tools->Database Backup?

This is not the case.  Backup MySQL depends on access to the MySQL command line tools and to the PHP functions which allow processing a system command line.  Neither of these conditions is guaranteed to be met on any given server.  This is why there are two backup tools.  The Database Backup tool uses PHP to generate the backup.  This works across more servers, but is limited in the size of database backups it can manage by various Apache settings which, when set liberally enough to allow management of large databases, increases the risk of and vulnerability to denial of service (DoS) attacks against the site.

This has the Cre Loaded Admin user accounts and passwords in it. Upon restore, I would lose any new accounts or password changes done since the backup that I restored, along  with any new catalog items!

True.  This is why systems such as FDMS have their own partial backup systems, and why that approach will be extended to other systems during the course of EOS development. 

The website files and most modifications are not in the Database, they are in the file structure on the web accessible directory (usually /public_html/).

True.  cPanel and other hosting control panel systems generally offer automated methods of creating such backups as quicker alternatives to FTP retreival.

Where is the mySQL database typically kept in terms of files?

The MySQL server generally manages this, and the actual database files are rarely if ever owned by the site owners system user account.  This means you just don't get to back them up directly.  Instead you must rely on your authorized access to the database and tools such as your control panel, PhpMyAdmin, MySQL Administrator and so on.

David

[Liquid]

To get clarity, please correct me if this is not accurate:

Version: CRE Loaded6 v6.2 B2B White Label[13.2 (SP1)]

Backing up the database is done by Admin->Tools->Backup mySQL which is the same as Admin->Tools->Database Backup?

This has the Cre Loaded Admin user accounts and passwords in it. Upon restore, I would lose any new accounts or password changes done since the backup that I restored, along  with any new catalog items!

The website files and most modifications are not in the Database, they are in the file structure on the web accessible directory (usually /public_html/).

Where is the mySQL database typically kept in terms of files?

[David M. Graham]

This is great for backing up the database.

For files - ask your host to zip the web directory, then download it - or just name a directory on your local drive something like "backup_06302008" then download the site contents to it, zip the directory then delete it.

MySQL Backup can not be used on all servers.  This has to do with the use of the MySQL command line tools instead of the PHP library.  Where it can be used it offers more efficient backup and restores of large databases.  As these databases belong on either a substantial VPS or dedicated server this should rarely be an issue for the average store in its first 2 years of business.

David

[raven]

Backup your catalog as much as you can. Go to your admin, then to tools and click on Backup mySQL. Then click on backup and it will bring you to the page that gives you options of what type of backup you want to do. There is : no compression, use gzip or use zip.  You would normally click on no compression. If your file is huge or you have a slow connection then you may want to choosethe gzip(for unix & most computers) or zip (for windows web servers). You can also click on download with out storing on server which will put the back up right onto your personal computer. The best and easiest is to use no compression.