XF 2.0 Is it possible to pay for XF support or assistance to perform an import from one XF installation to another?

Chernabog

Chernabog

Well-known member
Hello! Another XF community is merging with mine and I want to merge in their user base, messages and forums/posts with ours. It may be a little complex (I've never done a XF merge so no idea) but I was wondering if there was an option to pay for a XF team member to help facilitate the import?

Thanks!
 
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We don't provide import services.

You would need to contract a third party.

It's not that difficult though - the importers are fairly straight forward to use.
I recommend setting up a test installation and trying it out.
 
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Brogan said:
We don't provide import services.

You would need to contract a third party.

It's not that difficult though - the importers are fairly straight forward to use.
I recommend setting up a test installation and trying it out.
Click to expand...

Thanks @Brogan -- let me ask... when I do import will the importer ask me how to manage non-existent forums/message as in where I want those to go if I want them merged with existing forums on the server being imported to?
 
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I'm not sure what you mean by "non-existent forums/message ".

The importer will copy all content from the source forum (members, forums, threads, etc.) and recreate it in the destination forum.
 
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Brogan said:
I'm not sure what you mean by "non-existent forums/message ".

The importer will copy all content from the source forum (members, forums, threads, etc.) and recreate it in the destination forum.
Click to expand...

Okay that makes sense... then I can just move things around as needed. Perfect. Thanks!
 
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Silly question @Brogan -- I guess you cannot import content from a XF 1.58 to XF2.0.12 ..can you?

I am merging with another XF owner and we just want to pull over users, PMs and Forum content....

If I have to upgrade them to 2.0 -- my other question would be can I import from a remote connection to their database as our installations are not on the same machine?

Thanks for your help!
 
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Chernabog said:
I guess you cannot import content from a XF 1.58 to XF2.0.12 ..can you?
Click to expand...
Not with the importers provided by XenForo, no.
But if you really want to do that, it would be possible to write a csutom importer

can I import from a remote connection to their database as our installations are not on the same machine?
Click to expand...
If you can setup a SSH or VPN (IPSEC, OpenVPN, tinc, etc.) connection beween the two machines and use it to tunnel MySQL and use smth. like SSHFS, NFS, etc. to mount the remote filesystem - yes it would be possible.
 
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Upgrade the XF1 site to XF2, then import.

Imports need to be done on the same server (it is technically possible to do a remote import but it's not easy).
 
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Manster54 said:
I highly recommend @MySiteGuy for your project, if you decide you don't want to take it on yourself.. His service is excellent and his pricing is stellar.
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Thank you @Manster54 and @Brogan ...yea the servers unfortunately are not in the same location; so the I'd have to import remotely and I am on XF2.1rc1 (yay - finally) and they are running an old, old 1.5 copy of XF which I see no point in paying to upgrade just to pull their users, PMs, forums and threads... but since we are merging our communities I do need to pull it.

If you recommend @MySiteGuy than I think that is the best route for me, as I am not tech savvy enough to feel confident taking on something that could have so many side challenges. @MySiteGuy would you be interested, or do you have the time, to take on an import job?

Thanks everyone for the help!
 
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Chernabog said:
they are running an old, old 1.5 copy of XF which I see no point in paying to upgrade just to pull their users, PMs, forums and threads
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For the purpose of the import, there wouldn't be an issue with copying the database and files to your server, upgrading the database to XF2 using your license, then importing.

Although it's technically a breach of the license terms. we would allow it, assuming the imported forum (database and files) is deleted immediately and never used.
 
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Thanks @Brogan - so I could just toss the database and XF directories into a folder on my end, upgrade it and then import. You're good people ::brofist!:: .. I will talk to the person we are merging from and explain to them the stipulations in processing a merger that way. If I feel any push back or not certain of their intentions, I will just work the remote old copy to new copy import.
 
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Brogan said:
Exactly that.
Click to expand...

Hey @Brogan or someone, sorry to be a pain, but when I toss the SQL database into MY web hosting side.. it is not going to be properly linked to the XF1.5 install it is from - is there a file on the server I can modify to give required path to the database? Upgrading the installation to XF2.1 will be easy and likely using the import tool you provide under XF Customers will be easy also -- but I am not 100% sure how I should properly define the database that goes with this installation so that I can access it for the upgrades and then import from it?
 
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Okay, took me a few but I had my ah-ha moment once I found where config.php was hiding in the 1.5 version of XF. So I have the file structure in... but, as expected, the database is giving me a run for the money. I don't see how I can just drop it in and point to it without 'creating a database' via my web server's CP... so I went that route and then tried to import the database, but it is throwing a database error when I goto the forum and the following error when I goto the forums/admin.php

Server Error

Mysqli prepare error: Unknown column 'session_id' in 'field list'

  2. Zend_Db_Statement_Mysqli->_prepare() in Zend/Db/Statement.php at line 115
  4. Zend_Db_Statement->__construct() in Zend/Db/Adapter/Mysqli.php at line 381
  6. Zend_Db_Adapter_Mysqli->prepare() in Zend/Db/Adapter/Abstract.php at line 478
  8. Zend_Db_Adapter_Abstract->query() in Zend/Db/Adapter/Abstract.php at line 574
  10. Zend_Db_Adapter_Abstract->insert() in XenForo/Session.php at line 855
  12. XenForo_Session->saveSessionToSource() in XenForo/Session.php at line 574
  14. XenForo_Session->save() in XenForo/Controller.php at line 414
  16. XenForo_Controller->updateSession() in XenForo/Controller.php at line 358
  18. XenForo_Controller->postDispatch() in XenForo/FrontController.php at line 358
  20. XenForo_FrontController->dispatch() in XenForo/FrontController.php at line 134
  22. XenForo_FrontController->run() in /usr/www/ultima/public/shards/admin.php at line 13
Click to expand...

I am going to play around a bit more..I was really hoping I could find a way to just point to the database I was giving, without a username or password and without trying to import. I think the import is causing issues.

Any words of wisdom or thoughts are truly appreciated! Thanks!
 
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Copy everything from the XF 1.x installation including the database and files to the server you intend to import on.

You shouldn't need to change the config.php database settings so long as the host, user id, database and password stay the same for 1.x.

After verifying it works, then you copy 2.x on top of 1.x and it will setup using the existing 1.x database --- no need to create a database.

Finally, use the importer on the destination 2.x site to import from the the source 2.x site (which used to be 1.x).
 
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MySiteGuy said:
Copy everything from the XF 1.x installation including the database and files to the server you intend to import on.

You shouldn't need to change the config.php database settings so long as the host, user id, database and password stay the same for 1.x.

After verifying it works, then you copy 2.x on top of 1.x and it will setup using the existing 1.x database --- no need to create a database.

Finally, use the importer on the destination 2.x site to import from the the source 2.x site (which used to be 1.x).
Click to expand...

Did I mention yet today that you all are awesome? If not, you're all awesome!

So that must have been my error - I thought to make the old installation work I'd have to create a database on my end and import the old database into it - so that I could point the old XF1.5 installation I copied over to it so that it would read from it.

If my limited mind is getting what you're saying... I can pull over the old XF into my database structure. For example, if my XF2.1 resides in /public - I can put the XF1.5 in public/oldxf and place the XF1.5 SQL database in public/oldxf as well ... and without modifications to either - check that the old site shows up and works .. then toss XF2.1 upgrade over it, run the upgrade url for it and then do import.

I shall go try now!
❤
 
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Okay I have tried, @MySiteGuy -- and I am getting the An unexpected database error occurred. Please try again later. error...

It may help to say that the XF I have put onto my own server to upgrade and import from was not hosted on the same server or installation that I am hosted on. They use a different host and simply sent me their forum structure/files and SQL database.... so I assume XF does not know where to find the database and I am not sure how to tell it where to look...?

Any insight, please? :(
 
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I actually should have gone into greater detail with my last post but it was made a very late hour. I actually meant you shouldn't need to create any databases other than the one used for XF 1.5, you won't need to create a 2.1 database.

This is assuming you're using CPanel

  1. Put XF 1.5 in public/oldxf
  2. In cpanel, create a database name with the same name that is in XF 1.5's library/config.php file. Create a mysql user user id and password that is the same as those in XF 1.5's library/config.php file. If you can't make the exact same database name and user, then update library/config.php to match the newly created user and database.
  3. You should now be able to connect to XF 1.5 at yoursitename.com/oldxf
  4. Copy the XF 2.1 files (in the upload directory in the zip file you download from the customer login here on xenforo.com). These will go into public_html/oldxf and will overwrite some files XF 1.5 uses.
  5. When you go to yoursitename.com/oldxf, it will prompt you to upgrade it to 2.1. Do that.
  6. From the previously existing 2.1, you can now import the 2.1 that was upgraded from 1.5.
 
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okay I kinda get that and tried that yesterday. I can make a new SQL database and modify the config.php to reflect those -- the problem I encounter, since we are trying to import all their users - forums - messages and PMs ...is that when I make the new database and I try to import the data from their database into it...I get a lot of errors, like above from last night. I use NFOServers which doesn't come with the typical CPanel.

I did get a quote for assistance, which seemed a bit high - maybe it's not - but it seemed so.

This may be outside of my realm of knowledge. I wonder if just trying to import remotely wouldn't be a better route to take. I could still upgrade their site to XF2.1 from where it sits now - versus by trying to copy everything over to my host, upgrade and implement it ....

I want to try to make it as painless, inexpensive and smooth as possible - without becoming too much of a burden here.
 
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