XF 2.1 Server and Database Files where are they kept?

[DigNap15]

Hello I am famailar with computer files etc, but not so much with forums and webhosts

I keep seeing references to Server Files and Database Files

Here are the webhost folders for my forum

Public-html
.well known
images
Community
data
install
internal_data
attachments
js
library
src
Styles

Could someone tell where which are the server files and which are the database files?

 

[djbaxter]

None of the above.

Your server hosts/contains all of the files needed for your account, including the server operating system files. Your public_html diurectory contains only those files and subfolders accessible by visitors/browsers viewing and/or interacting with the site.

The server files are in different folders on your host drive. The database is in yet another folder on the server drive.

Normally, you would have access to those files only through FTP or SSH or cPanel, and even then on shared hosting or VPS hosting there will be restrictions on what you can access.

 

[DigNap15]

Thanks for that
Very helpful, and yet very scary.

My reason for asking is that I, like many others are wanting to upgrade from XF 2.1 to 2.2
I have upgraded through the browser for previous minor upgrades with no problem
My webhost does a daily backup, and I can do a manual backup whenever Ilike.

My main questions is

Can I trust the Restore Option if something goes wrong with my upgrade?

 

[djbaxter]

Usually yes.

 

[duderuud]

But as someone in the past said...
Trust...but verify

 

[djbaxter]

I had one fail once but if the backups are being done daily and correctly worst case scenario if last night's backup fails you go back another 24 hours and restore from that. Of course, you lose more of the recent forum content that way but at least you don't lose the whole forum.

 

[Mr Lucky]

My host backs up twice a day so I can restore to those via jetbackup. This database, files or the entire lot. I know that they happen about 1:30 am and 1:30pm so I'll often do any upgrades at 1:30.

However for belt and braces I might use cpanel or database and file export - download to my computer. (Then a restore can be done via phpmyadmin import for database and FTP por cpanel file manager for files)

Also a possibioty is to use phpmyadmin copy database function.

Beware, some default installations of phpmyadmin limit the upload quota to something like 50MB, you can contact them to increase this if necessary.