Maybe it is an easy answer, but I can't seem to find it...

I am trying to migrate my forum to a new server, old is UBBT 7.5.3, new is UBBT 7.5.6.

So I can create a backup on the old server, and bring all the files over to the new server. But then: what import scripts do I use to import everything to the new forum site?

Thanks in advance!

1. backup the entire DB
2. copy all files over to the new server from the old one
3. if you are changing domains or the new server paths are different, you will need to edit the config.inc.php to reflect that
4. import the DB into your NEW server and verify current _non_ upgraded version is still running
5. then upload the 7.5.6 new stuff (only files required as in the readme) -- including install directory
6. run install/upgrade.php

--> forum is 7.5.6

And most would recommend upgrading the old version before migrating

1. backup the entire DB
Meaning: Control Panel, Backup, All Tables, right?

2. copy all files over to the new server from the old one
FTP from old server to new.

3. if you are changing domains or the new server paths are different, you will need to edit the config.inc.php to reflect that
Same domain, different server (new IP address)

4. import the DB into your NEW server
Just not sure what that means....

...and verify current _non_ upgraded version is still running
I'll have more questions once I get to this point.

5. then upload the 7.5.6 new stuff (only files required as in the readme) -- including install directory
Wait.... do you mean I should install into a 7.5.3 setup, THEN upgrade? If that is the case, I guess that explains Gizmo's suggestion. I think I'd rather install to a 7.5.3 setup and THEN upgrade. Is there any advantage to upgrading the old forum first? (I'd rather keep it running smoothly while I hack away in private.)

6. run install/upgrade.php
Does this step read the backup files I created in step 1 and import the data into the db tables?

I REALLY do appreciate all the help. Since I only dabble in this, I am really green.

1.using this option you will need to recreate the database and upload each of the 65 tables one at a time.
Depending on how big the data is and what tools you have.
You could use your host control panel to make a backup.
If it is cpanel on both sites there is a backup/restore tool for just the database and or just the files and or a complete site.
To restore at the new site the complete option usually needs to be done by the host.
Or they probably have phpmyadmin to do the same thing with more steps.
anyway you look at it you will need to create a database.

2. yes, The complete site.

3. domain does not matter. you will need to edit the file to correct the paths. it is mostly the top 7 or so lines to get the board running then you can open the ubb control panel to fix any other things like attachments,gallery,etc.

4. refer to 1 above.

4b. not sure but I assume they meant to verify that the board is working before upgrading. This is a best practice if moving and upgrading.

5. you have two choices upgrade before the move or upgrade after the move. Your choice.
If you upgrade after you move then you don't run install for 7.5.3 you just copy over the files and db and then edit the config file.

6.I would not suggest running install at all since your not sure what to do and also since you are moving first then upgrading.
Neither one of the options will create or import the database.

Update will alter the database if needed.
But you need a working board with the config file pointing to the correct paths/db and passwords.

Sounds like a lot of stuff but it is fairly simple.

I would suggest a trial run first before you close the old site.


Oh and don't forget to use the documentation for installation to make sure the folders and files at the new site have the correct file permissions.

I think I detect a semantics issue here...
As for backup and restore, I've been referring to the UBB Threads ONLY Control Panel >> Backup Tables option.

But maybe others are referring to the website's control panel backup and restore. I don't want or need to do that, since I want to create the new site as a clean site -- no old garbage.

I use WS-FTP, so moving the 65 tables is pretty simple two-step hop: download to my laptop, upload to new site, and all files get transferred in a single copy operation (for me).

I already have Threads 7.5.6 installed and running on the new site: http://184.154.40.242/~whitneyz/wz/

It's just that all the forum tables are empty, except for my admin userid. The UBB Control Panel shows I have 65 tables and a total 162 rows.

So I'd like to proceed and import all the data from my old site using the UBB Control Panel's "Backup Tables" mode to capture the data. Then move the backup tables using FTP.

Here is my main question: What is the next step to import the data from those backup (SQL script) files?

...or is that a bad thing to try, since I am backing up a 7.5.3 environment and loading into a 7.5.6 environment? (If it would be better, it wouldn't bother me to blow it away and create a 7.5.3 environment.)


And don't worry, the old site runs untouched until I get this done -- trial run at least once, maybe more.

Yes, you can ftp download the mysql database backup files created by the UBB control panel.
BUT...
UBB does not have a database restore option.

You can't just upload them at the new site. And it might have some issues between the two versions.
They would need to be appended to the new database.
Probably by the same tool you created the new database with.
I will assume it was phpmyadmin in the control panel provided by the new host.
So to do that you would need to import one table at a time 65 times.

And I am not clear on what you mean by old garbage.
If you use the old tables they will include everything.

And like i said.
Without researching the difference between the two versions.
If the tables were altered by the newer version then you won't get it right because you need to use the upgrade script.

Ruben, I really do appreciate all your help.

> And I am not clear on what you mean by old garbage.
Oh... not within UBB Threads. Just unnecessary html files. I run two webcams out of my site, plus have a few other pages, etc. Junk accumulates.

> then you won't get it right because you need to use the upgrade script.
Then backing up a step or two... it sounds like I should

1. On the new site
    A. Remove all the Threads 7.5.6 files and directories.
    B. Use phpMyAdmin to drop the entire database, then create a new, empty database.

2. On the old site, backup the Threads installation (directories and files), and Restore/install them on the new site -- effectively bringing across my old Threads 7.5.3 environment.

3. On the old site, run the UBB Backup Tables, download them, and then use phpMyAdmin on the new site to run those scripts to create and populate the tables. (Or is there a better way?)

4. After all is working on the new site, THEN upgrade Threads to 7.5.6

Thanks again for all the help!

Since this is your first time moving.
And your board is fairly small.
I would suggest just moving the version you have then upgrade later.
Just to take the extra steps out for now.
If your old site has cpanel. It should have a backup tool that you can elect for just the database.
It will make one file not 65 to deal with.
On the new site use the backup tool and select restore database.
You will still need to add the main user and password.

if the old site only has phpmyadmin you can use the export option and select all tables and use the tar/zip option. Then you can still use that as one file to restore at the new site.
Been a while since I looked at phpmyadmin.
The forum software files you just copy them over to the new site.
Then edit the config.inc.php file to correct the database name and user and password.
The top few lines.
There are also some paths/urls several lines down you need to check also.
Such as sessions path.
The rest you can correct in the ubb control panel.

Thanks so much! I'll check back to let you know the progress.

Just want to post an update here...

I got my site moved last weekend. I accomplished it by following these steps:

1. copy all directories and files over to the new site.
This effectively installed UBBT 7.5.3
Set permissions according to http://www.ubbcentral.com/doc_install.php

2. Create the database manually (I tried using the full backup method from the old site, but the install threw an error on the Create Database step -- invalid name, I think. New site required a specific prefix to the DB name.)

3. Took a UBB threads backup of the old forum, downloaded all the files (one for each table). Then using phpMyAdmin on the new site, imported each table one at a time. This took the longest time in all the process.

4. Changed the DNS registration to point to the new server.

5. Edited includes/config.inc.php and changed the paths where the ip-address was used to use URL addressing.

6. After a few hours waiting for the DNS change to propagate, the new site was up and working.

7. Had to tweak the webcam software, changing a few path designations to upload to the proper locations.

I realize I am still running the old 7.5.3 version. So I'll get going on upgrading to 7.5.6 pretty soon.

I sure appreciate everyone's helping out here, especially Ruben's. I could not have completed the project without the help.

Glad to hear it went smooth! I moved mine to a new host a few months ago and did it just about the same way.

Great,It worked. Now you see why item 3 sucks.
Especially when you have a big board.
And when it gets really big PHPmyadmin will stall on you also.

Before you upgrade just double check all of your enabled features work as you expect.

I just discovered a problem in the migration of my forum to the new server. It seems that some people's posts have special characters for apostrophes and double quotes. Any post that had one of those characters got truncated at that character. The characters are hex 92, 93, and 94.

I am curious how these characters got into the posts. I know that Microsoft Word uses them by default -- the characters are
more “curly” as you can see around that word. And the apostrophe (’) has a slant to it. So if a message is composed on Word, then pasted into a post, that would carry the new characters over.

Here’s “curly”   (Note the apostrophe, too.)
Here's "straight"

For an example of the problem, look at the Wilderness Permit Options post.  I can fix each post, but it will take quite some time.

Unfortunately for everyone, this problem would show up for anyone doing a restore of their ubbt_POSTS table.

...or is there a way to tell the backup to also "Escape" those characters? In my ubbt_POSTS.sql backup file, all the standard apostrophes within the posted text have a backslash (\) in front of them, and they were imported properly.