[SOLVED] Site Migration

[vangabond]

I just did all of the development for a site within a subdirectory of the domain's root directory. (The reason I did the development within a subdirectory is because I already had a static version of the site running from the root.) I now want to move the newly developed CMSMS-driven site from the subdirectory to the root. What is the best way to do this, and are there any issues I need to keep in mind in order to ensure that the transition is clean and all database associations etc remain intact? Also, while I am at it, are there any recommendations with regards to 'backing up' a site? (This is my first database driven site so I remain a bit green on these issues.)

Thanks again for all the help. The support team has been stellar.

[calguy1000]

1.  Backing up a CMS site involves
    a) Creating a db backup (usually a mysqldump) of the entire database used for CMS and storing it in a file
          (i usually put the file into some directory within my CMS installation)
    b) copying all files within your CMS installation to a secondary location.

2.  Moving the site up one directory level
      a) backup your original static files
      b) clear the cache in your CMS install (Site Admin >> Global Settings)
      c) move all files within your cms directory 'up one level'
      d) Edit the config.php to relect the new path (you should only have to change two or three strings).
      e) go into the admin panel in the new subdirectory, and clear the cache again.

[vangabond]

Hey calguy -

Thanks very much for the advice.  The procedure seems pretty straightforward, but unfortunately, the consequences of trying it were not in my favor.  The issues I now confront are as follows:

1. You indicate that I should only have change two or three strings in the config.php file.  There are at least six instances in which directory paths are specified in the file however.  Should I actually be updating all of them, and if not, which ones are critical?

2. Many of the directory strings in the config.php file seem to include directories that I can't even see when working with my FTP client, and go against my understanding of where the CMSMS site actually resides on the server.  For instance, the original CMSMS site path (as I understand it) is as follows: www.marcohaber.com/cmsmadesimple .  In the config.php file however, it specifies the following path to the uploads directory:  $config['uploads_path'] = '/home/content/m/a/r/marcohaber/html/cmsmadesimple/uploads';

In updating this string, what (if anything) am I to do with home/content/m/a/r/ as well as with html? If my intention is to move the site to the marcohaber.com root, why wouldn't the new path simply be marcohaber.com/uploads? Do I leave everything alone in the path other than removing cmsmadesimple from the string?

So, the general question here is: when modifying a directory string in the config.php file, what exactly should I be changing, and what exactly do I need to leave alone?

3. With all the trouble I was having in my attempts to properly migrate the newly developed CMSMS site, I elected to move all of the files and directories back into the original, nested, cmsmadesimple folder until I can first sort out unanswered procedural questions. I did not actually save any changes to the config.php file, so I assumed that the site would again load just fine once all of the associated files and folders were restored to their original location.  This is unfortunately not the case however.  The site is now a mess and I'm simply at a loss as to how it can be restored.

[UPDATE - The site again looks fine. When I initially moved all of the files back, the site would not load properly for some time. I just checked it again and now it again seems fine. Not sure how/why this happened. Anyway, I still do need info about how to properly update the config.php file.]

Additional tips?

Thanks again to you (or anyone else) who has helpful insights here.

[Dr.CSS]

If you moved it from root/cmsmsmadesimple and your string is /home/content/m/a/r/marcohaber/html/cmsmadesimple/...

Yes just take out the cmsmsmadesimple/...

That long string is just how the servers see it, when you Ftp do you go to site/html/?...

[vangabond]

yeah, thanks mark. i had to run through the migration process a few times, but i finally got it to work.