Is It Possible?

[firstbase]

Hello,

Is it possible to convert a 400MB database from PHPBB to vBulletin? The website has somewhere around 50,000 Members and and 300,000 posts...

One more thing, the database is not installed on the server, it is being sent to me, so can I set the source as a .sql file? or do I need to install it then convert it?

What's the easiest way to merge the two websites? and is it possible to import the database from a remote server and convert it?

Thanks,
firstbase.

[Jerry]

Is it possible to convert a 400MB database from PHPBB to vBulletin? The website has somewhere around 50,000 Members and and 300,000 posts...

Yes, I have seen 1.5 million post phpBB boards imported, as long as you have enough memory for PHP size isn't an issue, it just takes longer and needs some planning.

One more thing, the database is not installed on the server, it is being sent to me, so can I set the source as a .sql file? or do I need to install it then convert it?

Yes, you need to restore that file to the database then import it to vBulletin with ImpEx.

What's the easiest way to merge the two websites? and is it possible to import the database from a remote server and convert it?

It's it possible though I would advise against a remote import for a site of that size. Get the SQL file and restore it to your server so the databases are on the same machine there is a 99.99% chance that the phpBB database has the table prefix "phpbb_" so you can restore the file to the same database as vBulletin is using just for the import, though check the file before hand, you will be able to see from the first create table statement at the top of the file.

[firstbase]

Is there no way to make ImpEx read that sql file rather than reading the database? Because restoring it will take a lot of time!

One more thing, what if it's a merge between two forums, is there any way I can make ImpEx merge the users with the same username automatically?

Thanks.

[Jerry]

Is there no way to make ImpEx read that sql file rather than reading the database? Because restoring it will take a lot of time!

That isn't how databases or MySQL dumps work, so no you have to restore it. Doing it via the command line won't take that long, I've got lots of databases well over 1Gig that I drop and restore during a day.

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/main/manual_database_restore

One more thing, what if it's a merge between two forums, is there any way I can make ImpEx merge the users with the same username automatically?

Nope, though you can merge on email address as that is the safest field in the user table.

[firstbase]

Can someone from the vBulletin team be hired to do this for me?
Cause where I am, the network admin restriced TOO MANY ports, even TelNet, SSH and everything...

[Jerry]

Can someone from the vBulletin team be hired to do this for me?
Cause where I am, the network admin restriced TOO MANY ports, even TelNet, SSH and everything...

You do not have SSH access to the server ? If that is the case the sysadmin can restore the file.

[firstbase]

ok, one more thing.

This website has links to posts in it all over the internet, if I make the move, all these liks will be dead... So, is there any system I can set up to make these links redirect to the correct post?

Thanks.

[Jerry]

You can do nothing about external links around the net coming in, as you would have to change the links in all the sites around the net.

The best you can do is a mod_rewite, or have an intelligent 404 page that could re-direct the HTTP request to the main site, or even try and look up the post/thread/forum on the import id, though either option is going to take some custom work.

[firstbase]

Do you know of anyone able to do me this custom work?

[Jerry]

Do you know of anyone able to do me this custom work?

A custom 404 that translates or processes the original requested URL wouldn't be that hard at all, mod_rewrite would take more time and effort.

I would ask over at www.vbulletin.org