Impex import issue

[twobob]

Hi guys
I'm getting the common impex error of:

Connection to source server failed. Check username and password.

While I thought I had external access, no matter what I try, the import won't get past this screen.

So I'm thinking about uploading the import database (vb3.5) into the same server location as my recent vb3.6 fresh install and then trying the import. I think my only issue is that both databases have the 'vb_' prefix, so there might be conflict errors.

Is there any 'easy' way to give my 3.5 database a different prefix (eg vb2_)?

Grateful for any tips ... thanks ... twobob

[Steve Machol]

This means that you could not connect to the server. Your best option is to restore the source db to the same server as your vB and do the import that way. The prefix doesn't matter as long as you restore it to a new database.

[UDPride]

How would you do this? Create a SQL file? Then what? Where do you put it on your new hosting site and how do you call to it in the IMpex? What changes need to be made with the Impex Config file?

[Steve Machol]

You will need to make a backup of that database, ftp it the the vB server, then restore that db backup to a new database.

The only consistently reliable method of backing up and restoring a database is with shell access via telnet or ssh. This is because backing up with a PHP script like phpMyAdmin can result in PHP timeout errors and an incomplete backup file.

Please see the instructions here:

Backup:

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/maintenance_ssh_backup

Restore:

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/maintenance_ssh_restore

If you don't have telnet or SSH access, some people have reported success with these scripts:

MySQLDumper:

http://www.mysqldumper.de/en/index.php

MySQLHotxcopy:

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134821&highlight=mysqlhotcopy

Bigdump:

http://www.ozerov.de/bigdump.php

[UDPride]

OK, I hate to be an idiot, but Im not a programmer and I looked at those software options and they are pretty complicated.

I just need this dumbed down.


OK say I get a backup SQL file from the OLD board and the file is called "BACKUP.SQL" and I somehow get that file to my PC and FTP it back up to the NEW web site and place it in, say, /forums directory as

www.mydomain.com/forums/backup.sql.

How do I then use the Impex to point to that file and say here, restore this file to the database I have set up.

Or how do I tell whatever that "theres a file in the /forums directory, restore it to the database".

I dont anything about shell or ssh. I know MS-DOS telnet.

There has to be an easy way for jugheads like me to do this w/o looking at PHP code which looks like chinese.

[Steve Machol]

You cant' use Impex to read a backup file. You need to restore that backup to a new database as I specified.