Upgrading to 5.1.x - req'd software versions?

[Dennis Olson]

I will be upgrading from 4.1.x to 5.1.x sometime in the next 30 days or so. I would like to get the following information please:

What are the RECOMMENDED versions of -

- MySQL
- PHP
- PHPMySQL

I will be providing the distro and version of the Linux running my server shortly, and will want to know the recommended version for that distro as well.

Additionally, I would like to know what "supporting" software (and associated versions) are recommended in order to maximize speed and functionality of this vB release. (Things like Capcha, a PHP compiler, etc)

I have a truly huge database (in excess of 30 GB) and would like to go to natural text search, and need to know that particulars associated with that. For example:

- Is it even recommended for a site this large?
- What is the exact procedure to activate it?
- Is there additional software that needs to be installed? If so, what is it and what versions?
- Will I need to keep my forum closed while I change over? How long might I expect to keep it closed? (Server is fully stuffed Dell R610, w/dual quad code CPUs and 30 GB RAM)

Is there anything else that I've overlooked? If so, what?



Thanks a million!

[Wayne Luke]

They are listed in the manual and here: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/artic...m-requirements

The Linux Distro is not relevant as long as the minimum requirements for Apache, PHP and MySQL are met.

- For a large database, you would want to use the included Sphinx search setup. Instructions are included in the Download Package.
- Not sure what you mean by activate.
- Any PHP modules in the required list that you don't have installed. Sphinx for quicker searching. MemcacheD for caching. Everything else listed under Recommended in the link above.
- You'll need to be offline for several hours using the command line upgrade script.

If your database is 30 GB due to attachments, you should move your attachments to the file system to improve performance and reduce the time needed to upgrade. I recommend upgrading a test/development installation first using a copy of your database. This will let you know if you will encounter issues updating the live site and will allow you to accurately estimate down time.

[Dennis Olson]

Thanks Wayne. Always nice to talk to you. If you look in my records, you'll see that I have a "Professional Install" waiting for whenever I pull the trigger. I've been holding off for at least a year while the 5.x product stabilizes.

As far as "activate" is concerned, for past versions of vB, there was a procedure that needed to be followed to switch over from keyword search to natural text search. I was never able to complete the process, as the process timed-out due to the enormity of the database. That issue was never satisfactorily addressed via previous support tickets.

I will review the referenced link.

Dennis

[Dennis Olson]

Will attempting to move attachments to the file system require the forum being shut down? ( Am assuming YES to that).

Also, will this process need to be executed via a script due to the size of the database? If so, do you have a link to the procedure and script? I'm still concerned about timeout issues.

[Zachery]

It shouldn't, but you might want to do it to be safe.