I have a client who wishes me to perform a complete site upgrade, from Joomla 2.5.17 and JomSocial 2.6.0 to Joomla 3.3.1 and JomSocial 3.2.0.5. His support license has expired, but would renew, should I take the job. Before I do, however, I'd like some input on the best practices for doing such a migration.

I was thinking it would be best to set up the new J3.3.1 and 3.2.0.5 site on a separate domain and transfer the user data from old to new site, then replace the old site with the new to minimize down-time, once the new site is 100% operational.

Please advise on the best way to do this, and what tools you might recommend to accomplish a complete user and contents migration, from 2.6 to 3.2.x.

Thank you.
Matt

Hi Matt,

You can try do upgrade directly to version 3.2, if there any bugs or fields are missing in some tables, we will help you and post a topic for that.

Dont forget to use the dev site for the upgrading and backup the data first

thank you

Sorry, but I don't think you read my request very closely.

The client is insistent upon the currently public site (J2.5 running JomSocial2.6) to not be offline for any length of time. He wants Joomla upgraded to 3.2.x and JomSocial upgraded to 3.2 on a completely fresh install, hence the fresh, new development site on a separate domain.

Under those criteria, how would one best go about transferring the users and their profile contents from the old site to the new? I'm willing to buy migration software -- if it works -- and was hoping for some informed input or recommendations on how best to go about it. Upgrading the existing site is not a possible solution, I'm afraid, or I'd have simply done that.

Thanks in advance for your further consideration on the matter.

Matt

Hi Matt,

For Joomla upgrade please you follow this docs.joomla.org/J3.2:Upgrading_from_an_existing_version

For Jomsocial upgrade, do you want still use the old data from prev version? if you want completely fresh install jomsocial as you said, you need uninstall Jomsocial first and delete all tables #__community from phpmyadmin, after that you install Jomsocial like usual.

thank you

I'm sorry, Dimas. It appears we're not really communicating well. Could you please forward my request for help up the chain of command? I just don't think you're understanding what I want to do.

Please, I don't mean any offense... but I need to get this problem resolved soon, and I'm losing valuable time trying to explain the problem multiple times.

Thanks for your attempts to help me. But right now, I need someone who understands my problem.

Please, I really need to get this project moving along. Can anyone help me?

Matt

Hi, Matt.

So to make it clear: you want to set up a completely NEW and CLEAN installation of Joomla! and JomSocial (in latest versions) but with user data transfered. So user will have their profiles, J! accounts (obvious), profile settings... but without any data or activities.

Is that right?

I wish to transfer everything that I can from the old Joomla and JomSocial install (J2.5 and JS2.6) to a fresh install and latest version of Joomla and JomSocial. Users, activities, forum posts, everything that I can.

But I cannot have downtime on the old site in the process -- otherwise I'd just upgrade it. And if I must still upgrade all of it, in order to create a compatible DB structure, that's I guess what we'll have to do -- but I'll need to do it all in a single night, late, when no users are on the site, and then replace it with the new site, all at once.

BUT, I was hoping to have more time with it, and do things slowly and cautiously, so moving the data from the old site to the new site, while the old site remained intact, was my ideal scenario.

Matt

Are there any extensions for transferring users and user generated content that you recommend? I know I've used one in the past long ago, but I forget its name.

Hi Matt,

For playing safetly www.jomsocial.com/jomsocial-developers , I suggest you hire the 3rd party dev for migrating jobs, use the 3rd party cant be broken in the middle (if that 3rd party already outdated)

Thank you

I *AM* a 3rd Party Developer. I'm looking for advice on the best method. Not for you to do it for me.
This shouldn't be a terribly difficult request. I just want to know the best method from the people who are supposed to know the software best. It's the difference between you guys making another license sale, and me taking on a job -- or me passing on the job because it's too difficult, and you not making another sale. That simple!

So please either help, or tell me you don't know. Suggesting I hire a developer is a total cop-out.

HI Matt,

There are a few ways this can be done. the best way i have found is as below. I have had issues with migrating sites from J2.5 to J 3.X and i found this to be the main problem i struck every time i had to upgrade. Everything goes great apart from the core system. I have found If the site has originally started as J1.5 there will be legacy items that seem to break the 2.5 > 3 process, regardless of this here is how i have done many sites and it seems to work fine every time for me.

Do this a week or so out from when the client needs the upgrade done, give your self plenty of time in case you hit a bug thats hard to trace and need support form us or anyone for that matter.

prerequisites:
1. Clean the site and test it thoroughly, don't assume everything is working before you start. disable anything that is not being used so you don't end up moving a component or plugin that has no need to be migrated.

2. Check every component that is running on the site and make sure it is compatible with joomla 3X i have seen many migrations fail at the very end because a small component was not available for the new version and it was a critical part of the old site.

Get started
1. Get yourself a copy of Akeeba backup, www.akeebabackup.com/download.html The core is free and will do everything you need for this process. Put it on the live site then make a copy of the site and put it on a development server. Now we are no where near the live site so the pressure is off. :)

2. Upgrade jomsocial version by version and don't skip anything in between. have a read of this document here documentation.jomsocial.com/wiki/Updatin...d_JomSocial_Versions . The most important thing here is to take a backup at every point, and i mean EVERY point. At each version, stop and check that nothing is broken. Moving ahead too fast may mean you miss a big bug and you wont know where it stated. Get the site up to the latest version of jomsocial.

3. Start checking everything on the site to see if anything has failed, If you find so something broken switch the site to the prostar template and then debug. so many things can be caused by templates or plugins that may not even be seen on the front end

4. Backup again at this point then move the site up to joomla 3 and test it is all working ok. if it is then we are all good to migrate the site to a brand new one. remember, back up at every point no matter how boring it is. Also note that by default Akeeba rotates backups so once you get past i think 3 backups it will start deleting the old ones. Each time you back up the site move the backup archive file to another directory. i have been 10 steps deep and needed my 3rd backup only to find it's gone :)

5. Build yourself a brand new Joomla 3 site and install every component including jomsocial. make sure every version is identical and working fine.

6. Get a copy of Migrate me plus www.php-web-design.com/Joomla-Components...la-3-in-seconds.html This is how i personally do migrations and i have never had a failure with this product, but that is my personal opinion.

7. Follow the steps and read all the instructions from theses guys and in a matter of minutes you will have a brand new joomla 3 site with the latest jomsocial on it.

I have also used Migrate me plus to move PHPBB from some big sites and it seems to move anything you want seamlessly

Also Have a read of this post i made back when i was a customer myself, it relates to J1.5 to jommla 3X but it is a good way to migrate and may have a few good tips in there for you. www.jomsocial.com/forum/community-discus...1?limitstart=0#54953

The most important advice i can give you is do EVERYTHING on a test site first, it may seem like a slow way to do it but from experience i can promise you if you attempt this on a live site on a weekend and something goes wrong you will be in all kinds of mess and apart from an angry customer no one will be around to help.

Let me know if you hve anymore questions and ill see if i can help you further

Thank you Paul. That was the sort of in-depth, really helpful response I have come to expect from JomSocial support.

I'll be a lot more confident going into this job now, and signing up yet another new JomSocial customer very soon.

Matt

Hi Matt,

No problems at all. I also i wanted to mention i will get to the moods tutorial in the next few days i am sorry i haven't done anything on it yet. i'm a bit back logged but i am catching up fast. :)

Have a great day