converting from 1.3.0.1 to 1.5.0

[eternity575]

Hi Everyone,
current system 1.3.0.1 no mods at all, just 7000 products and 5000 customers.
Currently running on a php4 server.
Got new server space, done everything in the upgrade/trasnfer links.
storefront worked, admin didn't fixed it, stopped working, weired errors. ANYWAY, I have decided to fresh install 1.5.0 and move only customers & products to it.
Please do not send me to the "upgrade links" again because it will just wont work.
did anyone had ANY luck just installing a fresh new 1.5.0 system and importing a 1.3.x db into it?
overwriting with "newer" core files and leaving loads of clutter seems like a weird way of upgrading.
suggestion for developers :) please make it easier to upgrade, it took me 3 days just to "reinstall" my old 1.3.0.1 system on the new server and import the old database to it in order to upgrade..
any idea what i can do?
help?

[gjh42]

Instead of importing your old fileset (which at that age would require a ton of file modifications, merges and deletions), just install a fresh v1.5.0 and import your old db, then use the "upgrade database" option to bring it up to date. A site that old likely wants a template makeover to look more modern anyway.

[gjh42]

My usual practice for upgrading is to compare my old files with the base version to identify all modifications, then compare my files with the new version files and merge only the necessary modifications into the new fileset. That way only the old that I consciously transfer goes into the new fileset. Of course, this is for a relatively minor version jump, where the template is still relevant and its style is not outdated.

[schoolboy]

The complex relational nature of the database, plus the fact that a lot of info gets written into a lot of places in the dbase when customers sign up, make purchases, pay money... make "importing" data in certain tables very risky.

As you have several thousand customers, you owe it to them to provide a reliable system... and you owe it to yourself to protect your business.

Remaining on 1.3.0.1 for so long is "inexcusable", but the forum is not a place to scold... I too have "neglected" issues in the past.

There is no escaping the fact that proper upgrading is the only way to ensure continued reliability. It could be that many of the problems you have are legacy issues, relating to add-ons that may no longer be compatible with newer versions, or poor edits of code in the past.

My suggestion would be to upgrade to 1.3.9h first - because it is still within the general "1.3" framework. 1.3.9h is still a reliable and reasonably safe version, and will bring your installation to a level that is far safer than 1.3.0.1

After you bring the site up to 1,3,9h, make a CLONE of it that you can then put on a "test" environment. Then your LIVE store need not be the "guinea-pig" for the leap into 1.5.

You can then relax a bit, knowing that the 1.3.9h live site is sufficiently up-to-date for a while, and you can then start examining why trying to take it to 1.5 is giving you such hassles - and you do this testing on the CLONE.

At least your live store carries on, without too much risk to your business operations.

[DrByte]

With respect to Schoolboy's comments, as far as upgrading the database goes, going directly to v1.5.0 is functionally no different than all the extra work of going to 1.3.9 first and then going to 1.5.0 later.

As far as eternity575's interest in "externally" upgrading the database, THERE IS NO NEED to do that. Simply install v1.5.0, make sure it works properly using demo data, then import your old database and run zc_install's database-upgrade step. Done. All your PHP file stuff is handled completely separately, and since you're upgrading from so far back, you'll need to basically build a complete new template and any customizations anyway ... so that's still in keeping with at least some of the notes you originally asked about. Everything else you were mentioning is basically needless or superfluous and just makes the job way more complicated than it needs to be.

[schoolboy]

Yes... Doc is quite correct. There is no "quantum leap" as such with the DB upgrade.

My suggestion is more about module, template and other add-on compatibility - the CODE side of the issue...

But even there, DrByte makes some pointed observations... Heed his advice.

[eternity575]

hmph...
first of all thank you for all the suggestions, the clone making is just too cumbersome as i need to adjust everything for php5.2 because 3.0.1 doesnt support it.
I will try the fresh 1.5.0 + demo and then importing and upgrading.
Theme is def. not an issue, i was SURE my version is 1.3.9 and was astonished to find 1.3.0.1 on the version link.
schoolboy, i SHOULD get scolded for working with such an old version, TBH we've stopped taking our customers c.cards because of a security breach that led a very serious meeting in the credit card company after almost 100,000$ were wrongly charged with data from our site (that is what they said).
LET IT BE A LESSON FOR EVERYONE THAT READS THIS POST - UPGRADE WHEN YOU CAN!
I will try your suggestions and report back, by the way, what ftp client you guys are using to upload ?

[DrByte]

http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Useful_Tools

[schoolboy]

the clone making is just too cumbersome ...

Upgrades should actually be done on a clone... We do clones in under 10 minutes...

by the way, what ftp client you guys are using to upload ?

We use WS-FTP Pro, by Ipswitch.

[eternity575]

Uh oh.. trouble here..
Ok, first, schoolboy, i could make a clone, problem is that 1.3.0.1 version is on an old php4 server, new one is on a php5.2 server, tried cloning it, but had so many problems.

so .. i have done the following:
1) fresh installed 1.5.0 on the new server
2) exported the whole db from the old server
3) imported db to new site
4) upgraded db
but now, i have a problem, since the old shop is NOT in english, everything is messed up (including template) so i thought "ok, ill log into admin and change template".. admin gives me a 500 error, i have tried everything i could dig out on forums & google. no luck.
any help?