Redirects

[lhungil]

I curious... What led to the decision to scrap the old data (database - sounds like 1.5.0) completely (instead of just performing a rebuild on the new version)?


Usually one can just export the old database... Then perform a clean install w/ demo data (clean set of files in a new folder + new database + same db_prefix and db_charset)... Once the install is complete (and verified functioning), One can drop the new database (and replace with a clone of the old database)... Then one can run the database upgrade from zc_install... This process preserves all of the data (and the IDs) in the database and most likely would have avoided any need for attempting to redirect URLs...

But now that you are where you are... You can stick with the new URLs (and go live)...

Or if you have not yet gone live with the new store and have good notes on all of the settings you have changed / configured... It may be worth going back to the database clone + upgrade db step... Then re-applying your changes (and re-installing any plugins)... This would be the "best bet" for retaining all of the URLs (and historical order and customer data)... If going this route, be sure to do a full backup (database and files) first (so you don't lose all your work).

[Music Man]

I curious... What led to the decision to scrap the old data (database - sounds like 1.5.0) completely (instead of just performing a rebuild on the new version)?


Usually one can just export the old database... Then perform a clean install w/ demo data (clean set of files in a new folder + new database + same db_prefix and db_charset)... Once the install is complete (and verified functioning), One can drop the new database (and replace with a clone of the old database)... Then one can run the database upgrade from zc_install... This process preserves all of the data (and the IDs) in the database and most likely would have avoided any need for attempting to redirect URLs...

But now that you are where you are... You can stick with the new URLs (and go live)...

Or if you have not yet gone live with the new store and have good notes on all of the settings you have changed / configured... It may be worth going back to the database clone + upgrade db step... Then re-applying your changes (and re-installing any plugins)... This would be the "best bet" for retaining all of the URLs (and historical order and customer data)... If going this route, be sure to do a full backup (database and files) first (so you don't lose all your work).

I had no clue how to manipulate the old DB and reinstall it. I thought about looking into it but was concerned, based on my lack of ability to recover the site completely after a crash, that the DB was corrupted also. So, rather than take a chance on importing a defective/flawed DB, I elected to just start over with everything being fresh. I naively thought that I would be able to find some way to do a global redirect for those pages out there on the search engines. Part of my problem with all this is my lack of knowledge of how the DB interfaces with the cart itself.....you don't know what you don't know and in some cases you don't even know that you should ask a particular question early on to eliminate dead end efforts.....if that makes sense.

I must admit that I learned a lot more during this installation than I had in the past where I allowed my ISP to do the initial install. This time, since my ISP was still back at v1.5.1 I elected to install v1.5.4 myself..... So next time I won't be so afraid to try and will probably be ready to attempt a DB import.