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  1. #31
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by schoolboy View Post
    You could create a SUB-FOLDER on your current install (call the folder "testsite"), and create a CLONE of your current site that runs out of that folder.

    You will need to create copies of:

    1. The FOLDERS and FILES
    2. The DATABASE.

    All of this can be done in C-Panel (assuming you are with a host that runs a proper C-Panel).

    MAKE A BACKUP OF EVERYTHING FIRST... AND THEN...

    In the C-Panel FILE MANAGER, COPY the current zencart installation into your new testsite folder.

    Create a NEW database (name eg: testsite) and apply the SAME database user and database password to that database, as you have on your current database.

    In phpMy Admin, you can COPY your existing database to the NEW one you just created. (I think the copy function is under the OPERATIONS tab).

    Now you have your CLONE.

    Final steps are to EDIT the two configure.php files (you may need to change the CHMOD permissions to 644 in order to edit them) to show the new SUB-FOLDER in the path locations, and the new DATABASE NAME. (remember... the USER and PASS should not need changing, as you have assigned the same user to the cloned database.)

    After editing, change their CHMOD back to 444.

    You should be able to login to the copied site's admin panel using the same username and password as the live site. REMEMBER the admin login for the clone will be in the sub-folder location!

    After logging in you need to adjust the SESSIONS path (Admin >>> Configuration >>> Sessions)...

    ... and the LOGGING path (Admin >>> Configuration >>> logging)...

    This just requires that you insert the name of the subfolder (testsite) into the paths.

    I then set the testsite DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE, so nobody can access it (including search engines).

    What I do... IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ABOVE, is give the cloned site a NEW HEADER LOGO that says in bright red text "YOU ARE IN THE CLONED SITE". I do the same for its ADMIN PANEL, so I immediately know I am in the TEST SITE and not the LIVE SITE.

    What you don't want to do, is think you are in the testsite, when in fact you are in the LIVE site...

    REMEMBER... the test site is a SNAPSHOT of the database as it was the minute you made a copy of it. After you have played around on it and tested things, you SHOULD NOT turn it into a live site... Its database will be very different from your LIVE site, and "merging" the two later on will cause huge problems.

    SO... you will make DETAILED NOTES of everything you do in the test site, because later, some of thie things you do will have to be done again when you modify or upgrade the LIVE site.

    When you are done with testing and practicing, and you are ready to upgrade and reconfig your LIVE site. you should DELETE COMPLETELY the test site and its database.

    Refer to your DETAILED NOTES for procedures you can now apply to the live site.

    We routinely create test sites, and the whole process (above) should take no longer than 20 minutes.
    Thanks for a great guide. I have followed step by step and am very confused why I am having these issues as it seems that both test and live are looking at the same database somehow even though the configure files have been changed to show the new database?

    In test site admin shows fine. My test site looks fine if I manually type in the address

    Problem 1
    When I set the test site to down for maintenance, it also puts my live site in the same state!? Configure.php in admin and includes have both been changed to reflect the new test database created

    Problem 2
    When clicking on storefront in admin on test site, it is taking me to my live storefront??

    Any help would be very appreciated!

  2. #32
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by lindsey80 View Post
    Thanks for a great guide. I have followed step by step and am very confused why I am having these issues as it seems that both test and live are looking at the same database somehow even though the configure files have been changed to show the new database?

    In test site admin shows fine. My test site looks fine if I manually type in the address

    Problem 1
    When I set the test site to down for maintenance, it also puts my live site in the same state!? Configure.php in admin and includes have both been changed to reflect the new test database created

    Problem 2
    When clicking on storefront in admin on test site, it is taking me to my live storefront??

    Any help would be very appreciated!
    These symptoms indicate that you're using the same config for both sites.
    Sometimes the culprit is that the configure.php files were read-only when you tried to upload changes to them, and the upload didn't take.
    .

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  3. #33
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by DrByte View Post
    These symptoms indicate that you're using the same config for both sites.
    Sometimes the culprit is that the configure.php files were read-only when you tried to upload changes to them, and the upload didn't take.
    Hi, these are my live sites files, I have compared them and can't see what the problem can be. Are you able to have a look please? I will upload the test files on another post.

    Many thanks
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	test site - admin pg1.jpg 
Views:	105 
Size:	31.2 KB 
ID:	17648   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	test site - admin pg2.jpg 
Views:	110 
Size:	26.2 KB 
ID:	17649   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	test site - includes.jpg 
Views:	104 
Size:	36.5 KB 
ID:	17650  


  4. #34
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by lindsey80 View Post
    Hi, these are my live sites files, I have compared them and can't see what the problem can be. Are you able to have a look please? I will upload the test files on another post.

    Many thanks
    Sorry, previous attachments were the test files and these files are the live site.

    Thanks
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	live site - admin pg1.jpg 
Views:	106 
Size:	32.7 KB 
ID:	17652   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	live site - admin pg2.jpg 
Views:	114 
Size:	20.9 KB 
ID:	17653   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	live site - includes.jpg 
Views:	95 
Size:	35.9 KB 
ID:	17651  


  5. #35
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by lindsey80 View Post
    Sorry, previous attachments were the test files and these files are the live site.

    Thanks
    In your test site do you have a configure.php file in YOUR_ADMIN/includes/local?
    ZC Installation/Maintenance Support <- Site
    Contribution for contributions welcome...

  6. #36
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by mc12345678 View Post
    In your test site do you have a configure.php file in YOUR_ADMIN/includes/local?
    No I only have skip_version_check.ini in the local folder?

  7. #37
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by lindsey80 View Post
    No I only have skip_version_check.ini in the local folder?
    Somewhat back on what DrByte was saying about updating the file(s), while I can not reproduce it 100% of the time, I have come across situations where I "save" the change, I close out the file, I open it up again and it "looks" refreshed. I access the file another way and find that it has not actually saved it to the server... This has happened to me if I have in a hurry used like a web-based method of accessing the file instead of a quality ftp program.

    What of any of that might seem to apply to your situation? The database shown on the images appears to be different between the catalog and admin.
    ZC Installation/Maintenance Support <- Site
    Contribution for contributions welcome...

  8. #38
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by mc12345678 View Post
    Somewhat back on what DrByte was saying about updating the file(s), while I can not reproduce it 100% of the time, I have come across situations where I "save" the change, I close out the file, I open it up again and it "looks" refreshed. I access the file another way and find that it has not actually saved it to the server... This has happened to me if I have in a hurry used like a web-based method of accessing the file instead of a quality ftp program.

    What of any of that might seem to apply to your situation? The database shown on the images appears to be different between the catalog and admin.
    I'm not sure if I've found something.... theres an configure.php file in admin/includes/configure.php, which I guess should not be there?!

    As for the files, i've downloaded using filezilla, changed in dreamweaver, deleted the original file and uploaded the new. Im so confused

  9. #39
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    Quote Originally Posted by lindsey80 View Post
    I'm not sure if I've found something.... theres an configure.php file in admin/includes/configure.php, which I guess should not be there?!

    As for the files, i've downloaded using filezilla, changed in dreamweaver, deleted the original file and uploaded the new. Im so confused
    Now I see what you mean about configure in local. Yes I did. Ive removed that one and adjusted the one in admin/includes. I can get onto the admin login page but cant use my normal login details. I want to cry now

  10. #40
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    Default Re: test site for upgrades

    ZC Installation/Maintenance Support <- Site
    Contribution for contributions welcome...

 

 
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