Database import problem

[muah]

While I have had some difficulty using the plugin on one host (because they choose to do the commands differently) and in each update of the plugin I seem to have to go refigure out what is needed for it. Now I haven't used it in a while, but before that host?! I wouldn't have dreamt of doing a database backup/restore without it or even touched a piece of data from the database. In essence as I've widdled around the code, it is a command line interface that generally speaking doesn't require you to know the command(s).

If I may though add though, I think the wrong question was asked... since you are working on keeping your live site going and are attempting try "new things" I think the right question to ask would be something like will this affect my live site, or how will it affect my live site? Almost anything else about it (whether it works or solves the problem, etc...) is yet to be discovered and in true self starting is something to just do and see what happens so long as it doesn't affect your live site...

If I may, it seems like for your situation the following will likely need to be done: from your live site (to at least ensure successful export because that too could be a problem) install and run the plugin. Export/backup the database. Now in your new temp site location, ideally a default/blank ZC install is present. Install the plugin. Copy the database backup file from your live site to your new temp site (this is just a file transfer).

Now on the new site, run the plugin and restore the database to the new database. Now close out the admin of the new store. Load zc_install for the new store and do the upgrade using the credentials from the old store...

Maybe all that works, maybe not. Another thought is perhaps performing a repair on your database.

I just reread my post from last night. I'm always in a rush and need to slow it down so you folks get a clearer picture. I already did a database check and there is nothing wrong with the database as it exists now-- on the live site. I'm sure of this. I downloaded the database and opened it up. It's all there on every download. I have a live site and the site is perfect. I have no choice but to upgrade as we have a good 12,000 customers using handhelds already (i know this from stats given to me from re seller sites). We have waited way, way too long to upgrade and wouldn't you know... it's fraught with problems. sigh.

[DrByte]

You were all talking about alternatives to using phpMyAdmin to import a copy of the database into your test site. The Backup MYSQL Plugin is a tool accessible from your store's Admin to make backups and perform restores.

I typically use it to do manual backups of stores on a monthly basis and store the zip offline someplace so I have a copy. This is in addition to the backups my hosting company does automatically. I also have a complete set of all the files I've put onto the server, stored separately as well.

The tool can also be used to perform restores, although this is rarely needed.

The flow would be this:

a) Install the plugin on both the live site and the temporary upgrade ("test") site.
b) Perform a backup on the live site using the plugin.
c) Copy the generated zip file from the /admin/backups/ folder of the live site to the test site.
d) On the test site use the plugin to restore the database from that zip.

ALL the restore will do is loop through all the tables that are in the backup and drop them and recreate them and populate them with the data in the zip.
It will NOT reset "prefixes" or anything like that.

Caveats:
a) Your site's Admin must be usable. If you're unable to login to it, you won't be able to access this plugin
b) Behind the scenes the plugin uses the command-line tools to do the MySQL backup and restore including zipping and unzipping as needed. If your server has security protections in place to prevent PHP from accessing command-line tools then this plugin may not work for you.

[muah]

Dr. Byte: I installed the plugin, used it....here are the results:
Warning: File is larger than allowed sizes. See Image configuration settings.
Failure: The database was NOT restored. ERROR: FILE NOT FOUND: [/home3/xxx/public_html/testing/xxxl/backups/]

In in the interest of adding something of value for others that may find themselves in this position, perhaps... I was offered by bluehost to go from a shared pci compliant environment to a PRO dedicated PCI compliant environment. The deal was good; i upgraded. several things have gone wrong since then. I was uploading a database and it was being cut off at the 12th table. When I tried to upload it in pieces, it would always fail at the 13th table which was authorize.net. Someone did something at bluehost and today for the first time, I'm able to upload the entire database into a new whole database to be inserted into my test site. There is a new file on my directory and I suspect the migration was a problematic one and they didn't move certain files? I don't know for sure because it's getting difficult to reach people who actually know what they are talking about over at bluehost. Despite this, the new zen site is still not reading from the database. I'm still not out of the woods. I'll post the solution here when/if I can get to the bottom of it.

[DrByte]

Warning: File is larger than allowed sizes. See Image configuration settings.
Failure: The database was NOT restored. ERROR: FILE NOT FOUND: [/home3/xxx/public_html/testing/xxxl/backups/]

The whole problem has been that your server can't handle "big" files. So uploading the backup using the Admin screen is going to trigger the same issue.
So, instead of using the Admin screen to "upload" the backup, use FTP to put the file into the /admin/backups folder yourself. Sorry I wasn't more exact about how I worded it in my previous post.

[terraGirl]

Hi muah,

Jumping in this thread & trying to understand why it can't read the DB. From a hosting perspective, the DB connection script is super straight forward. It just needs correct hostname, username & password, that's it. There's nothing fancy to DB connections so I don't understand why Bluehost can't get this to work for you.

The upload cutting out sounds more like a restriction server side. phpMyAdmin has its own upload limit that's separate to your own php.ini so maybe that wasn't high enough. It can be increased; or a host can offer you to import a DB via command line (SSH) which doesn't have any size restrictions.

Having said that - bluehost are an EIG company. Check out their reviews on webhostingtalk forum if you want see what others have gone through.

Hope you can get it to work, and happy to help if you have hosting / db queries.

[muah]

The whole problem has been that your server can't handle "big" files. So uploading the backup using the Admin screen is going to trigger the same issue.
So, instead of using the Admin screen to "upload" the backup, use FTP to put the file into the /admin/backups folder yourself. Sorry I wasn't more exact about how I worded it in my previous post.

Result code: 1
Failure: The database may NOT have been restored properly. Please check it carefully.

I did as you instructed. This was the result. tried it two more times, same result.

When i migrated the live site over to the pro dedicated environment, my site went down...turns out the database needed to be re-pointed, according to the level 1 who consulted with a level 3. We do not get to talk to anyone but the live tech people which are level 1...on phone or chat. Lovely. I gotta wonder if this entire mess isn't something on their end because my backup service isn't even working on the pro environment. I'll let you know. I have an open ticket with someone at blue host and maybe they can shed some light. Yeah, this is def not the way to run a business....meaning my business!

[muah]

Hi muah,

Jumping in this thread & trying to understand why it can't read the DB. From a hosting perspective, the DB connection script is super straight forward. It just needs correct hostname, username & password, that's it. There's nothing fancy to DB connections so I don't understand why Bluehost can't get this to work for you.

The upload cutting out sounds more like a restriction server side. phpMyAdmin has its own upload limit that's separate to your own php.ini so maybe that wasn't high enough. It can be increased; or a host can offer you to import a DB via command line (SSH) which doesn't have any size restrictions.

Having said that - bluehost are an EIG company. Check out their reviews on webhostingtalk forum if you want see what others have gone through.

Hope you can get it to work, and happy to help if you have hosting / db queries.

Thanks. Something happened to bluehost. years ago, the service was instant and accurate and it was crazy good, always USA based tech support. Maybe the business was sold? because now, the tech isn't always local, it's mostly india... it takes days to answer a ticket. On weekends, it can take 30 minutes or more to get someone on the chat or phone. Yeah, it's not what it was. I'm always fighting to maintain PCI compliance because it takes days for them to answer a ticket. Problem is, i've been on so long, it's habit to just stay put. I think that's why so many tech providers lure people on with a low cost deal... once on, it's hard to move as i'm up to my ears in problems, trying to make a living. sigh

[muah]

The whole problem has been that your server can't handle "big" files. So uploading the backup using the Admin screen is going to trigger the same issue.
So, instead of using the Admin screen to "upload" the backup, use FTP to put the file into the /admin/backups folder yourself. Sorry I wasn't more exact about how I worded it in my previous post.

Okay, confession. I need to take in a certain dollar amount each day to maintain activities and part of this is done through the website. Therefore, I skipped one step and skipping that step ruined my success. I have been having habitual problems since I migrated my hosting to a "pro" hosting at bluehost and all these problems got me nervous; I did not want to tinker with the main site in anyway for fear it would be down for days. Dr Byte's plug in for database backup required me to install it on the live site and back up there first. I skipped this step because I am unfamiliar with the plug in and concerned about any down time, I just went to the myphp admin and downloaded there; i also went to the backup pro area of my hosting account and downloaded a whole copy of the database there. file size comparisons said that all was well. I then installed the database backup plug in on the new testing site only and imported the raw sql file there. I did not work. It's the same raw sql file or is it? I wouldn't work at all. What brought me to this point? When I installed the live database into a blank database and used that blank database to install the new verzion of Zen, it would not work. If I ran zc_install again, it said no update to the database was necessary. I therefore took the risk and installed the database plugin on the live site and backed it up there. then FTP'd that file to the backup area of the new testing site backup folder, imported..and it took it! So the file generated from my hosting is not the same as that generated by the backup plugin? anyway, then and only then did it say i require a database upgrade for database structure. I reinstalled the zc_install folder, ran it..this time it installed without issue and bada bing... all is well on the home front. I'd like to understand what went wrong here. Dr. Byte, you earned yourself a 50.00 cup of coffee but it's 25.00 until i get all my sites upgraded :) muahhahhaaa