Loss of user posts text after migration to new host

colinb · Post by **colinb** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:08 pm

I've been running phpBB for several years with hosting on 1&1 Internet (UK). However, 1&1 drives me nuts so I've moved to Hostgator in the US which has been fantastic. I recently changed the DNS of the domain name to point to a specified home directory in my Hostgator space and then copied over all the phpBB files etc. A new database was created to accomodate the backend.

Although I didn't do a full database backup via the "old" phpBB 3.0.4 install (I changed the DNS settings a bit too early!) I did do a dump of "all" using phpMyAdmin on 1&1 via my admin panel.

BTW I still have access to the database on the old server (MySQL version 5.1.*)

However, having installed everything on the new server - using Bigdump to overcome timeout issues, etc - I found that although everything at first seemed to be OK, I noticed that whilst I could make new posts, all the posts prior to the move were not available. Everything else is there - forums, structure, member list, admin, etc etc - just no posts. Even post topic titles are there!

I've created various dumps from within phpMyAdmin on the old server, but as I'm not adept at using this I'm not sure how to check contents of the user posts.

How can I check for sure that the posts are still there and - just as important - is there an idiot's guide to migrating the database properly using phpMyAdmin from an old install to a new install?

It's weird that everything but posts is there on the new setup.

Thanks - Colin

PS: Hostgator's MySQL is 5.1.3

Post by **stevemaury** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:21 pm

Post the last 50 lines of your backup file.

colinb · Post by **colinb** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:17 pm

Here goes (50-ish lines):

INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (84, 0x2a4f72616c205365782a, 0x77616c6b696e67);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (85, 0x2a416e616c205365782a, 0x746869732069732061207269702d6f6666);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (86, 0x2a4d792066697273742053657820546561636865722a, 0x746869732069732061207269702d6f6666);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (87, 0x2a7375706572313073697465732e696e666f2a, 0x7777772e6262632e636f2e756b2f6362656562696573);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (88, 0x2a74686532616c6c2e696e666f2f2a, 0x7777772e6262632e636f2e756b2f6362656562696573);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (89, 0x2a67656e657269632d76616c69756d2a, 0x746869732069732061207269702d6f6666);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (90, 0x2a67656e657269632d7669636f64696e2a, 0x746869732069732061207269702d6f6666);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (91, 0x2a687474703a2f2f616c6c6173686c65796a7564642e696e666f2a, 0x687474703a2f2f7777772e6262632e636f2e756b2f6362656562696573);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (92, 0x2a7068656e7465726d696e6520696e666f726d6174696f6e2a, 0x4920616d2061206d6f726f6e6963207370616d6d6572);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (93, 0x2a7472616d61646f6c206d656469636174696f6e2a, 0x746869732069732061207269702d6f6666);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (94, 0x2a6c6170746f7020626174746572792063686561702a, 0x616e6f74686572207363616d206c696e6b);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (95, 0x2a77686f6c6573616c65206469616d6f6e642a, 0x7468697320697320612077686f6c6573616c652073616c65207269702d6f666621);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (96, 0x6f6e6c696e6520636173696e6f20706f6b6572, 0x746869732069732061207363616d21);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (97, 0x2a737175697272656c736f66742a, 0x7269702d6f666620736f667477617265);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (98, 0x2a5b75726c3d687474703a2f2f6369616c697367656e657269632e626c6f6773686f742e6e6c5d2a, 0x546869732069732061207269706f66662055524c);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (99, 0x627579207068656e7465726d696e65207461626c657473, 0x616e6f7468657220776562207269706f6666);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (100, 0x687474703a2f2f7777772e64616e63696e676c7573682e636f6d2f2a, 0x687474703a2f2f7777772e6262632e636f2e756b2f63626565626965732f);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_words` VALUES (101, 0x2a687474703a2f2f7368616b6972616e756465776f726c642e696e666f2f6d6f766965732f35323838322a, 0x687474703a2f2f7777772e6262632e636f2e756b2f6362656562696573);

-- --------------------------------------------------------

--
-- Table structure for table `phpbb_zebra`
--

CREATE TABLE `phpbb_zebra` (
`user_id` mediumint(8) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`zebra_id` mediumint(8) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`friend` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`foe` tinyint(1) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
PRIMARY KEY (`user_id`,`zebra_id`)
) TYPE=MyISAM;

--
-- Dumping data for table `phpbb_zebra`
--

INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (6753, 5530, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (6822, 6691, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (6867, 2007, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (603, 6691, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (7144, 3322, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (7144, 63, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (7417, 6766, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (6766, 7417, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (7894, 3, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (5530, 6766, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (8091, 1129, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (8091, 94, 1, 0);
INSERT INTO `phpbb_zebra` VALUES (7498, 6691, 1, 0);

(end)

Post by **stevemaury** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:40 pm

Well, the posts are in the backup file. Have you tried Resynching in the ACP?

colinb · Post by **colinb** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:58 pm

Steve - yes, I've resynched everything that can be synched and I've purged the db cache as well. Still no joy. What's interesting is the ACP is telling me that my database size is about half (approx 47MB) what I think it should be - at least the last time it was running on the old server.

I'm going to have a go at uploading and restoring the DB from scratch on the new server and see where it takes me.

Thanks for your help so far. I'll be back, by the looks of it!

Colin

colinb · Post by **colinb** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:41 pm

Steve - update: Resynching does appear to have restored things. The bulk of the posts and topics are now there - although ones where I clicked Resynch within actual forums have emptied out the topics and posts for some silly reason.

Still, I can always go a few steps back and source the original backup so there's hope yet.

Colin

colinb · Post by **colinb** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 7:46 pm

This is driving me nuts!

I've created a "test" database into which I've uploaded the database from my old server (1&1) as an uncompressed .sql file using bigdump.php, which has done so successfully. I've modded the database config details in my phpBB's config.php file to reflect the use of an alternative db, and then I check how the board displays.

Each time, I get the full structure, all the category headings, threads, post titles, author details, dates etc etc, but when I click a topic to read it all I get is "The requested topic does not exist." which is daft because it clearly does.

I've purged the cache in the ACP and click the three resynch options. No difference.

When I use "Manage Forums" in the ACP and select the "resynch" icon in a forum in the index, I get the popup progress bar which then confirms that sync has been successful. Alternatively, I select an individual sub-category and do the same, and when I do I get the posts text in each case. However, what invariably happens is that I lose a lot of posts, usually from recent months. Why?

Under one category, I lose all the topics and posts after resynching.

The database dump is of the last use of the board before I chose to switch hosts (this was several weeks ago and the board's been offline since), so it's not like it's an older backup file or anything.

I'm stumped on this one. Any advice?

Colin

Post by **stevemaury** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:03 pm

You need to start looking in the database to see if the post_id in the topics table is present and properly associated with the topic_id in the posts table.

colinb · Post by **colinb** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:17 pm

stevemaury wrote:You need to start looking in the database to see if the post_id in the topics table is present and properly associated with the topic_id in the posts table.

Trouble is I wouldn't know what, specifically, to look for Steve! I'm approaching the limit of my competence in this respect.

Colin

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 12:04 am

how big is the database backup file?

robert

colinb · Post by **colinb** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 10:26 am

When I dump from 1&1 as an uncompressed SQL file using phpMyAdmin it's 113MB, but when it installs into my Hostgator database (using bigdump) it's about 44MB (can't figure that one out!).

I've got another problem now in that I can't access the board at all - I get a "General Error
Could not get style data" error message. Gawd knows why.

Time to give up soon, methinks.

Lumpy Burgertushie · Post by **Lumpy Burgertushie** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:51 pm

colinb wrote:When I dump from 1&1 as an uncompressed SQL file using phpMyAdmin it's 113MB, but when it installs into my Hostgator database (using bigdump) it's about 44MB (can't figure that one out!).

I've got another problem now in that I can't access the board at all - I get a "General Error
Could not get style data" error message. Gawd knows why.

Time to give up soon, methinks.

the reason the database is so much smaller is because it is missing all the posts etc.

zip up the 113mb database and upload it to your server somewhere.
then PM me a link to it and I will see what the problem is with it.

robert

colinb · Post by **colinb** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:59 pm

Thanks for the offer Robert. See your PMs.

Colin

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