[freeside-users] Moving data from one server to another?

Gerald V. Livingston II gerald.freeside at sysmatrix.net
Sat Sep 23 08:01:18 PDT 2006


On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 02:54:53 -0500 "Sales at MichianaWireless.Com"
<Sales at MichianaWireless.Com> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> Please forgive me for not posting all the OS specs and stuff, but I don't
> believe it is needed for my question. Sorry if I am wrong.

It is necessary. This a database based app. You need to make sure that you
are installing exactly the same versions of all software on the new machine
as the old if you plan to simply move all the data from one to the other.
If not, then you have to jump through extra hoops and follow the upgrade
instructions provided in the freeside web docs folder (folder will vary
depending on your installation -- mine is /var/www/freeside/docs/).

> I have a current working installation of freeside on an older server where
> the raid drives are now getting errors and are messed up. The server has to
> be started in rescue mode. So I am setting up a new freeside installation on
> a new computer and I would like to know how do you get the DATA from the
> 'other' freeside install to the 'new' freeside install?
> 
> I zipped up the /usr/local/etc/freeside directory from the old server and
> unzipped it into the same directory on the new server and that did not give
> me my data?

Now, with all that I stated above, if you are indeed installing exactly the
same versions on the new machine moving the DATA has *NOTHING* to do with
freeside itself. The data is managed and stored by PostGreSQL. You need to
use postmaster to export the database from the old machine then use that
export to recreate the database on the new machine. If you are installing
upgraded versions of ANYTHING then you need to do this BEFORE installing
freeside and follow the upgrade instructions mentioned above for the
freesdie installation after the legacy data is in place.

PostGreSQL doesn't store anything in the freeside folders. It stores its
databases wherever your particular install of PostGreSQL is set up to store
them. Databases should be manipulated with the database manager
(postmaster). Attempting to directly copy a databse from one server to
another can be a bad thing.

If you aren't comfortable with the command lie you can temporarily install
phppgadmin on your web server on both machines and use that to handle the
export/import through a web browser. I wouldn't leave it installed unless
the server is very secure.

You really need someone there locally who is comfortable in PostGreSQL. I
can do it on my own servers but I have to keep 17 different man pages open
for reference during the entire process -- I won't attempt to provide
detailed instructions here. Maybe someone else will.

Gerald


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