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HomeHomeGetting StartedGetting StartedInstalling DNN ...Installing DNN ...Transfer Trouble - Seeing Wrong DatabaseTransfer Trouble - Seeing Wrong Database
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1/15/2011 4:26 PM
 
I am having trouble transferring my DNN instance from one host to another.  Any help would be much appreciated!

At this point, DNN is using the wrong database.  Here are the details:

1.  On the new host, I installed DNN, including running Installation Wizard, for NewDomain.com in New DB.
2.  On the old host, I added NewDomain.com as a portal alias for portal 0 in Old DB.
3.  I FTPed all of the files from wwwroot of OldDomain.com on the old host to my PC (including Database.mdf in App_Data).
4.  On the new host, I created a wwwroot.transfer directory and a wwwroot.20110115 directory in NewDomain.com.
5.  I FTPed all of those files from my PC to wwwroot.transfer of NewDomain.com on the new host.
6.  On the new host, I moved all of the files from wwwroot to wwwroot.20110115 (including Database.mdf in App_Data).
7.  On the new host, I moved all of the files from wwwroot.transfer to wwwroot.
8.  On the new host, I moved web.config from wwwroot to wwwroot.transfer.
9.  On the new host, I moved web.config from wwwroot.20110115 to wwwroot (so, the web.config in wwwroot is the one I created for NewDomain.com, but the rest of the files in wwwroot are from OldDomain.com).
10.  I browsed to NewDomain.com and found the version from the New DB.
11.  I started SQL Server Management Studio and found that the only DB of mine is New DB

So, how can I get DNN to use the DB that I transferred from the old host?

I would be grateful for any suggestions!
 
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1/15/2011 10:58 PM
 
It is very unlikely (especially if the old site was running on a shared hosting provider) that the old site was using the Database.mdf file contained in its App_Data folder. Look at the primary connection string (found in the <connectionStrings> section) of the old site's web.config file to obtain the old database server, database name, database user, and database password. It will then be necessary to obtain a SQL Server backup of the old database and then restore it to the new database server. Hopefully your old hosting provider allows you to create a full database backup on your own or will create one for you that you can then download. Also, make sure that your new hosting provider will allow a database backup not created on their SQL servers to be restored. GoDaddy, for example, does not permit restoration of a database backup from a different server. Instead, they force you to use the Database Publishing Wizard (aka database Scripting and Publishing in SQL Server Management Studio).

Also, your transfer of the old site's web.config file is of concern. In short, you mention that the web.config in the new site's wwwroot is the one that was created for the new installation not that from the old installation. There are a few problems with that approach:

1. The all important <machineKey> section of the new web.config file will be different from that of the old. It is the values for the validationKey and decryptionKey attributes in that section that control encryption/decryption of user passwords. Without those values transferred from the old to new web.config file, no users will be able to successfully log into the site.
2. It is possible that the value for the objectQualifier (and possibly the databaseOwner) attributes found in the <data><providers><add name="SqlDataProvider" . . . /> node of web.config may be different than those of the old site web.config causing issues with database object references and ownership.
3. Unless the version of the new installation of DotNetNuke was the same as that on the old server, and both old and new servers used the same IIS version, and have the site running in the same version of ASP.Net, there will be other differences between web.config.

Therefore, you must tranfer the old site's web.config to the new installation along with all of the other system files and make modifications only to its two connection strings to allow connection to the (restored) database on the new server.

Mitchel Sellers did a blog post a few years ago regarding moving a site from development to production server:

http://www.mitchelsellers.com/blogs/a...

Although it is a bit dated (MS SQL Server 2000 and ASP.Net 2.0 are no longer supported for DNN versions 5.02.00 and later - use MS SQL Server 2005 or 2008 and ASP.Net 3.5 SP 1), it's basic steps are still valid.


Bill, WESNet Designs
Team Lead - DotNetNuke Gallery Module Project (Not Actively Being Developed)
Extensions Forge Projects . . .
Current: UserExport, ContentDeJour, ePrayer, DNN NewsTicker, By Invitation
Coming Soon: FRBO-For Rent By Owner
 
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1/16/2011 12:45 AM
 
Mr. Severance, Thank you very much for your help! I won't be able to try your suggestions until tomorrow (it's late), but you have given a lot of very helpful information! FWIW, both servers (old & new) are run by the same company. For reasons that aren't important here, they won't help me move, but I think all the software versions are the same between the two machines. The versions of DNN are definitely the same. I still have access to the old account, so I should be able to do a DB backup. I should be able to do that & the restore w/ SQL Server Management Studio, right? (Forgive me, please, if these seem like stupid questions. I'm a programmer trying to figure out this stuff, not a network guru or a DBA). (Mr. Sellers' blog post talks about getting help from the host's support people, but I'm not sure why). Thanks again for your help. (Thanks also for your work on Gallery. I'm using it a site for a photo store & will be using it for an artist's site soon!)
 
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1/16/2011 6:36 PM
 
Mr. Severance, Thanks again! My transfer seems to have worked! I changed the old web.config to include the proper values for the connection strings. I also used the host's control panel to backup & restore the database (SSMS wanted to store the backup on the server, but the host would not allow it).
 
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1/16/2011 8:07 PM
 
I'm glad that this worked for you. Most shared hosting providers do not permit using SSMS to create and restore backups but do provide tools for at least backup in their control panel or using a web-based SQL Server management tool such as MyLittleAdmin. In other cases, it is necessary to submit a support ticket requesting a backup or restore be done for you.

Bill, WESNet Designs
Team Lead - DotNetNuke Gallery Module Project (Not Actively Being Developed)
Extensions Forge Projects . . .
Current: UserExport, ContentDeJour, ePrayer, DNN NewsTicker, By Invitation
Coming Soon: FRBO-For Rent By Owner
 
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