When upgrading we recommend first making a back up of your live database, and then running the upgrade wizard on the live database.
The reason is that you can be working on your new site in a sub domain while your live site is still taking orders.
Then, when ready to go live, your new site already has all of the orders and customers and product updates made while the upgrade process was going on.
The reason we recommend merchants ideally upgrade on the live database and run both old and new sites next to each other is to ensure that any orders that come in, or any products updates that are made, are not lost when you switch over to your new site.
Sometimes though you may not have a choice, for example when using Access as the database, and your new upgraded site is on a separate server. Or it is mission critical for your live site not have any issues that may be caused from the upgrade process.
All is not lost however. This is how you can deal with the situation if you do need to go down this path.
PLEASE NOTE: MAKE A BACK UP OF YOUR LIVE DATABASE AND YOUR UPGRADED DATABASE BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER FOR SAFE KEEPING!
Step 1. Download the "Database Migration Tool" addon available in our addon center below:
https://www.vpasp.com/sales/addons800.asp
Step 2. Unzip the addon and install it into your new v8 site in the admin folder.
You should have renamed the ADMIN folder name to something unique so make sure it is into this folder that you install the module.
Remember it is into the new site, NOT the old site!
Make sure to activate the module in the admin under > Modules > Modules Manager (set Enable to Yes).
Step 3. These steps below will close your live site for taking orders temporarily.
Your store will be switched to Catalogue Mode, meaning the site pages are still accessible, only no Order Now buttons are displayed.
Your site is now in catalogue mode and you can safely commence the data migration process.
Step 4. Login to your v8 (upgraded site) administration then mouse over the top menu: Modules > Modules Manager > locate record "copydb800" and click edit icon.
Step 5. Click the Configure link and it should take you to the migration tool page eg :
http://v8.example.com/admin/copydb800.asp
NOTE: MIGRATING THE DATA FROM ONE DATABASE TO ANOTHER WILL REMOVE ALL DATA FROM TARGET TABLE AND REPLACE WITH DATA FROM SOURCE TABLE!
Step 6. At section "Step 1: Select Database Type for Source & Target Database", please select the source & target database type then click on "Continue" button.
Source database is the live domain database, in this example is Database A.
Target database is the v8 (upgraded) site database, in this example is Database B.
Step 7. At "Step 2: Enter Database Login Information", please enter all the required database login information for the source and target db.
For "* Select a table" you will migrate one table at a time. There are only a few tables to be migrated, and it is safer to select a single table at a time.
Below is the list of required tables you will need to copy data from the live database into the upgraded site database:
To commence select a table from the list and click Copy table button once to copy data.
Once a tables data is successfully migrated, you will see the message Copying Completed.
Step 8. Repeat step no. 7 for the each table mentioned in the list above until all the tables are successfully copied.
Once your data has been successfully migrated you are ready to go live.
Step 9. The final step is re-opening the upgraded store to allow orders to come in.
Your site is now live and you can start taking orders again into your new version 8 store!