How to copy the content from a localhost install to a live hosted website
Last Post 03/27/2008 3:58 AM by Lee Sykes. 14 Replies.
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Lee Sykes
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10/10/2005 3:22 AM  
How to export the data from your DotNetNuke localhost install to a live hosted website.

DotNetNuke has the option to create a template. This allows you to create a template of your local setup and use it to rebuild the remote site.

Creating a template allows you to export all of the content you have created in your modules (in the localhost install), this will include all of the data from events, FAQ etc - even the skin settings you have applied per page.

What this means is that you don't have to create a backup of your localhost database & upload it, all you have to do is create a template & DNN will take care of the rest.- easy eh?!


If you are exporting the data from a custom module, you need to ensure that the developer has enabled the import / export data function otherwise this method will not work.

Tip: make sure that you have not changed any namings of skins / modules from your localhost install to the actual live install otherwise this will not work.

1) Install the DNN default install first onto your live site
The install procedure: This is (very basically) what you would normally do: (I will cover this in a later tutorial)
a) Upload all of the DNN install files to your hosting provider (You can download from DNN just the install files that are needed, rather than the full source)
b) Create an SQL Database with a username & password
c) Adjust your web config file to the username & password you specified
d) Type in your URL into a web browser
e) Upon opening DNN automatically installs all of the necessary files to your database
f) You now have a working copy of DNN

2) Install the skins, containers and extra modules you require, upload your logo
The Free DotNetNuke Tutorial: Quick Start Guide Video explains how to upload a logo.

3) from your localhost install, Export the template of that portal - Through Host / Portals / Export Template (make sure you tick export content)

4) DNN will tell you where it has saved the template - there will be 2 files that you need to copy (they will have the name that you specified when you exported the template)

5) Upload these 2 files to the same folder within your live install

6) In your live install go to the top admin control panel - on the rhs select Wizard

7) Choose the template you have just uploaded and select REPLACE content

8 + 9) Choose the default Skins and Containers that you originally specified in your localhost install (in the Admin menu / Site Settings)
(If you have selected different skins for each page, DNN will automatically sort this out for you as long as you have previously uploaded all of the skins and containers)

10) Enter your sites details - the Title, description etc.

11) Choose a logo

12) Click on Finish

13) DNN will automatically install your template with the settings you specified

14) Click on Home to view your complete site with the pages & content from your localhost install

DNN will install your own custom modules to the pages you had in your localhost install, but if it doesn't install the data, then you can transfer that across from your localhost database to your live database using Enterprise Manager & all should work fine.

As I stated above, if a custom module does not export / import the data using the Templates this will be because they haven't enabled the import / export function.

- This information I have compiled together from answering questions in the asp.net forum, if you want to see the full discussion, you can see it here:

http://forums.asp.net/ShowPost.aspx...ID=1042377


Lee Sykes
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Donald Riley
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07/05/2006 10:45 AM  
Lee,

Could this method serve as a good easy way to back up a site, assuming you download the template & resource file to another location?

Thanks,

Don
Lee Sykes
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07/05/2006 10:53 AM  
yes it can. - I would always recommend to actually backup your SQL database as well as the method above will not transfer your registered users.

Thanks,
Lee Sykes
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Lee Sykes
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11/20/2006 6:15 AM  
This post may also be of interest which details How to copy a live site to a localhost installation.

This method copies the actual tables rather than using the Template method, so you may find it useful as an alternative method.
Lee Sykes
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Mark Trenchard
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01/04/2007 1:32 PM  

Is any progress being made on the template option?  In theory, it seems to be a great way to move a portal from dev to stage to production.  In reality, it doesn't work.

We see a few critical issues:

  • TABIDs change when moved > totally breaks external links and potentially internal links
  • Not all modules or content comes over

 

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Mark Trenchard
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Lee Sykes
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01/04/2007 4:04 PM  
Hello,

I don't think any further changes have been made to the template option in the latest versions of DotNetNuke.  Have you tried this method mentioned here How to copy a live site to a localhost installation You may find, this is a more reliable method of transferring data between DotNetNuke installations.

Thanks,
Lee Sykes
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Mark Trenchard
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01/04/2007 5:19 PM  
This is pretty close to what we've been doing. It is too Infrastructure intensive, but it is the best way I guess. The one thing we didn't know about was the FixUser issue in SQLServer. THis will be helpful. Once we complete our instructions, we'll add them to the forum as well.
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Mark Trenchard
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Lee Sykes
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01/05/2007 4:13 AM  
Great, any further tips will be apreciated by all, thanks,
Lee Sykes
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cancuk
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02/17/2007 8:24 AM  
I am using the latest version of DNN and cannot find these options in the ADMIN. Have they changed ?

6) In your live install go to the top admin control panel - on the rhs select Wizard
7) Choose the template you have just uploaded and select REPLACE content

Thanks
Lee Sykes
DNN Creative Staff
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02/19/2007 6:06 AM  
The wizard has now moved in the latest DNN 4.4 - To go to the wizard go to the Admin menu / Site Wizard
Lee Sykes
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cancuk
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02/19/2007 9:43 AM  
Thanks for the reply Lee, found it there OK.

On another note, what do you recommend as procedure to :

- How to export the data from a live hosted website toyour DotNetNuke localhost .
- Backup strategy, would the above be OK ?

Steve
Lee Sykes
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02/19/2007 9:59 AM  
Hi Steve,

I use this method:
How to copy a live site to a localhost installation.

Backup strategy - is the same principle, just take a backup of your database and all of your files and if something goes wrong you can just upload them and restore the database.

I would recommend you test out the procedure using a test live site with your hosting provider to make sure you can fully backup and restore everything if something goes wrong.

Thanks,
Lee Sykes
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cancuk
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02/19/2007 1:15 PM  
Great stuff ! Thanks for the help Lee.

Steve
Nandu
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03/21/2008 3:56 AM  
Its great to hear that every one get solved their problems here. Its really a great site.
Hey Lee, I am using 4.8.1 version of dnn, i would like to customize my register page partially, i would like to add some fields to the page, i had done in adding controls to the page but facing problem in storing the data in database. Please help how to get out of it.

Any help is really appreciated.
Lee Sykes
DNN Creative Staff
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03/27/2008 3:58 AM  
Hello,

Nandu, I'm glad the site is useful, afraid I can't offer any further advice apart from what Joe has given in your original post

if you have questions related to registration please use that forum thread, many thanks,
Lee Sykes
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