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How do I move my osCommerce Store?

Moving an osCommerce store, in general, is not a complicated task, but it is more difficult than the basic setup of an osCommerce site. It requires a steady hand and a checklist to make sure everything is completed. Here is my checklist to help you out if you need to move your site.

  • Preliminary Work
    • Change the TTLs on the DNS
      • Make sure DNS is hosted at a registrar and that you have access to make changes.
        • If DNS is hosted at current ISP, then move DNS to a registrar (e.g. GoDaddy) — allow for 3-4 extra days for internet propagation.
      • Change the TTL (Time To Live) on the domain pointers to the lowest allowed (~7200 secs)
      • Wait at least three days before performing the final move so the changes are seen through the internet.
    • Setup account at new hosting company.
      • Setup website area
      • Setup new blank osCommerce Database — note service, username, password, database name
      • Setup SFTP access (if possible – more secure)
  • Setup and Test New Host
    • Backup the osCommerce Database.
    • Download the osCommerce site files from old host — include the database backup.
      • If using FTP, some hosts have issues downloading files if they are greater than a certain number. If this happens try accessing through SFTP/SSH or see if the control panel allows for a site backup that can be downloaded.
    • Upload osCommerce site file to new host
    • Modify the configure.php files to match the new site information.
    • Load the osCommerce data into the new database — may need to use BigDump if the file is too large
    • Test the site
    • Get Client Approval
  • Perform the Actual Move
    • “Shutown” the old osCommmerce site — put up a message that the site is down and that purchases cannot be made at this time.
    • Backup lastest version of osCommerce Database (again)
    • Restore on to the new osCommerce site (again)
    • Final Testing
    • Change DNS pointers to the new osCommerce site

In this process there are a few things that can get in the way. First is having to move the DNS away from the the ISP that hosts the current site. This adds more time to the process. I have also occasionally run into problems with moving the database information. This generally is caused by changing versions of mySQL from one host to another. When this happens, it requires editing the backup file and rewriting part of the SQL so that the new server accepts it. There can be problems moving from PHP version 4 to PHP version 5. Some sites have custom code which is not compatable with PHP5 and will need to be changed. Lastly, I have run into subtle setup issues with PHP that are particular to a given hosting company. Changes to the code are usually required to get past this type of issue.

If you would like any help with this process, contact us, and we will be happy to help you.