convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by Baber Ahmed -
Number of replies: 9

Hi All,

I have a new and clean install of Moodle 2.6 fully setup and configured with the theme I want. I am now at the point where I am trying to export content from Moodle 1.9.x to new Moodle install and I having a few issues.

1) I have exported the users from 1.9.x to 2.6 and they show up correctly

2) I have backed up a course from 1.9.x and restored it into a blank course on in 2.6

But in 2.6 when I check course participants there are none showing. I have used the default backup and restore settings.

I was wondering if there is a conversion tool for content that will convert content from 1.9.x to 2.6 or if someone here has converted/moved content version 1.9.x to 2.x and they are able to shed some light on what I am doing wrong or missing that would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance
Bob

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In reply to Baber Ahmed

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by Bret Miller -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

It is my understanding that in order to keep user data for courses, you have to upgrade, not migrate. In other words, you'd need to upgrade 1.9.x to 1.9.19+, then to 2.2.11, then upgrade the assignments, then upgrade to 2.6.latest. Backing up courses from 1.9.x and restoring to 2.6.x doesn't allow you to include student data including which students are participating or have participated in which courses.

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In reply to Bret Miller

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by Mark Sharp -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers

Yep, this is the way we're doing it too.  It's a good opportunity to upgrade or move to a new server too as the basic requirements for Moodle between 1.9 and 2.6 have changed considerably.  An added benefit of doing it on a clean server is that the old version will still be in place if it's needed urgently.

 

What we're doing is leaving the old moodle in place, copying everything to the new server then doing the upgrade process through the CLI, first to M2.2.10 (because that's the last version you can upgrade from M1.9), then to M2.6.

We're taking the opportunity to also make changes along the way to the way we're configuring things, so we have a bunch of DB updates we do at various points (e.g. adding values for new settings, changing the text editor configuration etc)

The whole thing for us is managed through shell scripts for shoving files around, kicking CLIs off and running some python scripts to do the updates.

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In reply to Mark Sharp

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by vinoth kannan -

Hi All,

We also need to migrate bulk course contents to Moodle 2.4.2. As we have about 5000 documents creating new courses and adding files will take time and may lead to error. 

Because file management has changed in Moodle 2.0. Can i upload all the content files to Moodle 1.9 as it contains legacy folder where the folder name will be course id which i could easily associate with the courses to be created.

And can i store all the course files in Moodle 1.9 and then upgrade it to Moodle 2.4.2. Is there any tool to make this migration possible.

Please give me suggestions.

Thanks in Advance

Vinoth kannan

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In reply to vinoth kannan

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by Mark Sharp -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers

Files in M1.9 will be upgraded to the new system in M2 if you follow the upgrade path.

I don't really understand the rest of the question, I'm assuming you've got an existing M1.9 install with all the courses and files, and you're wanting to upgrade to M2.4 or something.  In that case Moodle will handle the file upgrades (although you'd have to upgrade to M2.2.10 first).

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In reply to Mark Sharp

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by vinoth kannan -

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply.

Actually we have a custom made script that has about 5000 courses which i have to migrat eto Moodle 2.4.2.

As file Management is completely different in Moodle 2.4. If i have to add new 5000 document files in Moodle 2.4 i have to link the files individually to the courses which will take time and may cause error.

I thought to make use of Moodle 1.9 to keep legacy files which will have the course id as folder name and then bulk upload the folders (files) with course id to Moodledata folder.

If i do the above process will the courses created have the files in them.

And then upgrading it to Moodle 2.4 (where files are directly linked to courses).

I will follow the upgrade path as u mentioned by first upgrading it to Moodle 2.2.10.

Is there any tool or different way that could save time and error free to complete this task. I searched and fould Moodle convertor but that is padi service. Is there any free tool available.

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In reply to vinoth kannan

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by Mark Sharp -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers

It's a little difficult to comment or give advice on custom scripts.  But, as far as resources go, I think if, in Moodle 2, a course has a link to a resource and it's in the legacy directory, it will still be found, though not converted to the new resource directory. So I don't think you'd lose anything. Although I'd regard that as a far from ideal scenario.

Any tool that could save time and be error free? Time depends on the size and quantity of things, error free could depend on all sorts of factors.  All I can say is that I am mighty impressed with Moodle's own upgrade scripts.  I considered doing things my way for a while, but I soon realised Moodle's way was best!  For us the upgrade process takes a day, yes about 6-7 hours, churning through all the files, doing db updates and so on. I don't think there's a short cut (for you), unless you tell all your teachers/lecturers to go to a brand new site and enter all their course material in again from scratch.

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In reply to Baber Ahmed

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by Harvey Arkawy -

Baber,  

We needed to do the same thing, upgrade from 1.9.10 to 2.6.  

Unfortunately the upgrade doesn't work that way as we found out.

First of all 2.6 requires different versions of SQLServer as well as all the other supporting software.

You need to upgrade from 1.9 to 2.0 then upgrade from 2.0 to the next and so on as each upgrade must modify and/or repair the changes from the previous version.

We hired Deepak Komre via Freelancer.com to do it for us.  It took him about a week to do it and then we still needed to make some adjustments, which included verification of course material links and pages.

That process took us about a week to do. Also, the certificates module had some minor problems as the files that are stored and used in 1.9 are different in 2.6.  The favicon.ico was also missing and needed to be relocated.  We had a script file that displayed all of  the certificates that had been issued but it doesn't function under 2.6.  

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In reply to Baber Ahmed

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Been my experience that one has two options on a 'Moodle March' from 1.9.highest to 2.highest:

Installing a fresh 2.x and then attempting 1.9.x backups restored to the 2 (any version of 2) will get content but not users.   And the content (ie, files, get dumped into what user sees as 'legacy').  Users are not associated with any course in which they were previously enrolled.

Option 2: migrate the site ... take a copy of the 1.9.x (data directory and DB) use the new code for 1.9.19+ via git and the config file from the old 1.9, and update to the highest version of 1.9 first.   Then, make a full site backup ... code, data, DB.   Using git in the code directory set it to acquire 2.2.highest.   When running the /admin/cli/upgrade.php script the site will undergo massive changes (DB and data directory - filesdir).  Check site for functionality.  If it works, then do a full site backup again, using git upgrade to 2.3 code, run the upgrade.php script in admin/cli/.   That this point, do the helper thangs for assignments and convert quizzes.  Check for functionality.  If it works, full site backup again, use git to aquire 2.4.highest code, etc., etc.

Migrating the site brings all users and courses across ... users are still enrolled in courses.  *but* like restores of 1.9 backups, file system still tags all files as "legacy".

Between the two, think the lesser evil is taking the path of site migration ... one can work on removing 'legacy' gradually, etc..

My 2 cents of course!  ... 'spirit of sharing', Ken

 

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In reply to Ken Task

Re: convert Moodle content from 1.9.x to 2.6

by Baber Ahmed -

Hi All,

Thank you to everyone for their answers above. I have read through and it does appear that if I want my content then I may well have to take the upgrade path.

Cheers
Bob

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