Can you recommend. Xampp or wamp?
Neither!
I prefer to setup each of the webserver (Apache/IIS), database (MySQL/MSSQL/Postgresql) and application (Moodle) layers individually so that they are as close as possible to my production environment. I prefer to test upgrades on an environment that is as close as possible to production. Using those Wamp/Xampp "all-in-one" packages doesn't give you that environment.
What should I do (high-level tips) to be able to import our moodle to a local server?
https://docs.moodle.org/28/en/Moodle_migration is essential reading.
Basically:
- Setup PHP on your test box.
- Setup IIS/Apache on your test box.
- Copy the Moodle code to the web server.
- Create your Moodle website on the web server.
- Backup your Moodle database on prod and restore it on the test box.
- Backup your Moodledata folder on prod and copy it to the test box.
- Update your Moodle config.php file with the settings of the test box.
- Open a web browser on the test box and connect to the new test site. The copy of the prod site should open.
- Run the Replace.php script to update all the http url references of your prod box with the url or your dev box.
- Test the site to check that was restored correctly.
Then you're ready to test the upgrade...
