Is there a free DB conversion ...

Is there a free DB conversion ...

by Ken Task -
Number of replies: 3
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

site where one could upload an SQL dump then choose things like character set/collation and the conversion site would convert the dump to desired character set/collation?

Looked and can't find anything free but thought I might have missed it.

Just had a wild idea ... Webmin (an open sourced cPanel) does have a MySQL tool and in playing around with it was able to get a DB converted to what's recommended for 3.3 now.

Yes, I know MAMP/XAMP or whatever could be run locally and one could use the CLI scripts to do the actual job, but even MAMP and CLI on a Mac is just too much for some.    Soooooo .... a service?

Don't think I've enough knowledge  to setup an automated self-service type Webmin DB conversion service site.   So thought I'd throw this out there. ;)

'spirit of sharing', Ken


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In reply to Ken Task

Re: Is there a free DB conversion ...

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Gee, once again ... answering/responding to own post!   Oh, well. ...

guess what ... there is an experimental Database Migration tool in Site Admin menu that was designed to transfer data to another DB server.    Tinkered with it ... first to local host ... that worked (could be used as a DB tool to create a clone of production site) ... then at a remote DB server (a Rackspace box).    Works.   

With just a minimal config of Moodle code, the CLI scripts used to manipulate the DB work on the transferred DB server.   And with a little imagination, one could actually setup a DB conversion service. I think (would require some manual admin, me thinks).

Alas ... for shared hosting ... it still might not help in upgrading to 3.2 or 3.3 or higher if shared hosting DB servers don't support the probably to be required in future versions of Moodle DB setups.

'spirit of sharing', Ken

In reply to Ken Task

Re: Is there a free DB conversion ...

by William Stewart -

Ken,


I just wanted to say that that is an excellent idea! I am planning to do this in preparation for 3.3 in MAMP (i.e. run the conversion script, then migrate it to the server) but if you asked me a year ago, I would have been completely at a loss. As I have seen from a lot of forum posts, a lot of people might really benefit from that. Would be cool to think there would be a website, just upload, enter your e-mail address, and then whenever it's done converting, you get an e-mail with a download link. Probably something Moodle HQ could easily make and, more importantly, be trusted with temporary db files.

In reply to William Stewart

Re: Is there a free DB conversion ...

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Don't think Moodle HQ has the time to get involved in something like this.

A Moodle Partner might, but why would they?   With most MP's think you host with them and they do the backend ... customer has no shell/other access.

So am thinking this 'service' would be for 'the little guy/gal' - and a 'community' type effort ... sorta like all things open sourced ... couldn't say if it was 100% reliable.   But, couldn't hurt to try if the try is done safely.

As to the matter of trust with data ... it's only converted ... it's not tested with any Moodle site ... the DB iused for the conversion would be the same one each time.   Thus only one customer at a time. Converted DB would be dumped to an sql and the DB used cleared of all tables for the next 'customer'.

The only checks done on the converted db would require superuser to DB server.  And that's one of the hang ups with shared hosting plans ... not superuser of DB server, don't have priv's to do some things.

The dumped sql zipped and provided via web link for 'customer' to download.

Things I don't know about yet ... unless I get come 'community volunteers' to help test ... a large DB.  Might time out ... might have network connectivity issues ... may not be able to use the tool in their own Moodle to migrate the DB to this conversion server.

How about this ... you already have a method/way to do this ... via MAMP ... wanna be a 'partner' and give it a try?

PM me with your EMail address and we'll take communications off list for now.   I'll have to provide you info like IP address, db user, db password, etc..   Later, we both can give our evaluaton as to doable or not. ;)

'spirit of sharing', Ken