Migrating active courses and users from Moodle 2.3.4 to 3.3

Migrating active courses and users from Moodle 2.3.4 to 3.3

by Angel Diaz Incio -
Number of replies: 4
Hello everybody, i'll explain the situation we're in to see if you can throw some light into it...


We have a 2.3.4 heavily customized Moodle platform with this course structure (Categories and sub categories) and, on the other hand, we have a 3.3 'empty' (No courses or users) Moodle platform with a different course structure.

In the 2.3 platform we used topics course format and now we are using a custom format, we also need to config courses in 3.3 to track certain activities completion, we weren't using that in 2.3.

What we need to do is move all active courses to the new platform, put them in their new place according to the new course structure, change the course format to the custom one, enable activity completion tracking on them, move all the user database and keep their participation and grades intact in those active courses.

What would be the most efficient way to do what we need?

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In reply to Angel Diaz Incio

Re: Migrating active courses and users from Moodle 2.3.4 to 3.3

by Joseph Diarte -

If your not switching the database you can use a copy of the current production database environment, and use your production Moodledata folder.

Once you have the current production 2.3 Moodledata folder in your new 3.3 Moodle environment point config file at the copy of the current production 2.3 moodle database.  NOTE*** Not your current production environment you don't want to accidentally upgrade your production environment. 


Once you have all this run the upgrade....


once your new 3.3 environment is running you will have to turn completion tacking on for each course. I would also turn the completion tracking default to yes.


Here is an article on setting completion tracking default: https://docs.moodle.org/33/en/Course_completion_settings 

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In reply to Joseph Diarte

Re: Migrating active courses and users from Moodle 2.3.4 to 3.3

by Angel Diaz Incio -

Thanks a lot for the answer, unfortunately, i think i wasn't clear enough so i'll try to explain myself better this time.

Since we have 2 active platforms, we don't need to upgrade the 2.3 to 3.3, we need to move some courses from a 2.3 Moodle Installation to a 3.3 Moodle Installation, the problem is that we have a course structure in 2.3 and we have a different course structure in 3.3 (Example as attachment, the course in red showing where it was and where it will move), what we need to do is move all the user database, move active courses only (we can leave finished courses behind), and move all the participation and grades of the users enrolled in those courses from 2.3 to the 3.3 platform.

Is there a way to move all the users and the active courses from one platform (2.3) to the other (3.3) keeping the participation and grades intact?. Maybe migrating all those to a single category and then moving each one manually to their respective place.

Thanks a lot for your attention and sorry if i wasn't clear in my first post.

Attachment Course Structure.png
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In reply to Angel Diaz Incio

Re: Migrating active courses and users from Moodle 2.3.4 to 3.3

by Emma Richardson -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers

Just set up your category structure in 3.3.  Back up the courses you want from 2.7 including user data.  Import them into their respective categories in 3.3.  I think you are over thinking it.  Moving courses from category to category is incredibly simple.

The course import will restore users and data to the new instance.

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In reply to Angel Diaz Incio

Re: Migrating active courses and users from Moodle 2.3.4 to 3.3

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

While Emma might be right ... think the number of courses might be a factor ... in which case ... some 2 cent thoughts.

Interesting 'project' ... first, it is doable but not via web browser and some research needs to be done on the differences (cusomizatons/addons/themes/mods/blocks/etc) between the 2.3.x and the 3.3.x and addressed prior to beginning the 'project'.   Example: a custom theme won't survive the leap and if courses were set to that custom theme (contained in the backup of the courses) then upon arrival, reset of theme and maybe some other items would need cleaning up .... like links to files that were aliased (don't re-call if 2.3.x had that feature or not) and other things ... like a addon mod/block that existed in 2.3.x but not available in 3.3.x.

Did something similar from 2.6.x to a 3.3.x .... all from command line ... and both instances were on same server (made it easier for sure, but is doable if the instances are on different servers ... just takes a little longer).

Are the servers involved Linux?   and do you have ssh/command line access to both?

'spirit of sharing', Ken


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