Preferred Dev, Staging & Production Methods

  • Jason McArtor

    (@jasonmcartor)


    12 years, 8 months ago

    I currently have a WPMU install running about 3-4 child sites (over the next couple of years, I’m likely to have 30-40 sites in this Network) and I’m looking for advice on how to best create a Development and Staging environment.

    My primary concern is WordPress updates possibly breaking something in one of the sites, or Plugins or Themes causing a problem, if I skip the Dev/Staging steps and go straight to my production server. I simply cannot afford to have sites on the network fall apart, due to an update.

    I’m curious as to how most people choose to do this. I’ve seen some people running WP locally on their machine (I’m on a Mac), for development, but that doesn’t seem to make sense to me.

    What are the best methods for testing, before taking content to the LIVE server?

    I’m also considering a product called RAMP, to simplify what I’m looking to do.
    http://crowdfavorite.com/wordpress/ramp/

    Thanks.
    Jason

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
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  • Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist

    12 years, 8 months ago

    RAMP would be a good thing.

    There aren’t best methods because everyone’s environments are vastly different. And sadly, it’s MUCH harder in multisite site.

    What I do is run my site locally as ipstenu.loc – Same everything (except posts). When I want to test a new plugin, I localize it, test it, and then upload it. If I have to test with 100% he same everything, I download it all locally (again, sitename.loc) and test it all out after a search/replace (to fix the domain name), and copy it back up (again, search/replace).

    If I wanted to go further, I could redirect ipstenu.org to my local box, but this works for me.

    Thread Starter Jason McArtor

    (@jasonmcartor)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    Thanks for the quick reply!

    Does RAMP push files from a local environment to the production server? What are the options for making this connection?

    Is setting up a mirror of my Multisite network locally difficult? I’ve read there are issues when running subdomains (vs. subdirectories).

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist

    12 years, 8 months ago

    Does RAMP push files from a local environment to the production server? What are the options for making this connection?

    I don’t know 🙂 Haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but it’s written by some awesome guys, and it LOOKS like it does.

    Thread Starter Jason McArtor

    (@jasonmcartor)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    So, if my live site is set up using Subdomains, rathe than Subdirectories, am I out of luck trying to run a test site locally?

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist

    12 years, 8 months ago

    No you can do that too. You just have to manually play with your hosts file to edit it.

    http://wpmututorials.com/how-to/using-a-hosts-file/

    Basically like you map jasonrulez.loc you would also map dude.jasonrulez.loc 😉

    Thread Starter Jason McArtor

    (@jasonmcartor)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    I have determined my best solution to just set up a dev site online, possibly on a subdomain of my MU Parent site. My plan is to just export the database and download the site files, then create a new database and subdomain to post the site back to. I’ve done this many times with Single Site installs, but never with multisite. Are there any snags I need to look out for, when doing this?

    Also, I’ve stumbled across the “Duplicator” Plugin, which looks like it may help me out. Do you have any experience with it?

    Thanks, as always. I appreciate your expertise. If I can ever help you with any graphic design, let me know. 🙂

    Andrea Rennick

    (@andrea_r)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    Are there any snags I need to look out for, when doing this?

    don’t take the user table. otherwise, knock yerself out. 😉

    Thread Starter Jason McArtor

    (@jasonmcartor)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    @andrea,
    What is the issue with the User table? Are you just saying not to check that off when I export from the database? Do I need to retain any of the records to be able to access the dashboard…or will I be asked to create user credits upon the first login?

    Also, if I use the Duplicator Plugin, I’m assuming I could just just upload the database and then drop the User table before accessing the dashboard?

    Andrea Rennick

    (@andrea_r)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    the user table contains multisite permissions. that will mess up conveting that back to a single site.

    you install a single wp n your live site, including the db.
    get your db export from multisite, but JUST the blog specific tables.

    drop the corresponding tables in the single site.
    rename the prefixes from the multsite dump to match your new single site.
    dump them in the new db.

    as near as I could tell, that duplicator plugins was for taking whole dbs and copying them to a new server. so it would not extract a single site for you.

    Thread Starter Jason McArtor

    (@jasonmcartor)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    @andrea,
    First off, you are awesome (as is Ipstenu)–I would have never even fathomed setting up a Multisite prior to to this Support Forum becoming so active and helpful. Is there a thread on here you haven’t contributed to?

    you install a single wp n your live site, including the db.

    So, you’re saying to do a clean SINGLE SITE install on my “dev” subdomain, before moving any files? Won’t the root folder need to be replaced? I thought I would just download the entire site via FTP, then create my new subdomain, and upload the site HTML folder. I need to keep my old WordPress (3.1.3) version in tact as well, and this would save me from needing to install WordPress at all, wouldn’t it?

    rename the prefixes from the multsite dump to match your new single site.
    dump them in the new db.

    I just want to make sure I understand what you’re saying here. You’re saying I’ll need to open the DB file in a text error and do a find/replace “mynetwork.com” with “dev.mynetwork.com”. Also change the siteurl and home. I’ve done this with single site–I’m guessing this is what you mean. I’m planning to do this outside of MySQL, in a local text editor, rather than the method shown here: http://codex.wordpress.org/Changing_The_Site_URL#Multi-site_notes

    Also, am I safe to do this “clone” on a subdomain of my LIVE site, i.e. dev.mynetwork.com on mynetwork.com?

    I’ve seen a few comments on here regarding subdomain structure for the Child Sites, which is what I’m using on my network. Are there any issues to look out for there? I won’t worry about any domain mapping on my dev site. i.e. I’ll just access the sites via siteA.mynetwork.com, siteB.mynetwork.com, etc.

    Lastly, I’ve been checking out your plugins I’m curious about Replicator (as well as Curator, but I’ll get to that later). It looks awesome, as I’ve been exporting sites and then having to wrangle all my settings. I think I’m going to purchase that in the next few days…what a timesaver!

    Thanks for your help. I need to get this site cloned so I can test the WP updates and get out of WP 3.1.3. I just want to make sure I don’t screw up the LIVE site somewhere along the way. 🙂

    Andrea Rennick

    (@andrea_r)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    Won’t the root folder need to be replaced? I thought I would just download the entire site via FTP, then create my new subdomain, and upload the site HTML folder.

    Um, now I’m confused. weren’t we just talking about moving a ev site from a sub site in a network to a single WP install?

    Your posts & options are all saved in the DB> simply moving files would change very little. (although you do need theme, plugins, and uploads yes. I forgot that bit.)

    Lastly, I’ve been checking out your plugins I’m curious about Replicator (as well as Curator, but I’ll get to that later).

    hit up our contact form if you have questions about that. 🙂

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist

    12 years, 8 months ago

    I think we were talking about moving a dev NETWORK.

    Thread Starter Jason McArtor

    (@jasonmcartor)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    @andrea,
    Ipstenu is correct.

    Um, now I’m confused. weren’t we just talking about moving a ev site from a sub site in a network to a single WP install?

    Maybe I misspoke, or was unclear somewhere, but I just want to turn a LIVE network into a cloned DEV network, so I can test updates, etc. before activating them on the LIVE network.

    My ultimate goal is to get WordPress updated to 3.2.1, without causing myself any problems on the LIVE site.

    Thread Starter Jason McArtor

    (@jasonmcartor)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    @andrea,
    So, can I leave the User table alone, as well, then? Export the whole site DB, update the URLs and then upload the DB to the NEW DB.

    Andrea Rennick

    (@andrea_r)

    12 years, 8 months ago

    Maybe I misspoke, or was unclear somewhere, but I just want to turn a LIVE network into a cloned DEV network, so I can test updates, etc. before activating them on the LIVE network.

    totally different then.

    set it up locally, use the hosts file change to make it your live domain and point it to your local install.

    that’s it. no moving dbs. you can test things local and then repeat it live.

    http://t.co/ebQXTuD

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
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