[Setup] Re: Can't import .zexp into Plone

Nick Davis nd51 at leicester.ac.uk
Fri Aug 8 10:29:55 UTC 2008


JimL wrote:

> after setting up Plone via buildout
>  I am now trying to import
> my websites from an old box.
> 
> I originally set up the old box to use separate data.fs files for each plone
> site
> (http://plone.org/documentation/how-to/multiple-plone-sites-per-zope-instance-using-separate-data-fs-files-for-each-one)
> and tried initially just copying the *.fs files over to my new box. This
> didn't work - the new installation was totally unaware of the original
> sites.
Is this because you haven't yet configured zope.conf (via buildout.cfg) 
to correctly pick up these seperate Data.fs files in your new Plone 
installation?
BTW There are some warnings on that plone.org page, that seperate 
Data.fs files for each site is not very well tested. Also they say it 
doesn't work with zeo. To my mind zeo is pretty essential for having a 
well performing live site. Something to consider.

> I then decided to export the sites from the old box into .zexp files, and
> then import these files into my new buildout.
> 
> This worked .. but I noticed many of the features in the site were not
> working properly
As you found out, you generally cannot zexp stuff from one Plone version 
to another. The Plone migration process often alters data (content) 
within the site. If you copy across old data you'll be missing these 
necessary changes.

Obviously you CAN copy across a Data.fs from an old Plone site, but just 
need to run migration on it before expecting it to work.


If I was in your position, I would forget about seperate Data.fs for 
each Plone site. Try to merge your old sites back to 1 Data.fs. This 
might involve some manual cutting and pasting in the ZMI. If you can do 
that, then all you have to do to upgrade, is copy that single Data.fs 
across to the new Plone 3.1 site and run migration. Makes life a lot 
simpler.

Regards,
Nick


-- 
Nick Davis
Web Application Developer
University of Leicester
http://www2.le.ac.uk




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