[BlueOnyx:24979] Re: Feature Request Copy-Site

[Michael Stauber]

Hi Dirk,

> Webapps: Yes, my suggestion would also be your 2nd way (i.e. copy from
> /web). Because otherwise it might end up no longer being a copy.

True, but if we just grab the SQL-dump and the webtree of the WebApp,
it's not really registered to the GUI and you can't use the
backup/restore feature that's built into the WebApp installer.

So the idea is to get around that by doing a fresh deploy of the WebApp
via the WebApp installer and then replacing it's SQL and the webtree of
it with the copy from the original Vsite. That way it'll be 1:1 the same
and we don't loose any GUI functionality over it. Still: That leaves the
config changes that need to make it work with the differently named SQL
database and user as well as the changed path.

> You "only" have to copy the database where there are databases in the
> webapps and change the information accordingly in the copied webapp
> information.

That's unfortunately not that easy. Each WebApp has different places
where that stuff is stored. Even if we could re-use that information 1:1
from the WebApp installer (who to some degree knows what changes need to
be made): In many cases there are further changes past the install which
the WebApp installer doesn't know (or care) about.

Take OwnCloud/NextCloud.

A while ago I had the "pleasure" to move it from a 5209R to 5210R and it
took me two days of hunting settings and SQL entries that needed to be
adjusted afterwards to restore all functionality.

That's just one example.

We can perhaps automate that, but it'll never be perfect and it'll be a
pain in the ass to chase down changes in WebApps to keep our search &
replace patterns for this current.

Even then, I'm not sure I want to do that for all WebApps we have in the
shop, as it'll be quite some overhead. So perhaps just a few common ones
- if at all.

Running a search and replace over *all* files in a web directory to
replace paths and SQL settings is not something I'm looking forward to,
though.

> I would say that anyone who is also allowed to create sites may create
> copies.

Yeah, perhaps. Still: I'd rather make it a grantable right as not all
server admins might want to grant that kind of leeway.

> Hmmmm, indeed, subdomains would also be a possibility for the copy, but here
> I think we have the problem that subdomains are created "strangely". 

True. It has it's ups and downs using subdomains.

> My idea (or that of our customer) was a "real" copy into a new site. Because
> then you have your own siteadmin, a separate directory, a different database
> etc. but the settings can be made or changed in the same way. 

That's right.

I'll give it some more thoughts over the weekend.

-- 
With best regards

Michael Stauber