How to migrate from one server to another
The Fluid Dynamics Search Engine has been designed to work as a platform-independent, path-independent script. In the vast majority of cases, you can simply make an ASCII FTP transfer of the "search" folder from one server to the next, and everything will continue working. This should be true even if you transfer between Unix and Windows, or between different versions of Perl.
The following items may need to be changed:
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Possible Changes to CGI File Extension
Some web servers require the "pl" extension; others require the "cgi" extension. Nice web servers allow either.
If you have the bad luck to transfer from a pl-only server to a cgi-only server, then you will have to rename the scripts to the appropriate extension. If you have embedded custom search forms in your HTML pages, then you will have to change their "action" attribute to point to the new URL of the script. Files requiring the CGI file extension are:
- search/search.pl
- search/proxy.pl
(The other *.pl files in the distribution are either read-only library files or command-line files. None of those are called as CGI.)
If you rename a script from "pl" to "cgi" or vice versa, you will only have to update external forms which may be linking to your search engine. The search engine itself will auto-detect its name change and behave accordingly.
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Possible Changes to Perl Path
Similarly, some servers require a specific Perl path on the first line of the script. The default, "#!/usr/bin/perl", should work for 99% of web servers.
If your old and new providers have different required paths, then you will need to update the first line of the scripts. Files requiring the Perl path are:
- search/search.pl
- search/proxy.pl
- search/searchmods/powerusr/cmd_admin.pl
- search/searchmods/powerusr/hacksubs.pl
- search/searchmods/powerusr/lang.pl
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File Permissions
Many web servers will require that you set the executable permissions on "search.pl" and "proxy.pl", and that you set the writable permissions on the "searchdata" folder and all of its internal files and folders.
Quick ways to do this are:
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If you have shell access, run the "setperms.bat" file on Windows, or the "./setperms.sh" or "/bin/sh setperms.sh" commands on Unix. They should take care of everything.
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Perform an Automated Install on the new server. The automatic install will reset all permissions to their proper values, without overwriting any of your existing customized data.
The slow way to reset permissions is to manually step from file to file with a chmod-capable FTP client and reset each file or folder as appropriate. The install document contains information on what permissions go with each file.
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Updated URL Path Information
If you have placed custom search forms on your HTML pages, and if your search engine resides at a different URL on your new server, then you will have to update all of your custom search forms with this new URL.
Typically this will happen if your old provider allowed "mysite.com/search/search.pl" as the URL path, but the new provider requires "mysite.com/cgi-bin/search/search.pl".
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Updated File Path Information
If you are using the non-standard realm types "Website Realm - File System Discovery" or "Runtime Realm", then the realm configuration parameters will include the absolute file system path to the base folder, i.e. "e:/webroot" or "/usr/home/bob/public_html".
When moving between servers, typically these absolute file system paths will change.
You do not need to do anything in order for searches to continue working normally off of the original index files. However, before you rebuild the index, you will have to go to "Admin Page" => "Manage Realms" => (select file-based realm) "Edit". On the Edit Realm page you will have to update those file system paths. Your new web hosting provider can provide you with the absolute file paths to enter in.
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Updated Utility Applications
If you are sending email from FDSE, and using a command-line sendmail program for this, you should go to "Admin Page" => "Personal Settings" => "Email Settings". Confirm that the sendmail program you were using earlier is still available as a valid option. If it is no longer available, then your "Sendmail Program" setting will be reset to "[None]". You will need to select an alternate Sendmail Program, or enter an SMTP server address.
If you are using the XPDF or Antiword toolkits, you will have to install those toolkits on the new server. Then update the
privatehash elements in search.pl to point to the new toolkit locations.
Updated 2002-05-30
"How to migrate from one server to another"
http://www.xav.com/scripts/search/help/1135.html