transfer customizations between installs?

[eaho]

I customized the module 'Contacts' with custom fields and layout and the sub-module 'Accounts'->'contacts' for layout on a Pro version and then did the same on a Suite version. However, I have multiple instances of both Pro and Suite. I want to be able to transfer the customizations between same versions.

I copied the contacts_cstm table over to the other instances.

What files do I need to bring over to have my other instances of Sugar have the exact same customizations?

thank you.

[katgla]

I have a similar question. We are using Sugar Open Source, Version 4.2.1a and have created several custom fields in Accounts. Will we lose our custom fields when we upgrade to 4.5?

[chrisky]

Filewise and depending on a fewthings, you'll want to xfr vardefs; dynamicfields, the language file, and your view html files (i.e. Edit &/or DetailView.html)..

I personally always use Studios view files opposed to the published modules view files, and if ya don't know why, you'll find out why quickly.. In order to be able to use Studio to edit/modify that particular view requires sutdio having that custom studio view file..

Wouldn't it suck to xfr and have your custom view on another sugar installation; however, be unable to make any changes to it via Studio??

On the view files, you want [preffereably] Studio's view files.

You'll need to xfr the tables fieldsmetadata & the custom field [for each correspnonding module] in which you wanna xfr the customizations for.

And off the top of my head, I' think I covered'em..

After xfring the files and tables, you'll then want to rebuild the languages js, rebuild caches, and go ahead and 'Publish' your views from Studio (though you could have & can copy the actual modules views as well; and if you have multiple then you'll want to copy these in order to save some time).

Watch out for file permissions on the copied files!

I.e. in my case, when I'm working on our servers, I'll be logged with a username and as a user which is DIFFERENT than the user/username of which Apache (web server) runs under. For illustration we'll say my [Linux] username is, chris, thus after such copying files, the 'copies' are owned by the user 'chris', and bottom line/to the point, the web server can't overwrite those files. Overwriting the view file with a new view file is exactly what Studio does and it needs either adequate permissions (security vulnerability if this route is taken) or adequate ownership (preferred method ensuring the least security vulnerability).

And as for multi-instance, customization transfering, backups & restores, etc. are the core and heart of my work with Sugar. It's been a few requests that has me now considering to put a couple other our Sugar projects out there.

I've posted recent and will post over the nxt few days, including some posts in the past relating directly to your question.

Prior, that is before, replying to this or asking me for further details....
I'd ask that you please read my prior posts.
http://www.sugarcrm.com/forums/member.php?u=40297

And, with only Malcom & Rick, having come forward as willing beta testers,
I'd really encourage you to give me a buzz or email, if you're willing to beta test.
I'm really insistent on trying to ensure a release which will work, not only on our systems, but yours or anybody elses, as well as a release which doesn't take a programmer to just 'configure'/install by having to do things such as manually edit files with configuration data.

If you're want to email me, send me your email address, and/or talk over the phone..
My number is 866-337-3991 x231 (and that's my personal office of which I spend 80% of my waking hours in).

Chris,

[chrisky]

I have a similar question. We are using Sugar Open Source, Version 4.2.1a and have created several custom fields in Accounts. Will we lose our custom fields when we upgrade to 4.5?

YEAP!
I'm the only one who make that bold statement..

And should life treat you well and things go perfect which results in all your customizations, fields, AND data* do get xfr'd over without problem, then I envy you..

*Ya gotta love discovering that Sugar dropped (deleted) your tables (containing your DATA)... A real heart wrencher and FLAW/BUG imho.

In explanation, if any fields (configuration) in a Sugar table do not have a PRECISE match in Sugars vardefs (Sugar file storing configuration details for tables & fields), then that lil'bugger (Sugar) will drop'em.

Personally, I consider that a bug and we removed the code responsible for dropping anything and instead outputing a list of such and also saving the sql code to perform such.
I'd rather risk having some hard drive space used up with a junk table and/or data opposed to having important data deleted 'accidentally' by a darn machine without asking whether it's ok or not.. But... That's me..

Back to my point I was gonna make:
Personally, I ASSUME, expect, and plan for LOSING [not having xfrd] data and/or cuztomizations (in your cases) during an upgrade or similar.

Heck, we've not installed the d patch yet. I'm stuck with having to go through all code, line by line, and make considerable modifications; otherwise, just installing such, will BREAK THE HEck out of systems with all of our customizations.

I' expect it take a day of work at least and maybe upto 3 days, to tackle the d patch for us. I'm dreading it.. There's alot of code... Guess I'll cheat and make a new tree; copy [to this new tree] the same files from current sugar-c in which the d patch contains; then fire up kdiff.

[sskurhade]

we are facing the same problem of migrating from sugar crm 4.2.1 to 4.5d .Can anybody help me ?
we have added the custom fields and want to migrate to 4.5 d