wordpress multisite setup, single site users table??

a) Blogs.dir only exists if

1) You’re using Multisite
2) That Multisite instance was created BEFORE WordPress 3.5

If you started Multisite AFTER 3.5, then you’re in /wp-content/uploads/sites/ instead

b) You’re remembering wrong. There’s only one wp_users set of tables

c) It’s not easy. Just copying the tables over means you ALSO have to copy over all the users, in order to keep the username <-> ID balance in check, and then delete the users you don’t need. And even then it may not work.

Why not just export and import via the WP importer? All your users would get new passwords, but that’s not a horrible thing, security wise.

Hi Mika,
Thanks for clarifying it for me.
Yes I am using 3.5 and found sites folder to be the one I needed to look for uploads etc.

I find it convenient to move whole database to new server and then remove other sites tables leaving only the required site tables plus users and usersmeta from main site. And then just update few things (uploads paths in content etc and some site url updates.) necessary. It works fine for the most part (specially when I have time to check things on new server or domain).

Ane as far as worpdress import / export is concerned it give me hard time as I mostly transfer site from my local develoment server to live site and its not possible to import attachments ?? as its not accessible via internet.

The main issues I almost always have
1) have to update content urls and files paths (I dont know the bullet proof method for search and replace). And paths sometime have special characters (occassionally) and I can’t search and replace them.
2) Importing users role properly ( from multisite) and other profile related custom data.
3) I lose my themes settings (options, mods etc) which so far I had hard time figuring how should I do this (I am planning to build an import and export feature for that but didnt and havent got enough time yet to do it ?? )
4) how should I import plugins ( I know I can just download and upload to new server buts its tike consuming) I started just plugin central plugin for this which is quite useful but I cannot use it for my own plugins (none worpress.org based).
5) If I have coded some custom tables and which depends upon users table and if I use wordpress importer do I get same user Id?

In short I dont have a good practice on hand to use on all wordpress sites transfers I do.

I would like to know if you have to do it. How u do it? Which steps u take which are solid and works every ttime no matter which server u tansfer to. And so on.

Note: I have tried lots of plugins for tranfers and all of them failed one way or an other. (Commercial one including). I AM NOT GIVING A NAME BECAUSE I RESPECT THEIR HARDWORK AND DONT WANT TO DISRESPECT DEVELOPERS.

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Well… NO ONE has a good ‘Transfer one, and only one, site of a multisite, with lots of special custom roles, to a single site.’

Which plugins did you try though? I know you don’t want to make the devs feel bad, but knowing which ones you tried may help us narrow down what didn’t work and why, and maybe find a solution.

Hi,
Sorry for late response, I have been busy.

Well I have used all free plugins available at www.remarpro.com (for backups and migration etc), and also using some commercial solutions as well.

To name few which I thought should have helped me are

1) My Repono (using its paid service)
2) BackupBuddy (purchased it and its first deployment was successful I thought I found my ultimate solution, but in the v. next project it failed because of server limitations this no longer remained the preferable choice :()
3) BackWPUp (I am using it on my local server and works fine, but can’t rely on it for live sites)

and used many many more like clonners, duplicators and what not.

But ultimately my final results are, do it manually (though for that most of the time I have cpanel access which makes it easy to zip and unzip files,) so I can quickly transfer files and myslq database and this is the most trusted way I found as I can’t rely on plugin to be accurately change urls etc.

But I would like a plugin which could simplify file transfer which would understand that I am not going to automate the installation process but would like the plugin to aid me in file transfer, database transfer.

If somebody asks me are these plugins really bad, my answer will be no, its just they are not for me :(.

Yeah, I’ve found BackupBuddy to mostly work for most people.

*sigh* I don’t know of any other plugins, sadly. I’m going to try this all out manually … sometime this month to see if I can come up with directions that don’t make me cry.

I would be happy to know the findings ;),

*Finders Crossed*