Moodle Migration: 5 Handy Tips To Consider
In the world of open source Learning Management Systems, Moodle is king, queen, and all the royals. It avails every tool you need to build and customize your LMS. Because it’s open source, it’s free to use, and is trusted by brands like Shell, the Open University, and Microsoft. Academic institutions that use it include the State University of New York and London School of Economics. There are no licensing fees, it’s constantly updated, and has 120 language options. It can be used for fully digital eLearning courses or blended learning. In addition, it is multiplatform-friendly.
Why Migrate To Moodle?
Moodle has been around since 2002, and today it has more than 68 million users worldwide. It’s a flexible, free-to-use tool that allows eLearning developers to customize every aspect of the online training environment. Though it does require some programming experience, as is the case with most open source software, it does have an active user community. Which means that you can get tips to help maximize functionality and have access to constant system upgrades and updates. This is due to the fact that the global community continually improves the code to make it even more robust and secure. Another standout perk is that Moodle features countless plug-ins. As such, you have the power to personalize the tool to meet your requirements and cut costs.
5 Tips For A Smooth Moodle Migration
If you’re switching servers, you need to move your Moodle, as well. Here are 5 tips to consider.
1. It’s A Team Effort
You might currently be sharing a server, or maybe you’re signing up with a new web host. Sometimes, the process involves getting a new IP or changing your URL. Plan ahead and alert all your admins, including periodical reminders. Send them a notification a few hours before Moodle migration, making sure they don’t log in. It’s advisable to shift your entire Moodle set-up, so begin by enabling maintenance mode. You need to go to Site Admin, click on Server, then click on Maintenance mode. This protects your system from any edits or changes during Moodle migration. It also preserves your data against accidental loss.
2. Back Up All Your Data
On the older server, make a copy of all your indices and system tools. You can do this using an open sourced script or a wizard. Some systems have one-touch backup embedded onto their LMS. There are also backup tools available, such as pHpMyAdmin. Now take a copy of all your data to the new server and restore it. Be sure to shift everything, including Moodle base code and your LMS itself. If even a little of the code is missing, your new software will malfunction. For new domains, you’ll have to reconfigure your settings so that web guests and users are redirected to the new URL.
3. Test And Monitor
You never want to assume anything when it comes to software. Test the new site thoroughly, running through every feature in turn. Draw up a checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything. Have a front-end user test the system as well. It’ll be easier for them to spot ‘minor’ issues like a changed font, or a broken button or icon. This tells you where to look on the back end, and how to repair the error. And yes, it matters. Front-end snafus may seem trite to your L&D team, but they’re enough to put users off the ‘new’ system completely.
4. Check The Inner Pages
You’ve already corrected the main URL, but remember that your Moodle is both a toolkit and a product parking spot. It’s the foundation for all your online training courses and materials. That means this new server now has a host – pun intended – of broken links. They’re all still pointing back to the old domain. Use a backend search-and-replace tool to point them to the new one. This will repair all the broken links in a single click. When you’re done with everything, disable maintenance mode and send the all-clear message to your admins.
5. Moving Hack
If you have admin rights on both servers, Moodle migration can be done automatically using internal tools. On the new server, create an empty database, a kind of ‘new folder’ function. Put your Learning Management System into maintenance mode to avoid unrelated edits and changes. Then, on your old server, look for the rsync tool and use it to migrate. Rsync will copy all data and folders. Now go to the new server and import everything from the old folder. Just like the ‘long version’, you have to reconfigure the URL and replace dead links. Redirect everything to the new domain. In both cases, switch off the old server before starting up the new one, to avoid conflicting IPs.
Although you may be happy with Moodle, it may be necessary to shift servers. Or you’ve finally decided to switch from another tool to the all-in-one open source platform. It’s a fairly easy process but an intricate one, so be careful with all the steps. You can do it manually or automatically, if you have rights on both servers. For the shortcut, create a blank database on your new server. Use ‘rsync’ to copy the old server, then use ‘import’ on the new server. The long version uses similar steps, but each one must be done ‘by hand’. After the Moodle migration, test every function and double-check that the permissions are okay. Then shut down the old server before fully engaging the new one. This prevents errors in IP addressing.
Your company has recently invested in a new LMS, so you want to make sure that it operates at its top efficiency. Read the article 7 LMS Implementation Tips For A Smooth Transition To Your New LMS to discover tips on LMS implementation so that you can develop, deploy, and track online training as quickly as possible.
