When you install Magento it is only natural that many system configuration information is stored in the database.
However, some of them need to be caught before the tables are created. For example, the information that will manage these tables (user, hostname, password).
And Magento saves these installation settings to an XML file. It can be easily modified if you need to move your installation from one server to another (such as from localhost to host online).
What does not change
In your installation, inside the app/etc directory you will find the files:
config.xml local.xml local.xml.additional local.xml.template
config.xml – This no file should be changed. It contains basic system information, such as default language, time zone, application directories, and so on.
local.xml.additional – This no file should be changed. It has configuration tags that can be added and configured in the local.xml file, which are basically additional cache settings.
local.xml.template – This no file should be changed. This is actually just a standard template for the local.xml file. If you make too many changes to the local.xml file and then need to compare (restore) with the original template.
Getting Started
Open the file (make a backup before applying any changes):
app > etc > local.xml
The first information in the file is simpler and self explanatory, but let’s comment quickly.
Actually this line is more information than configuration. It tells you the date and time the system was installed.
This tag is already of greater importance. It stores the encryption key for the database. You should remember, it was the last information requested during the installation of Magento, and that you should keep it in a safe place.
false
Magento works with core, community, and local modules. This tag allows you to block “local” modules if you want to work with local modules only in localhost and deactivate when in production.
The value true disables local modules.
Database connection
This is the most important information in the local.xml file. You will almost always need to change this data when you do a server or domain migration.
It may seem confusing at first glance, but it has no mystery.
table_prefix – You must leave it blank (as in the example above). Unless you really want to use a prefix in your tables. For example, add “Mage_” before the names of the tables.
host – It is the address of your database server, which can be localhost, 127.0.0.1, or mysql.your_domain.com.
dbname – Refers to the name of your database, where the tables will be created. This name you usually create in your phpMyAdmin.
username and password – They are respectively username and password to access the database, in the same way that you access your phpMyAdmin.
The other tags you do not need to modify.
Further information
At the end of the local.xml file you still find:
That checks whether the user session should be manipulated by files or by the database. In this case “db” informs you that it is database, and “files” indicates files.
frontName – Finally, it’s the address you enter to access your backend. For example: www.your_site.com/admin
What else to change
This post brings only some information that can be changed after its installation is complete. It does not completely address all the changes you should make in case of server migration.
In case of data migration, other factors should be evaluated, if you change the domain for example, you will need to change information in the database, such as Base URL.
By swapping server directories, you may need to review folder and file permissions to prevent upload errors of images and modules download. Among other details.
Success!
