Import database files

Import SQL database files to a VIP Platform WordPress environment with VIP-CLI. Customers can import a full database file to migrate a site to the VIP Platform, or import a partial database file to update specific tables.

Importing database files to a VIP Local Development Environment requires its own set of VIP-CLI commands and instructions to follow.

Limitations

• For unlaunched environments the database file for import must be smaller than 100GB in size.
• For launched environments the database file for import must be smaller than 5GB in size.
• The allowed characters that can be used in the name of the file for import are limited to: 0-9,a-z,A-z,.,-,_.
• Non-production environments will go into maintenance mode during a SQL import. This will block users from making database updates (e.g., creating or editing posts, changing site settings) for the duration of the import process.

Protected options

The following options are protected during SQL imports, meaning they are backed up beforehand and restored afterward. Protected options are intended to prevent overwriting or accidentally sharing environment-specific configs. It is not possible to extend or modify this list.

"WP Options" = [
	'jetpack_options',
	'jetpack_private_options',
	'vip_jetpack_connection_pilot_heartbeat',
	'wordpress_api_key',
	'vip_search_index_versions',
	'vip_search_global_index_versions',
];

// On multisites
"Site Meta" = [
	'vip_search_global_index_versions',
];

Custom cleanup operations

The vip_sqlimport_cleanup hook can be used for custom cleanup or changes of application data after an import. Some examples of cleanup operations include switching out production API keys, or performing brief data manipulation. It is not ideal to do any longer-running operations here as it keeps the site under maintenance mode until it import is completed. Instead, consider registering a one-time cron event on this hook to do something immediately afterwards via cron.