Snapshot and Customer Accounts issue

[mash]

Hi there,

This may be known, I have done a quick search and haven't seen mentioned for recent versions. SD13 is the first time we are trying to use Customer accounts and customer groups.

I have been doing the development on 1 PC and transfers to the main PC via a snapshot, what I didn't appreciate that when selecting content only snapshot import, the process overwrites the Customer Accounts, which was a shock.

I made the assumption that not importing the orders would also mean not changing the Customer Accounts but that is not the case. I had in my mind linked orders with customer accounts.

So the work around I guess,

1. take a snapshot do the work, not allow anything happen to the other PC and import the snapshot.
2. Export all the accounts, import the snapshot with the changes and then re import the customer accounts

It would be handy to have an option during the import process of a snapshot to not import customer accounts.

Any issues to doing option 2?

Thoughts pleased. Thanks Mash

[Jan]

Hi Mash,

I don't believe that you can reliably use export / import with customer accounts, this is because the orders store an internal account number and when you export / import this number may change as it is reallocated on import. When I have done this in the past I have ended up with ordered referencing the wrong customer account.

If you send a design snapshot, do you still get the customer accounts transferred?

If that is no good, what happens if you import an orders only snapshot to your PC (to get the latest accounts) and then send the content one back.

Cheers,

[mash]

Hi Jan,

You are right, total nightmare, I have now got accounts associated with the wrong orders.

What happened was that I was happily doing updates and importing snapshots without worrying about accounts (first time using them and as I said before I assumed that as I was not copying orders it should be fine).

Then I noticed the number of accounts changed and worked out the snapshot was overwriting the accounts so i when back through all the snapshots to gather the missing accounts, exported them, put them together for an import of accounts.

At this point I am a happy bunny, I have the accounts back and all is well in the world, but no.

After your comment:

I don't believe that you can reliably use export / import with customer accounts, this is because the orders store an internal account number and when you export / import this number may change as it is reallocated on import. When I have done this in the past I have ended up with ordered referencing the wrong customer account.

I have gone to an order with account associated with it, opened the order, contact details and clicked 'Edit Account' and it is the wrong person.

Of course that causes an issue, if they go in and review the order they will see someone else address detail etc.

I have noticed Re_assign to Account button so I think I will be sorting out these issues with that.

With regards to the Design Snapshot, from the help file

The 'Design | Export Specific Design Elements' option allows you just to export certain design elements, and not export any order or content information.

So it should take the account details over but also won't take content over so no good.

I was grumbling to myself that a snapshot is not explained in the help file has I did check, I have found a description:

Site Snapshot – A site snapshot is essentially an archive file that contains your database, together with all your templates, images and security settings. It is basically every file required for your site to run.

Have an option to not to take account details or copy account details would be useful. Or am I missing something.

Thanks Jan for pointing out the pitfalls.

M

[janimal]

I would like to add support for these options too please.

I am developing a site for a client who is also keen to use customer accounts and we work in exactly the same way as the OP does.

ie - I edit content & design on one PC and import the snapshot into the client's SD installation.

overwriting the customer accounts will be a big problem.

[brucet]

Have you tried the following?
1) Take a copy of the original database (the one with the orders and Customer Accounts)
2) Import the new snapshot
3) Import the orders from the copied database, making sure you leave 'Customer Accounts' ticked

This will import the orders, Customer Accounts and Customer Groups into the site, leaving the content and design intact.

If a Customer Group exists in both sites, then it and its associations with any content will be preserved. Any Customer Groups existing only in the new site will be lost, along with any associations with the content.

[Jan]

How about transferring design with design snapshot and then transferring content with hierarchical import / export (you will have to copy over pics).

Sorry to have made it worse before Mash.

Regards,

[mash]

Work around are all fine, accounts aren't a new feature to SD so it should be able to deal with them.

My concerned is that all the suggestions are just asking for an order or account to go missing or worse database become corrupted. I spent an hour re allocating orders to accounts, during this period, anyone could have logged on and found someone else order under their account which does generate confidence.

Currently I am working on the site directly through logmein, it is a bit slow but at lease I have the confidence that I am not going to mess up accounts, or orders etc. just my mind!

Thanks for the thoughts.

Mash