The procedure to perform a manual backup/restore depends on the platform (Windows or Linux).

The procedure consists in using a traditional Zip or tar + PHPMyAdmin export / import.
On windows platform, this is easy to zip and later unzip on your server.
On linux platform, you can tar -cvf (backup) and tar -xvf (restore)

Here we describe the procedure on a Linux with a cPanel and we assume that you have a SSH terminal available.
We also provide some usefull linux commands.

Backup the PHP Code

Change Directory
cd public_html

Show the list of files and folders
dir -l

Backup (PHP code) and Symbolic Links
tar -cvf [Deploy Dir].tar [Deploy Dir]

Compress
gzip [Deploy Dir].tar

If you want to replace the backup of the symbolic links by their content, add the "-h" parameter and also use the -z to compress the backup in one step
tar -chzf [Deploy Dir].tgz [Deploy Dir]

Move (or rename) a file
mv [Deploy Dir].tar.gz ../

Restore the PHP COde

Restore the files
Uncompress/decompress the gz
gunzip [Deploy Dir].tar.gz


Unpack (extract)
tar -xvf [Deploy Dir].tar

Print working directory (show the current path)
pwd



Check the content in the "/multisites/config_multisites.php"
Potentially delete the "master" cookies and master directory path.

Delete all the symbolic links present in each slaves sites "deployed directory".

Delete the "index.php" and "index2.php" present in the root of each "deployed directory".

Backup MySQL

You can either perform the backup of MySQL with PHPMyAdmin or an SSH command "mysqldump"

PHPMyAdmin backup = export

mysqldump --add-drop-table [DB NAME] >result.sql

Restore MySQL

You can either restore the MySQL DB using the PHPMyAdmin or with a SSH terminal  command "mysql"
Sometimes PHPMyAdmin does not allow using the restore and request that you are using a "mysql" command.

Restore from a SSH prompt
mysql -u<user name> -p<password> [DB Name] < [DB NAME].sql


mysql -u[MySQLUser Login] -p[MySQL Psw] [DB Name] < [DB NAME].sql

CRON backup script

A weekly backup script is available in the free download section.

This script can be called from a cron to perform the backup.

It is able to perform the backup of a DB and backup of a directory that can be automatically sent by FTP on another server in case of crash.

See Weekly backup script

Joobi JSetup is an extension encrypted with IonCube.

The installation of this extension into a slave site is not easy due to the way this extension is working and due to its encryption.

We have identified a method to re-install it into a slave site.

JMS does allow to re-install the extension into a slave site because JSetup delete its temporary component that is used for the installation.
Therefore JMS refuse to re-isntall it into a slave site because it does not find it in the master website.

The procedure consist in a partial installation of JSetup in the master website to let the JSetup temporary installation component "Joobi Installer" remaining on the master website.
So you install JSetup in the master website and stop when it ask you accept the license and click on "next" button to complete the installation.

Once you have the "Joobi Installer" present in the master website, you can now re-install JSetup in a slave site.

If will ask you again to accept the license and click on the next button.

Once you have installed JSetup in the slave site, the result will be that JSetup will delete on the disk the "joobi installer" that will cause your master website not able to use it anymore. At this moment, you can Uninstall "joobi installer" in the master website and re-install it for another slave site.

When you will try re-isntall again the JSetup in a second slave site, JSetup will detect that some files are already present on the disk and will propose you to un-install them for your current slave site (ie slave no 2). You can un-install them and re-install just after.

When done, you will have a second slave site installed with JSetup.

You have to repeat the master "joobi installer" uninstallation and partial re-installation to allow re-install JSetup in each slave site.

Get a new download ID for the latest version

To receive a new download ID corresponding to the product you have ordered, you have a special "get latest version" menu that is available when you are logged into JMS.
/get-latest-version

Select (check box) the product for which you want to receive a new download ID and click on "get latest version" button in the top right.

This will resend youan email with the new download ID corresponding to the selected producted.

Here we show in a video how to get the latest version.
You also have a PDF document with screenshot that show you how to get latest version.

How to update Joomla Multi Sites

Normally, you can install JMS over a current one.
Nevertheless, It is advised to "uninstall" the JMS patches with current version of JMS before installing the new JMS version.
When the new JMS version is installed, you can re-install the JMS patches.

Uninstall the JMS patches is also recommanded when you want to update Joomla itself.
This reduce a risk of inconsistency between the patches that are present and the patches that are missing due to the Joomla update (new files installed by Joomla).

YES, with JMS 1.2.x, it is now possible to share the users between several website.
With this new feature, you can share the standard Joomla users but also a limited number of extension such as:

• VirtueMart users;
• Full VritueMart including the catalog, prices, ...
• Full Community Builder
• Full JomSocial
• Full SOBI2

This is not an exhaustive list.

Joomla multisite version 1.2.x also share the sessions (Single Sign-in). That means for example that you don't have to login again when you go from one website to another website.

In previous version JMS 1.0.x or JMS 1.1.x, it was NOT possible to share the users.

Yes and No.

NO

because JMS only share the files and folders present on the disk. It shares the Joomla Installation.

The each websites used its own content or at least different table prefix when it shares the same database.

This means that articles, news, forum, users or whatever that is stored in the database is totally independent.

YES

because we have developped a special component Articles Sharing for Joomla Multi Sites that allow to display the articles, categories, sections from any websites defined with Joomla Multi Sites.
With this extensin, you don't need anymore to replicate or use special extension to synchronise the websites.

This “Articles Sharing” consists in a new menu type “Multi Sites articles sharing” that works like the standard Joomla menu type “Articles” except it adds the possibility to select the websites where the articles, categories, or sections are located.
Articles Sharing for Joomla Multi Sites only display the articles.
The menu type implemented are:
-    Multi Sites articles layout;
-    Multi Sites Category Blog Layout;
-    Multi Sites Category List Layout;
-    Multi Sites Front Page Blog Layout;
-    Multi Sites Section Blog Layout;
-    Multi Sites Sections Layout;
It does not allow to edit or submit articles.
“Archives” is not implemented.

The articles sharing required with JMS 1.1.5 or higher.

YES, we have redo the test with Joomla 1.5.8 and it is working.
We already have customers that have updated with success their Joomla and now working with the version 1.5.8.

Joomla FTP Layer is a feature introduced in Joomla 1.5 to resolve some permission problem experienced by many Linux/Unix host Users.

Some Hosting provider or Shared hosting servers or simply server may have a high security level that does not autorize to write files or create directories.

With Joomla 1.5 and FTP Layer, it is now possible to use FTP to create directories or simply write files.
To use the FTP Layer, some parameters must be specified such as the URL or IP address, the user name and the password.

The FTP Layer can be setup during the installation or changed in the Global Configuratoin (if you can write it).
If you have already installed Joomla and the FTP Layer is not enable and you can not modify it using the Global configuration, the only solution consists in updating the "configuration.php" file manually. (Probably using an FTP connection or telnet).

Keep 'jos_' table prefix for the websites is possible when only one site uses this database.
When one or more slave sites share the same database, the 'jos_' table prefix CAN NOT be used because all the users present in the jos_users are deleted during the installation of a slave site. (Whatever the table prefix chosen during the installation procedure).

Some person wants to install Joomla Multi Sites on an existing websites that is already installed using the 'jos_' table as prefix.
This is possible if ALL the slave sites are installed using one or multiple databases other than the master site database.

In that case, the slave sites will use diffrerent table prefix and never use the 'jos_' table prefix.
As any 'jos_' table is present in the slave database, there is no risk to delete the jos_users present in the slave database.
If you want to keep 'jos_' table prefix for the slave sites, you will have to create as many slave database than there are slave sites.

In conclusion, each time you want to use 'jos_' as table prefix for a website, this website must be alone to use this database.
When you share a same database for multiple website, you can NEVER use 'jos_' table prefix to prevent the jos_users record deletion during the installation of a slave site.

YES, it is possible to see JMS working in a demo environment.
You have a description of this demonstration environment in the document "demo installation".
We invite you to read this document that show you all the steps of a typical installation and will give the URL of the master and slave sites.

In addition, we have live installation.
This www.jms2win.com is already a slave site of our company website.
www.faq2win.com is another slave site that share the same database than www.jms2win.com

NO, a trial version of JMS is not available.
It is not possible to create a special JMS that will not provide all the functionalities or give the full functionalities for a limited period of time.
As this is a component developped in PHP, it is difficult to protect this code. Event with obfuscation.

To help you have a better idea on how JMS is working, you have different video present in the tutorial that illustrate some cases:

• Tutorial Step 0 present the concept of joomla multisite
• Tutorial step 9 present how to create a slave site into a sub-directory of the master website.
• Tutorial step 13 present how to create a slave site from the front-end.
  It uses the "website template" to define the replicate rules that must be applied to create the new slave sites.

For people that want to test this component, we have a "demo" website that can be used on case by case basis to test the installation of specific extensions.
We give the administrator password to the potential customer that have doubt concerning the installation of some extensions.
As there is only one demo environment and we have to reset it each time a new customer want to test his specific extension, this explain why we deliver the login and password for a limited period of time and on case by case basis.

YES, with JMS 1.2.x, it is now possible to share the users between several website.
With this new feature, you can share the standard Joomla users but also a limited number of extension such as:

• VirtueMart users;
• Full VritueMart including the catalog, prices, ...
• Full Community Builder
• Full JomSocial
• Full SOBI2

This is not an exhaustive list.

In JMS 1.0.x or JMS 1.1.x, it was NOT possible share the user.

YES, each web sites can select its own default template.
As each sites use its own database or at least diffrent table prefix, the customisation each sites is independant.
The only exception concern the extension that save their configuration information on disk rather than in database.
Sometime we have to provide a patch for such extensions to let them use separate configuration.

YES, all websites share the same Joomla Installation.
In fact, a new 'multisites' directory is created and store all the 'configuration.php' parameters associeted to each website.
In such maner that we a domain is called, Joomla Multi Site select the appropriate 'conifiguration.php' file to connect the database and proceed with the request.