Restore Old Database Over Newer WP & Plugin Files

Question

We're migrating our server to a new updated server. The hosting company is using rsync to copy stuff over. They did the first sync of everything a few weeks ago and we've been testing things and keeping notes. Part of this testing included updating WordPress and/or Plugins on some sites.

We now need to do our final sync and have been told any newer files on the new server WILL NOT be overwritten by the older (current) files from the old server. But the databases will definitely be overwriting everything on new server with what's currently on old. So we may end up with newer files but an 'older' database (at least one from older versions of WP or plugins).

• Will this cause any potential issues with the database being out-of-sync with files it might be expecting??

We're trying to see if they can have all files on old server overwrite new server EVEN IF the timestamps are older, but have been told this isn't the way it works.

Thanks. Can't find any info on this scenario in initial searching...

Answer 1

Remember that the database contains content. And the wp-options table usually contains all of the settings of themes and plugins (although there might be other tables that a theme/plugin might use).

So the database contains content and settings that are used to display the page. The theme options contain the settings for the 'look' of the generated page. The plugins options contain settings that the plugin will use in their 'part' of the generated page.

The PHP files are the supporting files for the theme and plugins (and WP, of course).

The database contains entries (like Media) that include the URL of the media item, so if the domain name is changing, you may need to change (via a plugin like "Better Search and Replace") the URLs in the database, plus the two entries in the wp_options table that contain the site URL.

Files aren't really 'extracted' from the database. Content (and settings) are in the database. Files contain the code that queries the database (for content and settings) and 'build' the page.