Support

Please upload the ZIP with your screenshots to a public location (e.g. you server) and paste a link here.

I will disappoint you, I'm afraid. Your live server is using MariaDB, a MySQL fork which uses a different storage engine. The engine is called Aria. This storage engine is not supported on any local server installation that I've ever seen. You will not be able to restore this backup on any server which isn't using MariaDB.

I did further checking. You can do something to allow the site transfer. It's a very long process, but it should work. For each table in the database you'll have to issue this command:

ALTER TABLE `tablename` ENGINE=`MyISAM`

or, if it doesn't work,

ALTER TABLE `tablename` ENGINE=`InnoDB`

where table is the name of your table. This will change the storage engine used to MyISAM (or InnoDB) which will allow the site transfer to happen – after taking a new backup.

nevertheless, could you explain why it was working before the move from joomla 1.7.6 to 2.5.7 ?

You will have to ask your host. Apparently they switched over from MySQL to MariaDB at some point before you upgraded your site. Since that time all new tables were created with Aria, the default database engine for MariaDB. In other words, your upgrade from 1.7.6 to 2.5.7 had nothing to do with it. This is due to an upgrade from your host.

At this point I would like to stress that the Aria engine is also available for MySQL. The problem is that most pre-packaged local server environments only ship with a MySQL package which only has the MyISAM and InnoDB engines. If they did include the Aria engine you wouldn't have a problem. Maybe it's a good idea to go to the support forum of your pre-packaged server environment (e.g. XAMPP, WAMPServer, whatever you're using) and let them know that the Aria engine is something badly needed for making your life easier. Given enough complaints on the support forums the feature will be implemented

I wouldn't consider it a risk. There's a log story between the MySQL/MariaDB split. The executive summary is that when Sun (the owner of MySQL) was sold to Oracle some developers left and created MariaDB. Since both projects are open source there's a lot of interaction and code transfer between them. Some people decided to use MariaDB because it is more robust when using its default storage engine called Aria (formerly called, quite confusingly, Maria).

Akeeba Backup doesn't attempt to change the database storage engine used for each table. We do that on purpose. Long story cut short, different database storage engines support different features. If I change, for example, a MyISAM table into InnoDB where there is no full text search (FTS) support any component which requires FTS -such as K2- will fail. Therefore we make developers and the owner of the site ultimately responsible for the choice of the database storage engine.

So here's the problem. On MariaDB the tables are created, by default, with the Aria engine. The common pre-packaged servers (like XAMPP, WAMPServer, MAMP and so on) ship with a MySQL server which either does not have this engine at all, or has it disabled in the configuration. This makes restoring tables impossible. The only workaround is to have your live site use the MyISAM or InnoDB engines which are well supported with both MySQL and MariaDB. To make things more interesting, if you build a site locally and restore it to a live host you'll probably never notice it. Local tables will be MyISAM or InnoDB and are supported on MariaDB as well.

Is there a risk for the site owner? Yes, there is. The database backups can only be restored on a server which supports the Aria engine. There is a manual way to edit the table definitions and restore the site on a different server, but it's complicated and frustrating. It's a last resort.

Hello Dominique,

Well, there is no way your tables spontaneously decided to change to an engine which is normally not installed with MySQL. I already told you what happened, so please let me reiterate:
- Your old site had tables using the MyISAM and/or InnoDB tables
- You upgraded the site from Joomla! 1.5/1.6/1.7 to Joomla! 2.5
- Obviously this created new tables.
- The new tables use the default storage engine of your database server
- Since the default is now the Aria engine all your new tables are using the Aria engine
- Since your local server does not support the Aria engine you cannot restore your site

From my end there is no mystery as to what happened. I also do not see a problem with it. Akeeba Backup has done exactly what it is designed to do: produce a 1:1 copy of your site's files and database. The 1:1 copy of your database includes the database engine.

There are two things you can do:
- On the live site you can change the storage engine of all of your tables to MyISAM or InnoDB.
- If that is not possible, you can follow the emergency manual restoration procedure. In Step 3 of the process you can change the engine used in the CREATE TABLE commands to something compatible with your local server environment.

I would personally prefer to follow the first alternative (change the live site's database tables to MyISAM or InnoDB). The second alternative is file for one off transfers but far from being ideal.

Since there is no issue with our software I cannot extend your support subscription. This issue not pending a solution from our side. It is caused because you are trying to transfer your site between two incompatible database server types. If you try to restore the site on a different server which is also using a recent version of MariaDB you will not experience any issues.

You're welcome!

Yes, the truth is that my previous replies were not as clear as I'd want them to be; I was about to leave for Joomla! Day Denmark and was in a rush. I'm glad the last reply clarified this issue for you :)

Yes, the change concerning MariaDB happened sometime before moving to Joomla! 2.5 and the issue appeared when new tables were created on the new site.

Yes, your concern regarding moving the site is valid but the emergency manual procedure always works.