Resolved Cloning/sync-ing websites

[Franco]

Hi,
as many of you may know, under the Plesk wordpress toolkit it is possible to clone a website and sync them. I have a need to set a WP website in a dev (or staging) version and a production version and I am evaluating whether it can be used effectively. After having consulted the Plesk documentation I have a few doubts and questions which those of you who tried it can perhaps resolve for me:

1. Are all the files sync-ed or is there any special attention to wp-config.php (e.g., for database connection) and possibly others?
2. I read that only new or changed files are sync-ed, and existing files which may not exist on the source are not removed on the destination. This can be a problem as themes may get rid of some obsolete files and that's why the recommended upgrade way is to remove the folder and upload/unzip the new versionn of the theme. Assume I have done that on the dev version and I sync it: the production website may have some unnecessary or harming files still present.
   
3. In my case the production website makes use of a Let's Encrypt basic certificate. Any implications in such a dual website setup?
4. I read the dev version can be setup not to be publicly available by setting up a password. I am instead (or in addition) thinking not to point a DNS A record to it and have it in my hosts file only. Would the sync and all the rest work?

What's your experience with such a a setup? Is it safe, effective and recommended? Any fundamental improvement foreseen on this topic with next Plesk release (17.8)?

Thank you in advance for all your hints.
Regards

Franco

 

[Aleksey Filatev]

Hello,

Latest release of WordPress Toolkit (version 2.4.1) adds some features which could be useful:

• There is an option "Allow to copy wp-config.php during file synchronization" at Global Settings tab of WordPress Toolkit. Anyway, database connection and other things will be ajusted during sync, so after syncing you will get a working instance.
• There is an option "Remove missing files" available while syncing WordPress instqances.

After creation of staging for your website you can add Let's Encrypt certificate on the target domain or subdomain. It is a common case, no known implications where. Even more, in nearest release of Plesk Let's Encrypt module will be a feature which allow you to keep all domains secured automatically. Or could you please explain in more details, that do you mean?

WordPress Toolkit works well with instances on unresolved domains, so you can clone your site on any domain, even if it not registred yet. You will be unable to login into WordPress dashboard in this case, but you can map domain name with IP in "hosts" file on your workstation as a workaround.

 

[Franco]

Thanks, Alekesy, it looks like all my doubts have been addressed. I am going to try it then.
And, sure, I know how to use the hosts file, that's my standard way for developing websites, as using temp domains invariably let's something hanging on it when switching to the target domain, no matter how hard one tries to use relative URLs and so on.

Regards
Franco