How to restore site from VB backup?

[Pilot]

My server has been hacked and the database deleted and so I want to move my VB site to a new server. I have a database backup file on my PC created from the VB control panel.

Can some kind person prompt me for the steps involved in recovering the database? I assume I start by installing VB software on the new server. Then what?

[Zachery]

No, you don't install vB to the new server,

Upload the vBulletin files
Upload the sql backup to your ftp
Ask your webhost to restore the backup via ssh
Config the config.php file to point to the newly restored backup.

[Pilot]

OK thanks, what command would the webhost use to restore the backup, as I can use SSH myself if I know what command to use (eg MySQLadmin)?

Incidentally I am on 3.5.7 I think, sorry about posting in the wrong place.

[Steve Machol]

The only consistently reliable method of backing up and restoring a database is with shell access via telnet or ssh. This is because backing up with a PHP script like that in the Admin CP or phpMyAdmin can result in PHP timeout errors and an incomplete backup file.

Please see the instructions here:

Backup:

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/maintenance_ssh_backup

Restore:

http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/maintenance_ssh_restore

If you don't have telnet or SSH access, some people have reported success with these scripts:

MySQLDumper:

http://www.mysqldumper.de/en/index.php

MySQLHotxcopy:

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134821&highlight=mysqlhotcopy

Bigdump (restore only):

http://www.ozerov.de/bigdump.php

[Pilot]

I used bigdump.php, which worked fine. .