1.1 Connection Wizard
This section helps you configure the connection to your live store and start working with your data.
When you open the Store Manager for the first time the Connection Wizard is launched automatically in order to help you connect to your live store database and start working with your store.
In case it is not shown, in order to make the process of connection setup easier you may find the Connection Wizard in Settings Tab -> Connection Wizard:
Simple Mode
Connection wizard allows you to configure the connection to your store data automatically using Simple mode.
1. Select Connection Mode
On the first step, you’ll be suggested to choose the way of connection setup between Simple Mode and Advanced Mode. Let’s start from the Simple one - it allows you to set up connection automatically with no efforts.
If you run this wizard for the first time you’ll be taken to the third step. If you run it manually, you need to select “Add new configuration” in order to create a new configuration.
2. FTP Settings
At this step of Connection Wizard, you’ll be asked to specify your FTP details so the Store Manager could proceed automatically. Please, contact your hosting company so they could provide you with FTP details:
Server address - Usually it is your website name like "mywebsite.com" (do not include http://www. prefix); you may use IP address as well.
Username (login), Password - Specify your FTP username and password. Please make sure that specified user has all privileges and can view, edit or create files in your shopping cart folder.
Store root (FTP)-directory - This is the catalog that contains the files of your store (shopping cart) that you can find/see via FTP. Click on browse button to select your shopping cart root folder.
To make sure that you have selected the correct folder, check if there are an admin, system and images folders as well as all other files and folders of your shopping cart inside.
Click Test FTP connection button and if you receive the message “FTP was connected successfully”, please, proceed with the connection setup by clicking Next.
If you got this message when you use test connection button:
you have to add your IP address to the Access list. It means that the host computer is behind a firewall you may not be able to access it from your home computer.
In such cases, you should add your IP to the whitelist (Access Hosts) using your store control panel in order to allow FTP connections from specified IP address.
In case you need assistance, you’re welcome to contact your hosting provider and they will gladly help you with the process. Click on the 'Next' to proceed.
3. Store URL
Please, specify your store URL at this step of Connection Wizard. Please, check this URL in your browser, whether it can be opened.
4. Connection Preview
The next step of Connection Wizard will show you the list of your connection settings. Click Finish to close the wizard and use those settings.
Advanced Mode
In the case for some reasons connection was not configured successfully using Simple Mode, let’s try the Advanced Mode.
To open Connection Wizard, find it in tab Settings -> Connection Wizard:
Once it is shown, please follow few steps below:
1. Select Connection Mode
On the first step, you’ll be suggested to choose the way of connection setup between Simple Mode and Advanced Mode. Let’s proceed with Advanced one - it allows you to set up the connection manually.
2. Create or Select Store Connection Name
Please, select the action to create a new connection to your store or change current configuration in case you have added some connection settings earlier.
3. FTP Settings
At this step of Connection Wizard you’ll be asked to specify your FTP details so the Store manager could find all the further required information automatically:
Server address - Usually it is your website name like "mywebsite.com" (do not include http://www. prefix); you may use IP address as well.
Username (login), Password - Specify your FTP username and password. Please make sure that specified user has all privileges and can view, edit or create files in your shopping cart folder.
Store FTP-directory - This is the catalog that contains the files of your store (shopping cart) that you can find/see via FTP. Click on browse button to select your shopping cart root folder.
To make sure that you have selected the correct folder, check if there are admin and images folders as well as all the other files and folders of your shopping cart inside.
Click Test FTP connection and if you receive the message “FTP was connected successfully”, Proceed with the connection setup by clicking 'Next'.
4. Store URL
Please, specify your store URL at this step of Connection Wizard and click 'Test' to verify it.
The current message about the successful store URL allows to move to the next step of the configuration process - click on the 'Next' button.
In case the URL is not accepted,
you should change the URL path to the store. It should be openable and acceptable in the browser. Once you see your store, copy the URL and paste it in Store Manager Connection Wizard step.
5. Select connection type
On the next step you’ll be asked to choose store connection that you’d like to set up:
Direct connection to remote database allows you to make changes which will be immediately reflected at your store
PHP MySQL bridge connection allows you to work with your database much faster though it requires manual synchronization.
Please, note that we added a new type of connection - HTTP tunnel, which is an alternative way to connect to your store directly and make instant changes.
It possesses the advantages of both direct and bridge connection.
Benefits:
- this type of connection is useful if you don't have direct access to MySQL database, it works the same way as the ordinary web browser
- you don't need to do POST \ GET operations to synchronize data with your store, all changes are made in real-time
Disadvantages:
- .php file is used by HTTP -tunnel, that's why the speed of work depends on your channel speed capacity. If you have unstable connection, it is better for you to use bridge connection because it works with a cached database.
We don’t recommend importing products if HTTP tunnel is set up. We are working on the improvement of connection and we’re planning to implement caching import in the next releases.
6. Let’s try to set up a Direct connection to remote database, HTTP tunnel or PHP MySQL bridge connection.
6.1. Direct connection to remote database
Please, choose Direct connection to remote database from the list
At the next step of Connection Wizard you’ll be asked to specify your Host address - usually, it is your website name like "mywebsite.com" (do not include http://www. prefix); you may use IP address as well.
Press 'Autodetect'.
You have to enter the address of the computer you want to connect to. This computer must run MySQL server containing your store database.
Usually, database server address is the same as your store address.
We recommend you to try 3306 database port and if it doesn’t work contact your hosting provider and ask what port you have to use to connect to MySQL.
Click Test Host Address to verify the host address and Next to proceed.
Database Login. Please, specify username and password to your database.
In order to find your settings, please follow few steps:
- Open your store using any FTP Client (like FileZilla, or any other)
- Open your store root directory via ftp and find config folder
- Open settings.inc.php file and you will find your username and password
- Copy them to Store Manager
define('_DB_USER_', 'your_user_goes_here');
define('_DB_PASSWD_', 'your_database_password_goes_here');
Please, press 'Test Database Login' to check the credentials and then 'Next' to proceed.
At the next step of Connection Wizard, you’ll be asked to select database name. Press 'Autodetect' to get the Database Name and 'Next' to go to the last step.
Configuration Name. Specify Configuration Name to save all the connection settings too. I might be a good idea to use the name related to your store.
Click 'Next' to see the summary of connection settings and 'Finish' to complete the connection setup.
Close the preferences window by clicking 'OK' to start working with your data.
6.2. HTTP tunnel
Please, choose HTTP tunnel store connection from the list and you’ll be redirected to the following page to confirm Tunnel URL. Make sure the link includes http:// prefix.
Please, click Test HTTP Tunnel to check the link.
At the next step, you have to enter your database server address, which is usually the same as your store address, e.g. if your store URL is “http://www.mystore.com” then your server address should be “mystore.com”.
Please, do not enter “http://” and “www” prefixes. You may also press Autodetect so the Wizard could find your store address.
You have to enter the address of the computer you want to connect to. This computer must run MySQL server containing your store database.
Usually, database server address is the same as your store address.
We recommend you to try 3306 database port and if it doesn’t work contact your hosting provider and ask what port you have to use to connect to MySQL.
Click Test Host Address to verify the host address and Next to proceed.
Database Login. Please, specify username and password to your database.
In order to find your settings, please follow few steps:
- Open your store using any FTP Client (like FileZilla, or any other)
- Open your store root directory via FTP and find config folder
- Open settings.inc.php file and you will find your username and password
- Copy them to Store Manager
define('_DB_USER_', 'your_user_goes_here');
define('_DB_PASSWD_', 'your_database_password_goes_here');
Please, press Test Database Login to check the credentials and then Next to proceed.
At the next step of Connection Wizard, you’ll be asked to select database name. Press Autodetect to get the Database Name and Next to go to the last step.
Click Next to proceed.
Configuration Name. Specify Configuration Name to save all the connection settings too. I might be a good idea to use the name related to your store. Click Next to see the summary of connection settings and Finish to complete the connection setup. Close the preferences window by clicking OK to start working with your data.
6.3. PHP MySQL bridge connection
If neither direct MySQL nor HTTP tunnel connection is possible to try PHP-MySQL bridge connection as an alternative. Bridge is just another way to connect to your database.
Please, choose PHP MySQL bridge connection, click 'Next'.
At this step of Connection Wizard, you’ll see the login and password for your bridge connection. The username and passwords are generated by the software in order to make the connection secure.
They differ from database access details.
Click 'Next' so the Connection Wizard could verify the connection and proceed with uploading the bridge file. Click Finish to close the wizard and use these settings.
Please, make sure you select the type of database you need if you use bridge connection.