UCAC - Membership System Migration to MySQL
A further stage in the development of UCAC’s membership system, moving from a replicated Microsoft SQL Server and MariaDB arrangement to a MySQL-based application architecture. The project brings the PHP membership website and Windows administration application onto a shared database platform while preserving existing membership records and business processes.
The earlier solution linked a SQL Server-backed office application with the Joomla membership website through database replication. This supported online registration and member profile management, but required separate database platforms and synchronisation between them.
The migration work adapts the administration application and PHP components for a shared MySQL-compatible database, implemented using MariaDB. It includes a controlled transfer of membership, school, payment and related records, together with checks to preserve record identities, relationships and historical data.
A dedicated migration utility provides connection testing, table previews, a non-writing dry run and transactional import. Validation reports highlight mapping differences and records requiring review before responsibility for editing is transferred to the new platform.
The project also upgrades sensitive financial information to modern encryption, with consistent protection across the PHP website and Windows application while preserving the integrity of existing records. Membership changes and background notifications are handled separately, supporting a controlled move away from the replication-based arrangement.
