Thomas,

I gotta say it sounds like you might have grabbed an export of the wrong database. The nodes are in the node table, with the actual body text in the node_revisions table. If you've got a completely different set of content, then either there was some strange interaction going on in a multi-site install, or this is the wrong database. Can you confirm that you've backed up the same data referenced in settings.php, and on the chance that the production install is a multi-site, that it's settings.php from the correct /sites folder?

However, if all of the other content is correct except the blog nodes, then I'm baffled.

Micah

That's totally what I thought I did at first, so i double checked in the setting.php to see what DB was referenced, and yes it was the same one I was backing up. It's really odd, all the other nodes can be found in the database, and it's is not a multi site install.

I use Backup & Migrate and have found it to be a seamless and intuitive process, there is not a trick to getting it to work right. Are the lipsum nodes on the live site? They certainly came from somewhere; and were likely added by a user either developer, visitor or hacker.

This won't explain they mystery content, nor will it help you if the nodes are not in the db but there are a couple of reasons why Drupal would not display content which is in the database:

Flush your cache: Click on "Clear cashed data" on admin/settings/performance or on the drupalicon in the (optional but suggested) Admin Menu bar.
Deactivated Modules: Could some of your modules have become deactivated? 2x check admin/build/modules
Permissions: Login in as your super user or check admin/user/permissions. Is Views (or another module) restricting access?
Files: Is it possible a required module did not get copied to your new filesystem?

Then you can always run update.php and hope for the best.

Let me know what you find out.

-NP

Thanks for the tips @NonProfit.

I first trid using backup and migrate to move the site, the same problem occurs.
Nope, the lorem ipsum nodes aren't displaying on the live site, strange. I just cant find the blog nodes anywhere in the database, but all the other nodes for the site are there. The only ones there for the node type of blog are the lorem ipsum ones.
I also have tried clearing the cache, logging in as super user, and disabling/uninstalling all non essential modules. It is quite frustrating. On the front it looks like it's the wrong database, but I know it's not, I have double and triple checked to make sure its the one referenced in the settings.php. It's not like it would easy to get the databases mixed up for this site, there are only 3 for the account.

Hey tlattimore,

If the content which is not on the live site appears in your redeploy then I'm with Micah, it's got to be a different database.

-NP

Thanks for the help guys.

Problem fixed. The settings.php on the dev site was not referring to a db_prefix as was the one on the production site. What exactly is the db prefix for? I can see all the tables that apply to the particular prefix in the database. But where does this prefix come from? Is it something thats added by an auto installer?

Thanks for the help.

The db prefix is used when you are installing several sites, or applications, that each use a database on a hosting account that only allows 1, or a few, databases. For example, assume that a hosting company only allows one MySQL database and you want to host two Drupal installations. For Site1 you'd set the prefix to something like site1 and use something like site2 for Site2.

Curt

Thanks a lot Curt, that explains it really well.