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Servers & Hosting

Website and server migration with minimal downtime

For a small blog, moving to a new host takes minutes. For a store with a multi-gigabyte database, hundreds of mailboxes or dozens of sites on one server, one mistake means lost orders or lost email. We plan the website migration, test everything on the target server, and switch DNS only when the new server is ready.

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Tools & technology migration
  • rsync
  • imapsync
  • mysqldump
  • cPanel Transfer Tool
  • DirectAdmin
  • AlmaLinux
  • Ubuntu Server
  • Cloudflare DNS
  • WordPress
6work areas
4deliverables
4steps

What is Site & Server Migration?

Website migration to a new host is the planned move of sites, databases and mailboxes from one server or hosting account to another, with testing before DNS changes so downtime stays as short as possible. It suits a store afraid to leave a slow host, a company moving from cPanel to DirectAdmin, a server still on CentOS 7, or anyone who lost email in a previous move. PikoSystem inventories the source server, lowers DNS TTLs a few days ahead, transfers files with rsync, databases with mysqldump and mailboxes with imapsync, checks each site on the new server through a hosts file entry, including forms and the payment gateway, then runs a final sync and switches DNS at a low-traffic hour. You receive a migration plan with a rollback procedure, the completed test checklist and a final report.

When you need Site & Server Migration

  • Our current host is slow, but we are afraid to move the store.
  • We want to move from cPanel to DirectAdmin.
  • Our old server runs CentOS 7 and needs a new operating system.
  • The last migration lost several days of email.

What Site & Server Migration includes

01

Source server review

An inventory of sites, databases, cron jobs, mailboxes, PHP versions and software dependencies on the current server.

02

Target preparation

Matching or compatible versions installed, panel or web server configured, and DNS TTLs lowered a few days before the move.

03

Data transfer

Files with rsync, databases with mysqldump or the panel migration tools, and mailboxes with imapsync.

04

Testing before DNS changes

Each site checked on the new server through a hosts file entry, including forms, payment gateway, outgoing email and file permissions.

05

Final sync and cutover

At a low-traffic time we sync the last changes, switch DNS and watch the logs on both servers.

06

Cross-panel and OS moves

cPanel to DirectAdmin or the reverse, and migrations from CentOS 7 to AlmaLinux or Ubuntu.

What you get from Site & Server Migration

  • A migration plan with timing and a rollback procedure
  • The test checklist completed on the target server
  • A final report listing migrated sites, databases and mailboxes
  • A full backup of the source server, kept until the end of the agreed period

Site & Server Migration: a practical guide

WordPress migration: Duplicator or a manual move?

Plugins such as Duplicator are a quick option for a small site on shared hosting. On larger sites, building the package runs into PHP limits like max_execution_time and upload size, or produces a multi-gigabyte zip that turns out to be incomplete. Moving files with rsync and the database with mysqldump is more reliable there.

The step most often done wrong in a manual move is changing the site URL. A plain find-and-replace on the SQL file breaks WordPress serialized data, and widget and theme settings disappear. The wp search-replace command in WP-CLI updates that data correctly.

Moving from DirectAdmin to cPanel: what gets left behind?

Backup conversion tools between DirectAdmin and cPanel carry over files, databases and mailboxes, though not every setting comes along. After the move we check cron jobs, email forwarders, custom DNS records, the PHP version chosen for each domain and any SSL certificates not issued by Let's Encrypt, one by one.

The .htaccess rules need care too. If the source server ran LiteSpeed and the target runs Apache with PHP-FPM, directives such as php_value in .htaccess cause 500 errors and have to move into a .user.ini file.

Moving hosting and moving a domain are separate jobs

Changing hosts does not require transferring your domain. The DNS records or nameservers simply point to the new server, and the domain stays with its current registrar. A registrar transfer is a separate task and is best not done at the same time, so that if something breaks, the cause is clear.

For .ir domains, nameservers are changed through the nic.ir panel or your registrar. Before the move, confirm you hold the login for that panel yourself. If only your previous hosting company has it, get that access first.

Can a physical server be migrated to a virtual machine?

Yes, although the process differs from a hosting move. VMware vCenter Converter handles moves to ESXi, Disk2vhd creates disks for Hyper-V, and on Proxmox a converted disk is imported as qcow2 with qemu-img. RAID controller and network card drivers from the physical server do not work in a VM, and older Windows installs may fail to boot with an INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE error after the move.

This kind of move usually belongs to a virtualization or cloud migration project, and we plan it as part of that service.

How Site & Server Migration works

  1. 01

    Review and estimate

    We inspect the source server and estimate the work and the likely cutover window.

  2. 02

    Plan and sign-off

    Timing, expected downtime and the rollback procedure are written down and agreed with you.

  3. 03

    Transfer and test

    Data moves to the new server, and every site and mailbox is tested there before it goes live.

  4. 04

    Cutover and watch

    DNS is switched, a final sync runs, and we watch both servers until traffic has fully moved.

Site & Server Migration: frequently asked questions

Is a zero-downtime migration possible?

For most sites downtime can be kept very short with low TTLs, a fast final sync and a DNS switch at a quiet hour. Sites that take orders or sign-ups all the time may need a brief read-only window. If that applies to you, we say so before the move.

Is email moved to the new host too?

Yes. Mailboxes are moved with their full contents. After the MX change we run one more sync to pick up anything that reached the old server in the meantime.

Our new host offers free migration. Why use you?

Free host migrations work well for a simple account on the same panel. When the panel changes, the PHP version or operating system changes, or several sites and mailboxes move together, planning and testing start to matter.

What if something goes wrong after the move?

The source server stays untouched until the end of the agreed period. If there is a serious problem, we point DNS back to the old server and fix the issue on the new one.

Related searches

  • host migration
  • server migration
  • cPanel to DirectAdmin migration
  • WordPress migration to a new server
  • zero-downtime migration
  • email migration to a new host

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