Changing Web Hosts? Step-By-Step Guide
Every
webmaster cringes at the thought of moving hosts. Like moving your home
it can be messy and sometimes problems arise. But if you follow these
simple steps, your move will be less painful.
Backup Backup Backup
If you've been diligent with your backups, you've got a lot of
insurance to fall back on yet always make the latest backup. If you
haven't, before you do anything else, do a backup now. Backup anything
and everything you can and don't forget your database if your site
relies on it. Save at least 2 copies and store them separately. One for
you to work with, and the other as an archive. Do not underestimate how
easy it is to copy over these files as you make changes or simply mess
it up.
If
you're moving to a host who has as different control panel, make a
manual backup by downloading all your files because different control
panels may not be able to restore the backups made by your old host.
They also have different directory structures so your file trees will
be in a mess. If you need to, make a small note file with notepad with
memos for you to remember the old server configurations. This will help
you as you make changes on your new host server and save the confusion
moving back and forth between hosts. Remember to make the correct
transfer type (ASCII or Binary) as you download. If your download is
not right chances are you'll have a tough time getting your site to
work on the new host server.
If
server logs are especially important, remember to backup those too.
There is no good way of moving logs yet because different hosts may log
statistics differently. So the best thing to do is to download it and
use a log analyzer on your computer to make references to later on.
Gather Odds and Ends
1. A Good FTP program which you should have by now
2. Get your new host server's DNS
3.
It's also helpful to have a script that tells you the server
environments installed on your new host server for quick references.
4. Get the temporary URL on your new host so you can check your site before you make a DNS change.
5. If you have your host control the domain inform them not to change your DNS until you tell them to.
6.
If you run scripts: Get a copy of the original installation guide and
the script. Sometimes after moving the scripts they just do not work
right so you might need to install the script from scratch. Get a list
of all the server paths such as Perl, Sendmail and home directory on
your new server. If your script needs special server modules or
programs ensure they are installed and where. Even though these might
be covered before you ordered the account with the host but sometimes
your host has removed it or haven't installed it yet.
Inform Your Visitors
It is common and good practice to inform your visitors and customers of
the server move. If you run a e-store, this helps assure your customers
you have not fled with their money if there is any downtime. Also give
an alternate email so you won't lose emails in the transfer. You might
also want to give periodic updates prior, during (if there is downtime)
and after. If your site is large, doing this is helpful because your
visitors can alert you whenever there is a part of the site not working.
Moving Day
Try to schedule the move at a time where there's least traffic. Backup
again just before you do the move so you'll have the latest data. Start
by first copying or creating your custom error pages onto the new host
server. Put a small note in there about the move. You can always remove
it later. Then upload the most visible parts of the site first i.e the
main pages then move on to the less critical parts of the site. If you
have a large site with many divisions you might want to split them
across different days and instead move the least critical first. Just
ensure you always do a backup before you do any moving. Use the
temporary URL to check your site, visiting as many pages as you can.
Changing DNS
Once you're satisfied, change your DNS over. This typically takes about
24-48 hours so you have time to make some minor changes if need be. You
might want to also take this time to modify your old site's error pages
to inform your visitors of the move and give a new URL if there are URL
changes. To help you determine if the DNS has resolved, make a small
change on the new pages to differentiate between the old and the new.
Monitor
After you've moved and the DNS resolved, do not release the old account
yet. Keep it as long as two weeks running concurrently. Go back and
check the old servers for activity. Check your old email account and if
you have a web based contact method on the old server check to see if
any communication is left there. Once you're comfortable all email and
traffic is correctly directed to the new host server, you can cancel
that account.
