Hi,

Due to high system utilisations, I'd like to move
a bunch of websites from one server to another
(those servers use CPanel/WHM). I've got root access
to both. What is the easiest way to do this?

Some websites use MySQL database, mailing-lists, subdomains.
Some use everyone.net services (so MX modification).

After creating the accounts on the new server, what next?
I've tried
[list=1]
tar and gzip /home/username/ and /var/lib/mysql/[user-database]
move the compressed files to new server
decompress them
update the /var/named/domain.com.db
update the nameservers for the domain
Tell my client to use the new account with new pasword.
[/list=1]

[The migration can't move the userid/password for MySQL database.
I just ask the client to recreate it].

As you may see, the process is quite long and time consuming.
Is there any shortcuts for this?

Thanks for your ideas..

Anto.

You might want to contact Daniel over at VO. He has done this for a lot of servers. He may ask for a fee or do it for something else. Shoot him an email: daniel@venturesonline.com

They do the same thing as you described.
For fee they will probably do it for you or explain how to do it.

They do the same thing, but they do it in blocks. In other words, they can move like 30 sites at a time. They did it for me when i went to a new server...worked GREAT!

Guys,

Thanks for your replies.

So I think, I'll continue my way, then.
There are not many websites to be migrated, btw.
I'll do it in 10 sites block. It's only about 90.

Cheers,

Easiest Way...<thinking>

How about pull the hard drive out of the old server and put it in the new server?

MySQL Migration
When you move the mysql database you will have to re-establish the user tables on the new box. I have seen this done using a perl script, but I cannot find it anywhere. Basically, dumpt the mysql user table and then re-load it into the new database. The perl script created new passwords which were automatically emailed to the users (assuming their mysql username and server username where the same).

I believe later version of MySQL have a migration utility built in -- have to check the docs. One solution would be to move all user tables and then delete those that did not get migrated.

Paths
Also, make sure the paths to commonly used programs, sendmail, perl, etc., are the same on the new box. If the machines are configured identical with respect to the filesystems then you should not have a problem. We had a problem once because the perl install on the new box had not put a binary link in /usr/bin just in /usr/local/bin. If the paths are wrong, many asp, perl or other scripts will fail.


IP's
If you new box is on a new IP, you will want to notify your clients. Some may have specified the boxes IP in thier scripts -- this would cause the machine to poll the old box for things like datbase connections, sendmail, etc. We had a problem once where a person had specified IPs in their scripts instead of their domain name. When we moved their site, all of their scripts making mysql calls failed because the box was calling the old one.