Lets say you sign up and lease a dedicated server from company X and in a year or so you want to move all the accounts over to a new dedicated server at company Y, is this a complicated process?

What is involved with doing something like this?

Will your clients have to reconfigure all thier scripts to work on the new server?

Thanks :)

It is a very painfull process that can result in some downtime, and even more because of problems.

I would suggest that the next provider you pick make sure it will grow with you and doesn't have problems.

:-)

Thats what I thought..

I would rather just stay with the same company Im signing up with and what I would probably end up doing is just getting another server in addition to the first one, hopefully I make the right initial decision!

Im either going to go with weinbar.com or venturesonline.com
they both seem to be highly available and noone seems to have a bad word to say about either

If anyone has servers at either of the two fore mentioned companies I would greatly appreciate hearing what kinds of experiences youve had with them

Thanks! :)

70 reads and 1 reply??

cmon people dont be so shy!

The process involves changing the Domain Name Server (DNS) to that of the new host. The DNS needs to be changed via the domain registrar you used to register the domain name. Most domain names are still using Network Solutions as their domain registrar (why I'll never know). You may run into some difficulties if the email address Network Solutions has on file for you is no longer valid, since they need you to confirm the changes to the DNS via email, and they'll only recognize your authority if you reply from the email address they have on file for you. If you used another domain registrar to register your domains, then you'll most likely need a username and password to log in to some control panel to change the DNS. You'll run into some difficulties if you no longer have the username and password.

Once you successfully change the DNS,there's a 24 to 48 hour propagation period where some people on the Internet will see your site on the old server, while others will see it on the new server. You should make sure that both hosting accounts are live at this point. You don't want to cancel the account with the old host, then set-up the hosting with the new host, since some people will see your site as deactivated, while others will see it live.

Make sure the new host set-ups the account and you upload the content to the server BEFORE you change the DNS info. If you don't do this, then there will be some people who won't be able to see your sites.

You also want to ensure that the new host creates all of the email accounts for your sites...that way, emaails won't be bouncing back when you do switch to the new host.

Of course, you don't want to change hosts often. I recommend you do some serious research before changing hosts (which I'm sure you're doing :-). You want to find a host with whom you'll foster a long-term relationship, since there are other problems you may encounter when changing hosts, like scripting issues, shopping cart functionality issues, etc.

I hope I've been of some help :-)

Kind Regards,

Penny Ortega

Since the question seems theoretical at this point and it is a lot of work, I would suggest heeding what Adam said. Choose your host carefully so you won't have to move. That's the best way. Whatever time you spend on researching and choosing the right host will be well worth it and be repaid in many ways, many times. Choose wisely.

Changing from one server to another, from one provider to another, isn't that complex of a task, per se. It can be, and it can be daunting, but this really depends on what's set up on the current server and the other. If you have a solution to use your own name server, then in one transfer, all domains will be transferred to the new server. If you plan a week or two ahead of time, the transfer can be transparent.

Further, there should be no realistic reason to change anything, unless something unique is running on one server and not the other. I.e., moving client's from an Alabanza based control panel server, to a VDI based CPanel server, isn't fun. But, it's not that difficult either. Moving people to or from, just takes a little planning and depending on the size of the client list, might entail writing a quick shell or Perl script or something.

I've been actually doing a lot of moves lately, and trust me, it's not easy, but ot's not difficult either. It just depends, and I've been faced with the worst of it. Sometimes it's just a matter of time, but planning it well, can save a lot of time and hassle and make the move quicker. Also, you ought not to have any reason to worry about people changing paths or configurations, again, assuming the new server is prepared, set up properly, or is compatible to a point. Otherwise, you will need to plan it better.

I.e., if you go with Ventures Online, they use Cpanel and if you ever decided to move, you have an option to moving to a great number of other servers that offer Cpanel, if you just don't continue to retain a license to run Cpanel yourself, which is an option for you and would make things very easy to move. There's certainly the aspect that you don't want to move or be faced with that option, but it's not that difficult and not *everything* will need to be changed, it could be a simple matter or simply moving files and that might be it, or a few additional things, which aren't difficult, only time consuming if you lack planning.

Again, well planned, you can move from almost any server to almost any other server, with minimal to no issues in regards to the task of moving. Obviously though, you'll want to make the best, most informed decision and know whatever host is right for you initially, and not plan to move anyway, and that's a big part of it.

Originally posted by Tim_Greer
...... If you have a solution to use your own name server, then in one transfer, all domains will be transferred to the new server.....

Is it only necessary to change the IP of the name servers?

I have noticed that some registrars require that the IP of the name servers must be set as well as the hostname of the name server. If the IP is changed for the name server, do I have to update each domain that use the name server with the new IP of the name server, or will this be done automatically?

/lennert

Originally posted by leat
[QUOTE]
Is it only necessary to change the IP of the name servers?
I have noticed that some registrars require that the IP of the name servers must be set as well as the hostname of the name server. If the IP is changed for the name server, do I have to update each domain that use the name server with the new IP of the name server, or will this be done automatically?
Yes, you only need to change the IP numbers of the name servers (with whatever registrar you registered the name servers with). You *do not* have to change the IP addresses on every domain name using your DNS.

Although Network Solutions and a couple of other registrars ask you to provide the IP numbers of the name servers when you register a domain name, they don't seem to make a difference. We changed the IP numbers of our name servers about six months ago (through Dotster.com); Network Solutions still shows the old IP numbers when you do a WHOIS lookup, but the domains work just fine.

Hi Tim,

If the new server wasnt compatible with the old server or had different path configurations (ie perl, PHP, CGI-BIN) wouldnt this cause problems if you had to switch hosts? You said something about using a script to fix this, do you mean a script that would scan the server and change those variables across the whole server?

Originally posted by IntelligentHosting.com
[QUOTE]We changed the IP numbers of our name servers about six months ago (through Dotster.com); Network Solutions still shows the old IP numbers when you do a WHOIS lookup, but the domains work just fine.

This is an amusing set of circumstances which I have also spent (wasted) a bit of time on recently.

As long as the name servers are correctly recorded in the Verisign Global Registry database [nsiregistry.com] then your name servers will work.

Network Solutions..'the registrar' however does not automatically update it's records to reflect what is in the main VGR db... this I find bizarre..

I have name servers listed with VGR, and so they work... but if a customer who still has a domain with Network Solutions, tries to use these NS, they cannot do it because the NetSol Registrar's db doesn't have the damn things...

Also, registrars are supposed to be the only ones who can properly submit name servers for registration with the VGR.

I've been told this a number of times... BUT just a few days ago I was party to setting up a customer's name servers by using the host forms at NetSol's web site.... and it worked just fine..didn't go near the registrar.

This whole business is full of BS and I don't believe the people charged with running it are really worth a squirt of cat's piss to be honest..

Originally posted by leat
Originally posted by Tim_Greer
...... If you have a solution to use your own name server, then in one transfer, all domains will be transferred to the new server.....

Is it only necessary to change the IP of the name servers?

I have noticed that some registrars require that the IP of the name servers must be set as well as the hostname of the name server. If the IP is changed for the name server, do I have to update each domain that use the name server with the new IP of the name server, or will this be done automatically?

/lennert

This works for the DNS servers, that everyone's domain runs off of and points to, so yes. However, if you're talking about IP's that domains specifically point to in the servers DNS, (I.e. if you offer IP based hosting for each or many domains), then yes, that would have to be set to be on the new IP's, in the zone's and in the web server configuration, etc.. This isn't difficult and is part of the planning and preperation step I spoke of (if that's what you speak of).

If that's your question; This just saves people from all having to alter their domain records at the registar(s) to point to the new server, if you have your own DNS addresses for them to point to. My point is, make your service as portable as possible. So, if you do move, you don't have all your client's domain records pointing to name servers and IP's that belong to your provider you're hosting your server on.. otherwise, you'd have to have all your client's domain records each modified separately, which is beyond a hassle.

You can run two instances of certain things at one time, across two different servers to make the move smooth. But, you need that ability and part of the planning would obviously include having access to both servers for at least a week. This is the sort of thing you'll be faced with with any move, but I'm simply saying, that not everything will have to change. Most things are fast to do and you can do it properly and transparently, while the changes are made.

[Edited by Tim_Greer on 03-31-2001 at 08:33 PM]

Originally posted by ee-o
Hi Tim,

If the new server wasnt compatible with the old server or had different path configurations (ie perl, PHP, CGI-BIN) wouldnt this cause problems if you had to switch hosts? You said something about using a script to fix this, do you mean a script that would scan the server and change those variables across the whole server?

Well, what I had meant about that, was that you can write a script to basically check and set the proper paths, maybe create some symbolic links to the program location(s) or directory or file paths, if they are different, to reflect the paths on the former server. Also, and mainly, in the case of user's directories and files, etc. as well as their file's UID and GID ownership, etc.

Again, as for the IP's if you have each domain on a different IP, although you can switch the name servers in one transfer, you can also do it redundantly, and even with a 3rd party DNS server for the time being, so immediately switch zone's at once, once it's all done, or one at a time, and move a site at a time, and they only need to worry about the TTL and caching, which is solved by simply logging back onto their connection.

You will still, if you have different IP's for each domain, have to set up the new zone files, via a control panel, a script you wrote, or *shudder* manually editing each file, but the two former are very quick and you can even write a script to mass move it all over and automatically update all the old zone files with new IP's. If you know how and plan it, it would take only a few minutes to code a script and run it and have all that be complete. It's not that difficult, but I'm saying this out of a lot of experience and being a programmer, etc. I'm not going to say these are quick or effective alternatives for people that aren't as familiar.

So, what I'm saying, is as most things in this field, it all depends... but it's definitely not an impossible or even extremely difficult thing to do, nor does it mean that there must be downtime. You only need to know how to bypass many of the delays and problems involved. This may not be an easy enough task to make it a viable solution for you to plan executing if you are ever faced with a move.

Therefore, as other's have said, and you'd certainly agree anyway, I'm sure, try and choose a host that you don't have any concerns about needing to move off of and hope you never have to. Nonetheless, it's never a bad idea ot get that familiar with all the tasks involved anyway, just for the sake of other administration tasks you'll likely need to do.

I have now moved to the new server and it went very smooth. I changed the IP of my name servers and all domains automatically resolved to the name servers new IP addresses. My clients did not notice the move at all, except for that they could not update their sites during a short period when their new IP addresses propagated. The domains that automatically resolved to the new IP addresses of the name servers were the internic TLDs, .nu, .st and .se TLDs.

I would like to thank Chris and Tim for answering my initial question. Their experience and knowledge helped me a lot.

Of course my new server got rooted within 24 hours, with the default installation from the provider, but that is another story.

/lennert