Migrating a hosting reseller account is necessary for several reasons, such as frequent downtime, traffic spikes and so on. But for whatever reason, you are migrating; it must be done systematically and with planning.
That is because a single mistake can lead to service disruption, data loss, and damage to your reputation. In this article, we will learn the comprehensive steps to migrate a web hosting reseller account, ensuring a smooth transition.
Step-by-Step Guide to Migrating cPanel Reseller Hosting Service
1. Pre-Migration Preparation
Prerequisites for Migration
Before you start migrating your reseller hosting service account, there are certain aspects you need to ensure a smooth transition:
● Root Access
Ensure you have root access to both the current and new servers.
● Matching Software Versions:
All the versions of cPanel/WHM, PHP, Apache, MariaDB/MySQL, should be the same or compatible on both servers. It ensures that there are no errors or compatibility issues during or after migration.
● DNS Configuration
DNS records need to be updated so that they can point to the new server’s IP address.
● Sufficient Resources
The new server needs to be resource-rich to handle transfers without any interruption.
● Backup
Create a reliable backup of your reseller hosting account to avoid loss.
2. Use the WHM Transfer Tool
Once you have created a backup, it is time to ensure that your new budget reseller hosting account is configured correctly. Check whether cPanel and WHM are licensed and installed on the new server.
Then, log in to your WHM on your new server. Next, perform the basic configuration, including hostname, security configuration, and networking. Ensure your new server is updated and configured for transfer.
Now that the account is configured, you need to enable the account transfer tool, i.e., the WHM transfer tool. Using this tool, you get to copy data from the old server and transfer it effortlessly.
3. Transfer Process
Configure the old server to notify the system of where it needs to fetch the data:
- Log in to your WHM account (the new server of the reseller hosting plan). Under the transfer tool interface, scan for “Remote Server Address”. And type your old server IP or hostname. Similarly, give the SSH port number used by the old server.
- Then, go back to your old budget reseller hosting account and log in as the root user. In this step, we will use WHM Connect, which can be done in two ways. You can either enter the root user name and password or use an SSH key instead of a password.
- Once scanning is done, you will get a list of all accounts. You need to choose whether you want to transfer a single account or all accounts. You will have the option to transfer configurations, such as packages, reseller privileges, and DNS zones.
- Before initiating the transfer, update DNS records so all domains point to the new server and disable the old account.
- Then, click on the copy button, and WHM will initiate the migration process from the old server to the new one.
4. Post Migration Check
Once you are done with the migration of the reseller hosting service, do some post-migration checks like:
- Verify the websites and databases
- Check email functionality
- Check all account data
Conclusion
Migrating reseller hosting for web developers or other users is not complex if they plan ahead. Follow this process strategically and efficiently to ensure a seamless migration. Further, double-check everything once you are done to avoid any potential issues.