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    Migration Tools & Techniques

    Comprehensive guide to migrating servers to RamNode Cloud with minimal downtime

    Migrate your applications, websites, and data to RamNode Cloud with minimal downtime using these proven tools and techniques.

    Migration Strategies

    Lift and Shift

    Move existing setup as-is

    Best for: Quick migrations, legacy apps

    Replatform

    Minor optimizations during move

    Best for: Modernizing slightly

    Refactor

    Rebuild for cloud-native

    Best for: Long-term optimization

    File Transfer Methods

    1. rsync (Recommended)

    Best for copying files between servers:

    # Basic rsync from old to new server
rsync -avz -e ssh /var/www/ user@new-server:/var/www/

# With progress and compression
rsync -avz --progress -e ssh /var/www/ user@new-server:/var/www/

# Exclude files
rsync -avz --exclude 'cache/*' --exclude 'tmp/*' \
  -e ssh /var/www/ user@new-server:/var/www/

    2. tar + SSH Pipeline

    Efficient for large directories:

    tar czf - /var/www | ssh user@new-server "tar xzf - -C /"

    Database Migration

    MySQL/MariaDB

    # Export database
mysqldump -u root -p --single-transaction \
  --routines --triggers database_name > backup.sql

# Compress for faster transfer
mysqldump -u root -p database_name | gzip > backup.sql.gz

# Import on new server
gunzip < /tmp/backup.sql.gz | mysql -u root -p database_name

    PostgreSQL

    # Export database
pg_dump -U postgres database_name | gzip > backup.sql.gz

# Import on new server
psql -U postgres database_name < backup.sql

    DNS Migration Strategy

    Zero-Downtime DNS Cutover

    1
    Lower TTL - Set DNS TTL to 300 (5 minutes) 24 hours before
    2
    Set up new server - Configure and test thoroughly
    3
    Sync data - Use rsync to keep files in sync
    4
    Final sync - Put old site in maintenance, do final sync
    5
    Update DNS - Point to new server IP
    6
    Monitor - Watch traffic shift over 5-10 minutes
    7
    Keep old server - Leave running for 24-48 hours

    WordPress Migration

    Manual Method

    # 1. Export database
mysqldump -u wordpress_user -p wordpress_db > wp-backup.sql

# 2. Copy files
rsync -avz /var/www/wordpress/ user@new-server:/var/www/wordpress/

# 3. Import database on new server
mysql -u wordpress_user -p wordpress_db < wp-backup.sql

# 4. Update wp-config.php with new database credentials

    Container Migration (Docker)

    Export/Import Docker Images

    # On old server - save running containers
docker commit my-container my-image
docker save my-image > my-image.tar

# Transfer to new server
scp my-image.tar user@new-server:/tmp/

# On new server - load and run
docker load < /tmp/my-image.tar
docker run -d my-image

    Email Server Migration

    Key considerations for email migration:

    • MX Records - Keep old MX active during migration
    • SPF/DKIM - Update DNS records with new server IP
    • Mailboxes - Use IMAP sync or imapsync tool

    SSL/TLS Certificates

    Let's Encrypt Migration

    # On new server, install certbot
apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

# Request new certificate
certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

    Migration Checklist

    Before Migration

    • â–¡ Inventory all services and data
    • â–¡ Document current configuration
    • â–¡ Create full backup of old server
    • â–¡ Set up new cloud instance
    • â–¡ Lower DNS TTL 24 hours ahead

    During Migration

    • â–¡ Transfer files and databases
    • â–¡ Test thoroughly on new server
    • â–¡ Perform final data sync
    • â–¡ Update DNS records

    After Migration

    • â–¡ Monitor new server closely
    • â–¡ Test all functionality
    • â–¡ Verify SSL certificates
    • â–¡ Keep old server running 24-48 hours

    Need Help?

    For guided migration or managed migration services, check our Professional Services page.