Changing a web hosting provider can cause downtime if you don’t have the required skills and knowledge. If you have not done this before then here are some tips that can help you to make a transfer without facing any downtime.
Step 1: Back up all your files.
This must be your first step. Firstly, you will need to take the backup of all your files from the old server. Back up your text files, image files, and database. This may take a long time, as it will be depending on the size of your website.
You can use FTP for transferring the files to the local hard drive. You can also use third party software, or PhpMyAdmin. PhpMyAdmin is also available within your cPanel’s control panel.
Step 2: Upload all files to the new server.
Once you are done with your backup, just carry on with uploading all files to the new server. Just make sure that the directory structure is correct. For instance, if “www” is the root folder, all files that belongs to the root folder need to be uploaded perfectly to that folder. Or else, you may face lots of errors when you migrate your website. Use your database software to upload the database as well.
Step 3: Add email accounts to your new server.
Log in to your control panel, and add your current email accounts. When your new site is ready, your POP email accounts must work as well.
Step 3: Test your mirror site.
Now you are done with creating a mirror site for your existing site. Use a temporary URL to test the site to confirm that everything is working properly. Just check that you are connect to the database, the links and images are displaying correctly. If all the things are been tested and work fine, it’s now time to make changes to the DNS.
Step 4: Changing the DNS.
At the particular time when you make changes in your DNS, you are notifying the registrars that you are changing your web hosting provider. Your top level domain name will then point to the domain name servers. Go to your registrar, and update your DNS servers. There should be at least 2 domain name servers. Once, you are done with updating the DNS, it takes some hours for the changes to take place.
There are some webmasters who change the DNS in the beginning which is absolutely wrong step. When you make changes in the DNS, the site starts to migrate. It’s possible that some of your visitors may not access your site because the new site is not ready yet. In simple language, making changes to the DNS before the new site is ready can make you face, the unwanted downtime.
Step 5: Wait 48 hours for the changes to take place.
Normally, the migration takes only few hours. Sometimes, DNS updates may take at least 36 hours for getting updated (sometimes more than 2 days). You can check the completion of your migration by using WHOIS domain tool. The new name servers will be indicated when you make a search for your top level domain. At last, check your email accounts are working correctly or not.
Posted under Web Hosting
This post was written by on December 7, 2009
