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Need to transfer your website to a different server? Need to set up a copy of your website on a localhost server?
There are two main steps you'll take to accomplish this goal: backup your website on your current server, and reinstall on the new server.
Don't cancel your current hosting plan yet! Make sure the transition to the new server is successful first. That way if anything goes wrong, you have a stable copy to restart from, and you can avoid downtime for your site. Please ensure that you stay within the license terms if keeping your original site online during your transition. You are allowed one live site and one closed development site. To keep both domains enabled, you would need another license or contact us for permission.
You’ll start by logging in to your current server’s cpanel or FTP and creating a backup of your data. Later, you’ll upload those backups to the new server. To save time, use the cpanel for the backup and download your site’s data in a compressed form.
Note: if your site is running while you’re transferring databases, you will only transfer the data up to when the backup was created. Information that was changed after the backup creation will be lost. To avoid this, put your site in “maintenance mode” before you transfer databases.
Before backing up your current site, check settings for cache to ensure you are using a cache method supported by the new server. We recommend changing to “File Based” just for the move and then changing your settings once you’re all set on the new server.
To create a backup of your data, follow the steps below:
Now your database file has been exported and stored in the .sql format, and you’re ready to import your data to your new server.
You should have received an email with your new server provider’s FTP and cpanel information. Log in to the cpanel of your new host to make sure it’s working.
Put the compressed zip file you made earlier, in the root folder of your new server. Then, on the new server, right click and extract the files. You might also need to set 777 Recursive permissions.
For Unix servers (or Unix variants, like Linux, OS X, FreeBSD, etc.), 777 Recursive permissions must be applied to the following directories:
/install/config/temporary/public/application/themes/application/packages/application/languages/application/settings/To do this log in over FTP, find the directory and click on the "Recursive into subdirectories" option.
There is a server specific path which has to be set to ensure that your site runs correctly on your new server. We suggest that you contact your hosting company to make sure that this cache directory path is set correctly in this file: /application/settings/cache.php. You can find it under the variable “cache_dir”.
Also, in the same file, you would change the “default_file_path” to match the cache directory path.
You’re all set! The new server has the information it needs to run your site properly.
Finally, you need to adjust your DNS settings with your domain host so that your domain points to the IP address of your new server. Every host has different steps to set this, so it is best to contact your domain name registrar or hosting company for more details on how to adjust your DNS settings. Please note that DNS propagation can take time. Your host can let you know an estimated time for propagation.
Log in and test your website. That's all, you're done!
If you find issues still, you should also try clearing your browser cache as old cookies could cause problems.