Tips on how to migrate to new server with no down time

General Web Hosting
1

We are about to order a new dedicated server and move all of our sites from a Storm Cloud server. We are concerned with our 2 active cs cart stores and want to be able to migrate with minimal or no downtime. Is this possible?



My idea is to:[list=1]

[]Order and setup new server

[]Transfer files and database over

[]Point old cs cart install db to the new server database

[]Change nameservers at godaddy for domain

[*]After a week, delete old server after confirming all traffic is coming to new server

[/list]

Does this sound right? If so, how do I specify the db location in the config.local.php file? I assume I just enter the server ip instead of localhost for the “$config['db_host'] =” setting.

2

Bump. Anyone?

3

Here are the steps I take for moving a store to a different host (same as moving to any new IP address).[list=1]

[]Set the TTL for the A record for the domain to “5m” or 300 seconds.

[]Flush the cache in admin

[]Create an archive of the document root of your store

[]FTP the archive of the document root to your new server

[]Extract the document root archive into the new document root on your new server

[]Close the original store

[]Change the A record for the domain to the new IP address (let it update nameservers while you're doing other stuff below)

[]Clear the logs and statistics

[]TRUNCATE the cscart_new_orders table via phpMyAdmin

[]Create a compressed backup of your database via the Administration/Database menu

[]FTP the var/database/backup/ to the same location on your new server

[]Create the same database name and the same database user on your new server via cPanel (if names/user has changed, you'll need to update config.local.php)

[]Import the database archive from your server via phpMyAdmin into the new database (you're going to do this twice)

[]Go back to the original server and enter RewriteRule * new_ip_address [R,L]

[]Login to admin on the new store

[]Clear the cache again

[]Re-import the restored database (do it from the cart due to probable issues with phpMyAdmin connection strings - the cart import will ensure that utf8 is set properly for multi-byte languages/characters).

[]Check things out in admin

[]Check things out on the customer side using your store_access key

[]Open the store.

[*]Create a test order.

[/list]

It seems long, but I've tried to detail all the various steps. Note that the above assumes that your new server will correctly resolve your new IP address for your domain name. That's why the original Redirect on the old server will work properly even if the DNS has not completed propagation.



I've found this keeps downtime to a minimum. If you are using SSH to do stuff instead of cPanel, be sure to verify the ownerships and permissions of directories/files after extracting.



Once you confirm things are what you want, you should change the A record for your domain back to something more reasoable like 14400.

4

[quote name='idslamyou' timestamp='1366827954' post='160612']

We are about to order a new dedicated server and move all of our sites from a Storm Cloud server. We are concerned with our 2 active cs cart stores and want to be able to migrate with minimal or no downtime. Is this possible?



My idea is to:[list=1]

[]Order and setup new server

[]Transfer files and database over

[]Point old cs cart install db to the new server database

[]Change nameservers at godaddy for domain

[*]After a week, delete old server after confirming all traffic is coming to new server

[/list]

Does this sound right? If so, [color=#006400]how do I specify the db location in the config.local.php file?[/color] I assume I just enter the server ip instead of localhost for the “$config['db_host'] =” setting.

[/quote]

Go Daddy has a “Absolute Hosting Path” located below server details. You can copy & paste. This was a little tricky for me at first, but after I figured it out I felt like Homer Simpson.