Moving to a new web host

[phil81uk]

Hello,

I wish to move my Actinic shop to a new web hosting company. What is involved in doing this? Do I need to just download all the files from the old server and upload to the new one? Or is there more to it? I imagine I need to do some CHmod'ing.

Thanks for the help.

[Mike Hughes]

There's no need to download any files. The way I do it is:

1. Suspend ordering on the old site.
2. Wait 20-30 minutes and download any new orders that were in progress.
3. Transfer the domain (often just a case of changing the nameservers and waiting for a day or two - Do this on a quiet day: Weekends are good for B2B).
4. Enter any new settings into the network setup section.
5. Test the settings.
6. Do a site refresh.
7. Change the order numbering so that order numbers are sequential.
8. Enable ordering again.

I may have missed something. If I have I'm sure someone else will catch it.

Mike

[I-CC]

The only thing we suggest if feeling brave, is once the old site is suspended and you are waiting for your domain to propagate to the new server, you can edit the HOSTS file in your Windows (if thats what you are using) machine, and add in the IP address of your new hosting server (ask the host) and its fully qualified domain i.e. www.mydomain.tld int he same format (next line) as you will see within:

127.0.0.1 localhost

which is the default on most machines.

Restart the PC and then allow your machine to expire its current DNS information on where your domain resided and allow the HOSTS file to take over, which is not instant.

You should then, even without DNS propagating get a HTTP connection to the new host (assuming they have created your account in the server).

Also, need to use IP address for the ftp settings and not ftp.domain.tld as that will not have propagated.

That way, you should be able to unsuspend ordering the software and upload to the new site, so that you are operational the second DNS propagates, which could be a couple of hours for some of your customers, or a day for you, so atleast your customers can get to the site and order.

[webyourbusiness]

moving your site with minimum downtime...

I suggest using a dedicated IP address host as a new host - if you can't find one, don't move, or get a temporary sub-domain setup such as www2.yourdomain.com at the new host.

1. suspend ordering on the old site
2. wait 20-30 minutes
3. Download your orders
4. upload your site to the new IP or www2.yourdomain.com with ordering turned ON!
5. install a .htaccess redirect of ALL TRAFFIC on your old host to move traffic to the new location, here is an example to alter to your own specification:

redirect 301 / http://your.new.ip.address/

This redirects all traffic at the root level of your site to the new IP.

6. change DNS to move the site to the new DNS servers/IP.
7. wait 2-3 days
8. change your settings in Actinic from the IP or www2.yourdomain.com to the original settings www.yourdomain.com (as DNS has now moved).

If you have a dedicated IP address on your new host, it's less work!

regards

Greg Hewitt-Long

[I-CC]

Static IP hosting should only be provided for domains which require there own domain name dedicated SSL certificate, which is as per RIPE directions here in the UK, so approaching a host and requesting it simply to save on 2 days of DNS propagation would not get it issued.

Maybe when IPv6 comes about and plenty of IPs about it will be different once again, but under IPv4, not so afraid.

[webyourbusiness]

It should be noted that not all hosting providers have to worry about IP conservation and being told how many IPs they can or should hand out. We have always offered dedicated IP hosting as well as traditional shared IP hosting accounts (2 ranges of shared IP accounts - affordable and budget packages, and 1 range of "business" accounts, which ALL get a dedicated IP).

For our clients, "I want a static IP" - is valid reason enough to get one!

For the record:


The RIPE policies and guidelines can be found here: http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ipv4-policies.html

They are POLICIES & GUIDELINES.... not laws.

In the following section:

http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ipv4-p...html#goals_rir

It states "according to need" - if you want one and know a little about why you might need one (shielding yourself from the errant behaviour of other and their potential for abusing the search engines - which might in turn hurt your site), these are valid enough reasons.

Even though ARIP and APNIC have similar guidelines, I think you will find that they are just that - guidelines!

Besides which, not even all UK hosting companies have to answer to RIPE, or even ARIN for that matter.

If you want a dedicated IP, get one - SSL or not.

Dedicated IP hosting was the reason that a number of informed clients chose us to host their enterprise web sites, dedicated servers and the like - we will not be changing our policies in a hurry.

[I-CC]

As you rightly point out, it is not a case of 'written as law' that a static IP address can only be issued to an end user for SSL site operation, but there is obviously a big reason why we should not issue IPs willy nilly or just because someone thinks that they want, need or should just have one.

The debate on reasons for having one can go on and on, so no debate there as we could all think up (even if not real to our needs) tons of reasons

We know that there are many hosts out there in the UK and further afield who dont particularly care about the shortage of IPv4 allocations, but we operate within the bigger picture where our responsibility is not only to our customers, but try to understand and work with agencies that manage the bigger picture for the UKs Internet systems and architecture, for which IP conservation is just one aspect.

Additionally, we are UK based and our servers are UK based, plus we use UK allocated address spaces for our services - so we work in conjunction with what is UK managed.

All the best

[phil81uk]

Thanks for that. There are three shops in total (one B2B wholesale, one B2C, and one uses which has had much work done on the graphics). Then I have a fourth domain which uses SSL. The shop is already using the SSL domain for its checkout. My hope is that once I move the two Actinic shops to the same hosting company then I can also use the SSL domain for the two Actinic shops as well.

P.S. I am paying £28/yr for a dedicated IP address on the SSL domain on top of the £48/yr standard web hosting charge. They have not charged me for installing SSL, but I did have to buy an SSL certificate.

[webyourbusiness]

phil81uk,

good luck with your move - I personally don't see why you would have problems with your plan to use the same SSL for each site, but I have not tried it myself.

Let us know how it works out with your new host - whoever you choose!

regards

Greg Hewitt-Long