Successful migrations start with planning. Document everything on your current server: installed packages, configurations, cron jobs, SSL certificates, DNS records, and application-specific settings. Set up the new VPS with identical software versions. Test your application on the new server using a hosts file override (point the domain to the new IP locally without changing DNS). Reduce DNS TTL to 300 seconds at least 48 hours before migration so changes propagate quickly when you switch.
Pre-Migration Planning
Successful migrations start with planning. Document everything on your current server: installed packages, configurations, cron jobs, SSL certificates, DNS records, and application-specific settings. Set up the new VPS with identical software versions. Test your application on the new server using a hosts file override (point the domain to the new IP locally without changing DNS). Reduce DNS TTL to 300 seconds at least 48 hours before migration so changes propagate quickly when you switch.
Data Synchronization
Use rsync for file transfer: rsync -avz --progress /var/www/ newserver:/var/www/. For databases, set up replication from old to new server for continuous sync, or do a final mysqldump/pg_dump right before switching. The key is minimizing the window where data might be written to the old server after you switch DNS. Run a final rsync and database sync immediately before changing DNS records. For WordPress, update the siteurl and home options in the database to match if the domain isn’t changing.
DNS Switch and Verification
Update DNS A records to point to your new VPS IP. With the previously lowered TTL, most traffic should reach the new server within 5-15 minutes. Keep the old server running for 48 hours in case of issues — you can quickly revert DNS if something goes wrong. Monitor access logs on both servers to verify traffic is shifting. Once all traffic reaches the new server and everything works correctly, decommission the old one. FastNode customers get GDPR-compliant infrastructure to ensure smooth migrations.
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