Internal Migration Process for Sites Currently Hosted at Pagely

This article outlines the details about internal site migrations for sites currently hosted at Pagely. It does not pertain to migrating sites to Pagely from an external source. If you reached this article with the goal of migrating to Pagely from an external source, please review this article which outlines how to request a white-glove migration from Pagely as well as how to do it yourself.

An internal site migration is the process to get your site(s) moved when upgrading from a Shared Hosting plan to a VPS, migrating to a different Hosting Region, or transferring ownership of an existing site/app to a different account. We provide internal migrations at no cost to you. A migration is not necessary when upgrading your existing VPS in-place, or by switching between single-node and HA plan types. Internal migrations are handled by our automation and supervised by our team of DevOps Engineers.

Although it is possible to migrate your site(s) on your own within the Pagely network, it is highly recommended to have us handle this process for you in order to ensure the smoothest transition possible.

Step 1: Scheduling the Move and Lowering DNS TTL (Time to Live)

We will work with you to determine a date and time for the migration. The migration window typically spans 2-4 hours. While that is a wide window, there is virtually zero downtime involved in the process. During the migration window, we will be syncing your data and doing prep-work for the transition. It does not mean things will be down for the duration of the window.

We make use of a live proxy to point traffic to your site's new home which minimizes any chances of inconsistent traffic flow after updating DNS records at the final step.

If you aren't using PressDNS, we recommend lowering the TTL (Time to Live) on your DNS records to 300 seconds at least 24 hours prior to the start of the migration window. This action is performed with your registrar or DNS provider and must be done for each individual domain name involved in the move. At the end of the migration, you will be asked to update the A record or CNAME record for your domain(s) to point traffic to the new endpoint. It is not necessary to change your name servers, just the individual records for pointing traffic around.

If you are using PressDNS, Pagely will take care of this step as well as the final DNS updates on your behalf.

Step 2: Initial Sync of Files and Databases

When the migration window begins, we request that you avoid making any changes to the site code, content, or the database. It is best to have a code and content freeze from the point of the initial sync until the procedure is complete. With that said, your site can continue to remain online for visitors and we do not require you to place it into maintenance mode.

During this stage, we will sync all files and the database for each site being moved. This can take a while to finish if you have a larger site or migrating across Hosting Regions. This initial sync allows us to perform a much quicker final sync right before cutover to make sure everything is accounted for before the switch.

As part of this step, we will also ensure your app(s) are running on the latest version of WordPress Core. If you have a specific reason to stay on your current version, please let us know and we can make accommodations.

Step 3: SSL Certificates and Other Custom Configurations 

We will make sure any SSL certificates or custom configurations are carried over to the new server as part of the transition. If you are using a third party as a reverse proxy to Pagely, we will review those details and may need you to perform additional changes on your end throughout the process.

Step 4: Final Sync and Cutover

We will notify you again when we start the final sync and cutover. During this step a live proxy will be activated to direct all traffic to the new server. This ensures that traffic starts going to the new server right away while we wait for DNS changes to complete propagating across the Internet.

If any unexpected issues are to occur, it is usually at this step. As soon a we do the cutover, we perform a few verification steps to confirm that it all went smoothly. In rare cases, a rollback may be necessary. We'll be in communication with you throughout this part of the process so you can know when to perform any verification you planned to do on your end as well.

Our process ensures a seamless transition by utilizing live proxy. However, there is always a small chance of unforeseen issues - so try to account for the possibility that the site may experience temporary problems with performance, availability, or functionality. We will make sure to iron out any problems that may arise before considering the migration to be completed.

Step 5: Update DNS

Once we verify everything went smoothly, we will need you to update your DNS records to point to a new IP address or CNAME. The details for this will be provided to you in the ticket. This should take place as soon as possible after cutover. The exact steps for doing this can vary from one DNS provider to another; please inquire with your DNS provider to understand what the right steps are ahead of time.

If you are using PressDNS, Pagely will take care of this step on your behalf.

Step 6: Back to Business

Once the migration is finalized, you're good to resume normal operation of the site(s). You may revert your DNS TTL back to a higher value, if you prefer, after 24 hours. Feel free to make any code changes, add new content, and anything else you wish to do! Please also make sure to use the updated endpoints for SSH and SFTP, which are referenced inside of the Atomic Control Panel.