Summary: In this article I will let you know about the important points that should be taken under consideration before changing a web host. Under this article you will come to know about the points- backup, odds and ends, information to visitor, moving day, changing DNS, and monitor.
Introduction:
Changing a website host is a difficult and a lengthy process. Choose a host that should provide its service according to your site requirement. Always check the space you are given by the provider, ask him about the bandwidth as you might need a good bandwidth as your business might increase in future. Also make sure that our new website hosting provider offers you the same services with some extra services if you get in the same monthly cost as your previous provider were taking. Also ask to your technical support to install and configure the software and scripts, if you by chance do not get these things already installed, you will face more problems after migration.
Sign up a new host before leaving your old provider as you can deal in between if any thing goes wrong and with this will be also convenient for your customer. After all customers are the most important persons for you. Always make sure that your business should run smooth and in continuation.
Backup:
Always get your backup copy of your website on a CD. You have files, directories, images, database in your backup file. If you do not have backup then do a backup right now. Make at least two copies of your backup as one you will need to work with and other if you want to make any changes.
If your website hosting provider is using another control panel, you to make a manual backup as different control panel may not be competent to bring back the backup made by your previous provider. Your new provider may have a different directory structure so your file tree can be messed up, to be safe make a small file in notepad with all memos of the old server configuration. This will help you to avoid confusion and you will not run to your old provider. Also make correct transfer type so in order to run your site smoothly on a new server. Some providers also have different log statistics so make a backup of your old server logs, for this you can use log analyzer on your pc.
Odds And Ends:
• Have a good FTP program
• Get DNS of your new web host server
• Have a script, through which you will know the software installed on you new server. For a smooth work you will need it.
• To check your site before changing a DNS you need an impermanent URL on the new server.
• If you're new provider has control over your domain, tell them not to change your DNS until you say them.
• Always get a copy of the original installation guide and the script as some times they do not work properly. Get a list from your new provider of all the server paths such as pearl, sendmail and of home directory of your new server. Sometimes your new host may have not installed the special server modules for your scripts so make sure before changing the host.
Information to Your Visitor:
Always inform your customer about your new provider's server. This thing shows that you are concerned to them and make them to develop confidence on you that you will run with there money if any downtime problem comes. Give your customers an exchange email, not to loose your email during transfer. Also keep your customer updated during the problem of downtime. This method will help you if you owe a large website and your customers and visitors can inform you if your site does not work at times.
Moving Day:
On the final day when you switch over another server, try to move when there is least traffic. Before moving, do the backup again so that you carry the latest data with you. To start on a new server, first generate your custom error pages on it. Also set a small note about the migration that you can remove after some days. Then start loading from critical parts to the less critical part, first load the main page of your site. But you may have a big site so you can split it into parts and then load it. Don't forget to do backup and to use temporary URL, as many page you trip.
Changing DNS:
Once you have completed the above mentioned things change the DNS. This is a very long procedure which takes nearly 24 to 48 hours. With this you can do some small changes as you get time. You can also use this time to amend your previous website error pages to notify your clients about the change. You can also give the new URL if it is changed. It will help you very much as to establish if the DNS has set on. Don't forget to make a small change on the new website page as to show the difference between the old and the new.
Monitor:
When you have moved to another server and resolved the DNS, do not discharge the old account. Keep it with you for at least two weeks running parallel. This is because you should check the old server, emails if there is any, and any other web based contact if left on it, when all the emails and other things are transferred on to your new server cancel that old account.
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