How to import a site from another cPanel server

[Jim]

If you are moving a site in from another cPanel server, there are a couple ways to do it. One way involves getting PZ support involved, the other way you can do yourself with no help.

First Method (we restore):

No need to create the domain here first! We will need to delete it (and all uploaded files) before we can restore a FULL BACKUP.

1.) Open cPanel control panel on the old server and locate the icon called "Backups" or "Backup Wizard".

2.) Click "Download or Generate a Full Backup"

3.) There should then be a drop down box that says "Backup Destination", choose "remote FTP server".

Remote Server (FTP/SCP only): IP of your server at PZ .e.g. 206.212.253.x
Remote User (FTP/SCP only): username (preferably your main reseller account)
Remote Password (FTP/SCP only): password
Port (FTP/SCP only): 21
Remote Dir (FTP/SCP only): /

This will put the backup into the root directory of the username you specify.

Contact us and tell us the domain it is on, and username and we will restore it. If you already created the domain you are importing we will need to delete it from the server in order to restore the new backup files.

Once restored everything will be exactly as it was on the old server, including username the domain had, and password it had on the old server, email addresses, email, etc...

Only Page-Zone support can restore a full backup.

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Second Method (you restore)
(no PZ support required)

Create the domain using WHM on our server using the exact same username as it exists on the old server. If you don't create it with the exact same username none of the databases or paths configured into php existing scripts will work.

Once it is created log into cPanel on our server for that domain, and navigate to the backup restore area of cpanel, and restore a "home backup" (not full backup) which you downloaded from the old server.

Also restore any databases that you downloaded from the old server on the same page which you used to download a home backup (not from phpMyAdmin).

See screenshot below - or watch a full step through animation here

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Note: If you do not get the email notification that the backup was completed, it could be because you entered your domain's email address and the sending server delivered it to the inbox on the old server. Exim will check locally first and if the domain exists locally, it will not (by default) send email off the server even if the domain doesn't resolve to the old server any longer.

You don't actually need email notification - just check after about 5-10 minutes to see if the file is transferred to the new server.

[theunartist]

Originally Posted by Jim

3.) There should then be a drop down box that says "Backup Destination", choose "remote FTP server".

Remote Server (FTP/SCP only): IP of your server at PZ .e.g. 206.212.253.x
Remote User (FTP/SCP only): username (preferably your main reseller account)
Remote Password (FTP/SCP only): password
Port (FTP/SCP only): 21
Remote Dir (FTP/SCP only): /

When using the "you restore" option, the backup destination (Remote User) would be the same as the one you just created for that account you want to transfer and not the WHM username (main reseller account)? Or can you use the main reseller user name? Or is it either or?

Thanks, Rick

[Jim]

Edit - misread the question.

When you restore a backup, you need to create the account using the same username for that domain that it has on the old server (password doesn't matter). Then download to your computer a "home backup". Then upload it to our server through cPanel. If its a large site the "We Restore" option would be better.

The same goes for databases (for 'you restore' method) - they would also need to be downloaded then uploaded. But they don't need to be created before uploading.

Also WELCOME!

[theunartist]

Originally Posted by Jim

Edit - misread the question.

When you restore a backup, you need to create the account using the same username for that domain that it has on the old server (password doesn't matter). Then download to your computer a "home backup". Then upload it to our server through cPanel. If its a large site the "We Restore" option would be better.

The same goes for databases (for 'you restore' method) - they would also need to be downloaded then uploaded. But they don't need to be created before uploading.

Also WELCOME!

Thanks Jim!

I transferred a site using the method above and it did work, with one exception. It looks like if you use "Backup Wizard" it may fail.

Using "Files > Backup Wizard" succeded in restoring the Home Directory but failed when restoring MySQL DB's. I then used "Files > Backup", and it did manage to restore/transfer the DB's and the DB's are in the account. But at this point the DB's do not work properly and will email support for any suggestions.

FYI - These are the Error Messages:

1. "You must reconfigure your php.ini file to have magic_quotes_gpc set to ON."

2. "An error has occurred while interacting with the database."