Making a Move: Best Practices for Server Migration

August 13, 2015

Are you contemplating server migration, but not sure exactly what it entails? Co
nsiderations may vary depending on the type of servers involved and the desired
migration path. The following are some guidelines and best practices for carryin
g out a successful server migration, no matter which scenario is at hand.
Why Migrate?
There are several reasons for migrating your server's data from one server to an
other. In some cases, upgrading or downsizing your server hosting plan will requ
ire you to physically move your data from the old to new servers. In other cases
, you may want to change the underlying system type. For example, you may want t
o move your platform from Linux to Windows or vice versa. Finally, in some unfor
tunate cases, server migrations are necessary following a hack or data breach. I
n some of these situations, in order to be completely secure, it is necessary to
start over with a new server.
Learn more about secure hosting solutions for your site.
Data Migration Text on Circuit Board Graphic
Server Migration Tools
Many server and file server migration tools are available to make your job easy.
For example, Plesk Migration Manager makes migrating web content a trivial affa
ir. Application-specific migration tools also exist, such as the Microsoft Share
Point Migration Tool, which is a utility for migrating SharePoint sites from one
server to another. For entire server and file server migrations, you can choose
from a number of operating system-specific tools.
Server Migration Tools for Windows Servers
Microsoft's File Server Migration Toolkit is indispensable for migrating a file
server from previous versions of Windows to Windows Server 2012. For complete se
rver migrations, the Windows server migration tool can significantly speed up th
e migration process, with better results.
Server Migration Tools for Linux Servers
Many free open-source migration tools for Linux servers exist. For example, File
system Archiver is a popular Linux file system backup and restore utility. Many
native Linux packages can be useful for migrations as well. Samba, for instance,
is a powerful Linux migration tool for onboarding Windows-based systems.
Pre-Migration Tips
A few precautionary measures can go a long way towards ensuring a successful mig
ration. As an initial step, purge the current server of any extraneous user acco
unts and associated files or documents, as well as unused packages and applicati
ons. Archive and then remove from your system non-critical data that you would n
onetheless like to preserve for potential future use. Lightening the load on you
r current server allows for a fast and error-free migration.
Perform Server Backup
Before initiating a file server migration, take a server inventory and perform a
complete server backup. By making a list of the server's contents and state
acc
ounts, installed applications, software versions, and more you will have a point
of reference to ensure that post-migration, everything went smoothly. And by ba
cking up the existing system, you create a fallback mechanism in the event that
the migration fails and data loss occurs.
Notify Users
If mission-critical servers are involved in the migration, ensure that you notif

y the server users of the planned downtime ahead of time. Inform them of the rea
son for the backup, impacted systems or software, downtime window, and planned d
ate and time of server restoration. This will give users ample warning to back u
p critical files, save work, and plan around service disruptions and unavailabil
ity.
Whenever you plan to migrate your servers, and for whatever reason, use the tips
and advice above to ensure it will go as smoothly as possible.