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Virtuozzo-Based VPS: Migrating Your Server Data to a Current VPS

For VPS based on Virtuozzo and purchased before 2018

Some VPS operating systems no longer meet today's technical requirements and have reached end of life. Therefore, Virtuozzo-based VPS products purchased prior to 2018 that have any of the following operating systems installed will be discontinued:

  • CentOS 5 Minimal System (64-bit)

  • CentOS 5 with Plesk 8.3 (64-bit)

  • CentOS 5 with SB Panel 10 (64-bit)

  • Debian 5 (Lenny) (64-bit)

  • Fedora Core 6 with Plesk 8.2 (64-bit)

  • Fedora Core 4 with Plesk 8 (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 10.3 minimal system (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 10.3 with Plesk 8 (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 11.3 Minimal (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 11.3 with Plesk Panel 10 (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 12.1 Minimal (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 12.1 Parallels Plesk Panel 11 (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 12.2 Minimal (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 12.3 with Plesk Panel 11.5 (64-bit)

  • openSUSE 13.1 minimal (64-bit)

  • SUSE 10.1 (64-bit)

  • SUSE-10.1 with Plesk 8.2 (64-bit)

  • Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (64-bit)

  • Windows 2003 Server (64-bit)

  • Windows 2003 Server minimal system (64-bit)

  • Windows 2003 Server with Plesk 8.3 (64-bit)

  • Windows 2003 Server with Plesk 9 (64-bit)

  • Windows Web Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)

  • Windows Web Server 2008 R2 with SB 10 (64-bit)

  • Windows Web Server 2008 R2 with Plesk 10 (64-bit)

To ensure the security and stability of your data, a manual migration of your server data and email accounts is required, as well as manually transferring of your domain(s). In this article, we'll show you what to look for when migrating your server data, your domains, and your email accounts, and how to proceed when manually migrating your server and email mailboxes and moving your domain.

List of Recommended Steps in Short Form

To ensure that the complete transfer of your server data is successful, we recommend that you plan the server migration in detail and clarify important framework conditions in advance.

The recommended procedure is listed below in short form. The necessary steps are then explained.

  • Prepare for migration.

  • Create a new VPS.

  • Optional: Create a local backup of the data to be migrated. You can use this to migrate your server data to your new VPS.

  • Install the required applications on the new VPS and configure the required services, firewall settings, roles and permissions in the operating system. If necessary, make any additional individual settings that may be required. In addition, check the existing firewall policy in the Cloud Panel and create additional firewall rules if necessary.

  • Copy the data to be migrated to your new VPS. If you use Plesk, you can use the Plesk Migrator to migrate your hosting data to your new VPS.

  • In the new VPS, configure the applications you migrated. Make sure that the required SSL certificates are included. If necessary, you will have to integrate them manually.

  • Test all projects and services with a subdomain or another top-level domain whose country code is not frequently used (e.g. info).

    Also make sure that your applications and scripts work correctly.

  • Connect your domain that is still in your VPS contract purchased before 2018 to the static IP address of your new VPS. For this purpose, you need to configure the A record in your domain's DNS settings. This is also required if your domain is in a different customer number, in a different contract or with a different provider.

  • Domain transfer without email addresses: Move your domain(s) to your new VPS contract.

    Domain transfer with email addresses to another IONOS contract or account: Move the domain to the desired destination contract and set up a destination email account for each source email account. Then move the emails and folders of the email mailbox using IONOS email move powered by audriga.

  • In your new VPS contract, check the DNS settings of your domain.

  • Shut down the Virtuozzo-based VPS.

Please Note

For more information about domain transfer, please see the article Transferring your domain(s) to your new VPS contract.

Preparing Migration

To reduce the effort and minimize the resources required, we recommend that you clean up the currently used server in advance. For this purpose, remove, for example, superfluous or outdated pages, as well as backups, email boxes and files that you no longer need. In this way, you will reduce the amount of data that will be transferred to the new server and you may be able to significantly shorten the effort and duration of the migration.

Then create a list of domains, websites, databases, applications, folders and files that need to be migrated. In addition, make a note of all the email accounts you plan to move as part of the server migration.

Also, determine which resources will be needed. This includes the number of CPUs and cores, the required RAM, the hard disk space, and the number of IP addresses required. Take into account any license fees that may be charged for your operating system or applications, depending on the number of cores or CPUs used.

Check your individual configuration and make a note of any settings that also need to be made on your new VPS. This concerns, for example, the firewall policies and rules you have created, as well as reverse mappings you have made in IONOS or in your server's operating system.

Attention

After creating the new VPS, you must manually make these settings either in Cloud Panel or in the operating system of your new server.

If your new VPS is connected to external databases, external cache servers or proxy servers, you should also make a note of the settings required for this, as these may also have to be made manually in your new VPS.

Check whether your existing applications can be migrated. When doing so, make sure that they are compatible with the operating system you are installing on the new VPS.

For an overview of Plesk versions that allow migration of hosting data using the Plesk Migration & Transfer Manager, please refer to the following article:

Migration Guide

Attention

When you order a new VPS, it is assigned a new IP address. The IP address assigned to your Virtuozzo-based VPS cannot be assigned to another server.

Creating a New VPS

Create a new VPS.

VPS (Linux or Windows)

https://www.ionos.co.uk/servers/vps

Creating a Backup of the Data to be Migrated

Create a backup of the data to be migrated. You can use this to migrate your server data to your new VPS.

How to save a backup of your server data on your local computer is explained in the following articles:

Local Computers Running Microsoft Windows 10

Moving Files via Remote Desktop


Local Computers with Linux Operating Systems

Saving backups on a local computer (server with Linux)

Creating a backup with tar: How archiving works

Installing Applications on the New VPS and Configuring the Server

Install the required applications on the new VPS and configure the necessary services, firewall settings, roles and permissions in the operating system. In addition, make any other necessary settings. Also, check the current firewall policy in the Cloud Panel and create more firewall rules if necessary.

If you are using a Linux operating system, check the bash history of your Virtuozzo-based VPS for all the packages you have installed. Then, log in to the new VPS and use the package manager to search for the updated versions (or equivalents) of these packages.

Copying Your Backup to the New VPS

Copy the data to be migrated to your new VPS.

Copying Data From a Local Computer Running Linux to a VPS Running Linux.

Use the following command to copy a directory located on your local computer to your new VPS:

scp -r /LOCAL/DIRECTORY remote_username@SERVERIP:/DIRECTORY_ON_THE_SERVER

Example:

[root@localhost ~]# scp -r /home/backup root@217.160.44.208:/home

To copy a single file, enter the following command:

[root@localhost ~]# scp -r /FILE_NAME remote_username@SERVERIP:/FILE_OF_THE_SERVER

Example:

[root@localhost ~]# scp -r /home/test.txt root@217.160.44:/home

Please Note

If scp is not found, you can install it using the following command:

CentOS

[root@localhost ~]# yum install openssh-clients

Debian/Ubuntu

[root@localhost ~]# apt -y install openssh-server

If you have backed up your data with tar, you can copy the files to your new VPS using an FTP program, for example. You can then unpack the archive files.

For more information about tar, see the following article:

Creating a Backup with tar: How archiving works


Copying data from a local computer with a Microsoft Windows operating system to a VPS with the Linux operating system

If you use a local computer with a Microsoft Windows operating system, you can easily transfer files using the WinSCP program. WinSCP is a graphical open source SFTP and FTP client for Windows.

You can download WinSCP from the following URL:

https://winscp.net/eng/download.php


Copying data from a local computer running Microsoft Windows operating system to a VPS running Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016 or Windows Server 2019 operating system.

For instructions on how to use Remote Desktop to copy files between your local computer running the Windows 10 operating system and your VPS, see the following article:

Moving Files Using Remote Desktop

Migrating Hosting Data to Your New VPS with Plesk Migration & Transfer Manager

If you have Plesk installed on your Virtuozzo-based VPS, you can use Plesk Migration & Transfer Manager to migrate your hosting data from one server to another. Hosting data is, for example, service packages, accounts or subscriptions with content.

The following data will not be migrated by Plesk Migration & Transfer Manager:

  • The list of connected database servers and their settings

  • Apache module settings

  • Backup settings

  • Backup files and FTP storage settings

  • Plesk extensions

  • Third-party software and services, e.g. Google services

Notes

  • Administrators and customers should configure these settings manually and add missing objects.

  • Transfer between Plesk for Linux and Plesk for Windows is not supported.

  • For instructions on how to back up and restore Plesk system databases, see the following article:

    How to back up/restore Plesk system databases

    For more information on importing and exporting databases, see the following article:

    Backup and restore databases

For an overview of Plesk versions that allow migration of hosting data using Plesk Migration & Transfer Manager, please refer to the following article:

Migration Guide

For instructions on how to migrate hosting data from your Virtuozzo-based VPS to your new VPS using Plesk Migration & Transfer Manager, please refer to the following article:

Migrating Server with Plesk to Cloud Server (Linux)

This is also valid for VPS.

Configuring Applications on the New VPS

After moving your domain and configuring the DNS settings, you can configure your applications. Make sure that the required SSL certificates are included. If necessary, you have to integrate them manually.

Attention

If you purchased an SSL certificate for your domain through your VPS contract purchased before 2018, you will not be able to renew it. Therefore, make sure that you apply for a new certificate before the expiration date and include it on your new VPS.

If your server requires custom connections to external databases, external cache servers, or to proxy servers, you will need to make these settings manually in your new VPS.

Note

If you have used Plesk Migration & Transfer Manager to migrate your hosting data to a new VPS, please refer to the instructions in the following articles:

What Data Are Transferred

Known Issues and Limitations

Test Your Applications, Projects, and Services

Test all projects and services with a subdomain or another top-level domain whose country code is not commonly used (e.g. info). In addition, make sure that your applications and scripts work correctly.

Configuring the DNS Settings of Your Domain(s)

Connect your domain that is still in your VPS contract purchased before 2018 to the static IP address of your new VPS. For this purpose, you need to configure the A record in the DNS settings of your domain. This is also required if your domain is in a different IONOS account, in a different contract within your account, or with a different provider.

Make additional DNS settings as needed.

For more information on configuring DNS settings, click here:

Connect domain with static IP address

Edit DNS settings

Transferring Your Domain(s) to Your New VPS Contract

If your domain is in a VPS contract purchased before 2018, you will need to move it to your new VPS contract.

For information on the requirements for a successful domain move, see the following article:

Requirements for a successful domain transfer


Transferring a Domain (Without Email Addresses)

If you only want to move your domain and no relocation of email addresses is required, please refer to the following articles for more information:

Transferring a domain from an external provider to IONOS

Preparing a domain transfer to another provider

Transferring a domain to IONOS as a new customer

Transferring a domain to IONOS as an existing customer


Transferring a domain within IONOS

Transferring a domain to another IONOS contract (within the same account)

Transferring a domain to another IONOS contract (between different accounts)


Transferring a Domain with Email Addresses to Another IONOS Contract or to Another Account

When you move a domain, all email addresses you have set up for that domain will be deleted. However, to prevent accidental data loss, the mailboxes and all the emails in them will remain. To ensure that you continue to have access to your mailboxes, they are assigned a backup address that has the following format:

old_address@mailboxbackup.info

If the domain example.com is deleted, for example:

the address mail@example.com would be renamed to mail.example.com@mailboxbackup.info

the address info@example.com would be renamed to info.example.com@mailboxbackup.info

etc.


To move the emails and folders of an email account using the IONOS Email Migration Tool powered by audriga, we recommend you to proceed as follows:

  • Move the domain to the desired destination contract.

  • Set up a destination mailbox for each source mailbox.

  • Check how much disk space the source mailbox occupies. This must not exceed the size of the newly created destination mailbox.

  • Check how much disk space the source mailbox occupies. This must not exceed the size of the newly created destination mailbox.


For more information about moving emails and folders of an email mailbox, click here:

Using the IONOS Email Migration Tool

Mail Basic, Mail Business or Microsoft Exchange: Performing an Email Migration

If you transfer a domain from another provider to IONOS or transfer your domain to another IONOS contract or account, only the domain itself will be moved during the domain transfer. Linked email mailboxes will not be moved.

If you set up Mail Basic, Mail Business or Microsoft Exchange email accounts in your contract, you can use the IONOS Email Migration Tool powered by audriga to move the emails and folders in these mailboxes.

Depending on the respective product, you can migrate additional data such as contacts or calendar entries as part of the email migration.

As part of the move, only data that is stored on the source provider's server is transferred. You can see these in the IONOS Webmail portal, for example. We do not have access to data that is stored exclusively in an email program located on your end device.

Checking DNS Settings of the Domain in the New VPS Contract

Check the DNS settings of your domain in your new VPS contract.

Shutting Down Your Virtuozzo-Based VPS

Before you decommission the Virtuozzo-based VPS, you should perform some tests to ensure that the websites and applications work correctly on your new VPS.

Test the websites you migrated using different browsers. Also, open the websites in question on different devices to discover any display problems.

Check whether the DNS settings you made have been adopted. For information on the duration of DNS settings at IONOS, see the following article:

Time Required for DNS changes

In addition, make sure that the applications you have installed are configured and working correctly.

If the migration of your websites fails, check them and then repeat the migration of these files.

Additional Information

For more information on the new VPS, please see the following article:

VPS: Getting Started

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