Overview

A how to for doing DirectAdmin to DirectAdmin server migration. This can assist you on  complete account migration from Oldserver to Newserver , with rsync, sysbackup and manual restoration.

Requirements

  • Basic idea of DireactAdmin files and directories
  • You must have a new server with DirectAdmin Licensed and installed
  • You must make sure that the version of Apache, php and mysql installed on both servers matches

Migration

DirectAdmin does have a utility called System Backup to backup all the needed configuration files and directories in the  server, but unfortunately it doesn’t come with a restoration tool. So we will have to do it in the manual way. Home directories will be synced and mysql databases will be backedup and restored  separately.

Step 1

Run System Backup on the old server.

System Backup

Admin Tools >> System Backup

 

We will be backuping home directories and mysql db’s manually so Uncheck and unselect the following options on System Backup

Add user home directories to directory list below

Backup httpd data

Backup MySQL Databases

Check and Select

Backup DNS data

Backup Directories and Files listed below

All directories/files listed in bottom section of the System Backup

now click on the Run System Backup Now icon . The backup will be stored mostly in /home/backup ( it will depend upon how you have set it in DA )

Step 2

rsync the system backup to the Newserver.

root@old:~# rsync -avurz -e ssh –delete /home/backup root@Newserver_IP:/home/backup

Step 3

On the Newserver restore the system backups one by one manually.

For example, for restoring your /etc/virtual directory,

root@new:~# cd /etc
root@new:~# tar xvzfp /home/backup/<backup_date>/custom/etc/virtual.tar.gz

Please check here for the complete paths and files used on a DirectAdmin system.

( Do take extra care while restoring /etc/passwd /etc/shadow /etc/group etc.. )

Step 4

Synchronise the home directory

root@old:~# rsync -avurz -e ssh –delete /home root@Newserver_IP:/home

Step 5

Backup and restore the mysql DB’s

On Oldserver

root@old:~# cat /usr/local/directadmin/conf/mysql.conf

Get the da_admin password from the above file

root@old:~# mysqldump -u da_admin -p  –all-databases > /root/all_databases.sql

root@old:~# scp /root/all_databases.sql root@Newserver_IP:/root

On Newserver

root@new:~# cat /usr/local/directadmin/conf/mysql.conf

root@new:~# mysql -u da_admin -p < /root/all_databases.sql

Step 6

Use the ipswap script to change the Oldserver IP’s

root@new:~# cd /usr/local/direactadmin/scripts/

root@new:~# ./ipswap.sh Oldserver_IP  Newserver_IP

Step 7

Update the nameservers to the Newserver IP’s.

Step 8

To resolve all the queries correctly to the new server . You will have to setup the multi server dns clustering on the new server

Multi Server Setup

on, Add Remote Server

Input the Oldserver IP , login :  admin and password

IP:

Port:

 

 

SSL:

 

 

Username:

Password:

 

 

Click Add

next on, List of External Servers

Zone Transfer:
Domain Check:

select the server

Click connections “Test Connection(s)”  to check the connection.

If the test runs OK, Turn Multi Server On on the top

and run the below to sync the zone files

root@new:~# echo “action=rewrite&value=named” >> /usr/local/directadmin/data/task.queue

Now you’ll be able to access the domains from the new server , do tail the logs to see if everything is fine 🙂