Migrating websites between Cloud and cPanel Hosting

Customers using our Cloud Hosting plans may choose to switch over to our cPanel Hosting infrastructure, or vice versa (please note, we no longer sell Cloud Hosting plans but we do support existing ones). This article will outline all associated steps in migrating a live website. It is important to plan a migration because some downtime is imminent while the product is reconfigured on the new platform. The process of migration includes the following steps:

1. Backing up your website files and databases
2. Backing up your email messages
3. Submission of upgrade/downgrade online

Once your new cPanel hosting package has been set up, you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Create your email accounts
2. Upload your website files to the cPanel server
3. Importing of your Database file (if applicable)

Migrating your Cloud Hosting to cPanel Steps:

Step 1 - Backup your website files and databases

Download your website files using FTP. Click here to view how to access your website via FTP. To download a copy of your database, you can export it using phpMyAdmin. Click here to view how to export your database.

Step 2 - Backup your email messages

cPanel services include email hosting, and therefore when you upgrade/downgrade to cPanel - you will wipe your current cloud email service. To back up your email messages, ensure that your email software has downloaded all messages via POP. To check how your email account is configured on your email software, please access the Account settings area of the program. Ensure the type of your old account in your email software is POP.

IMPORTANT: If your current account is set as IMAP, you will lose access to this mail once you upgrade/downgrade to cPanel. For details on downloading email via POP, see our POP Email Settings article.

Step 3 - Submit Upgrade/Downgrade request online

Upgrades/Downgrades are submitted via your Webcentral account. For details on submitting such a request, click here to see How to Upgrade your Hosting Plan. Once you receive a confirmation email - your website and email have just gone offline. It's time to upload your website files.

Step 4 - Create Email Accounts or Reconfigure your MX records

If you hold email services with Webcentral under the cloud hosting product, the upgrade will have wiped the setup. See the article on Managing Email Accounts in cPanel to recreate them. If you are hosting emails with any other provider, you need to reconfigure the MX records. See the article on Creating MX Records in cPanel for details on recreating the MX records on the cPanel Zone.

Step 5 - Upload your files to cPanel

Use the same FTP program to upload the files to the new location. The settings for your FTP connection have changed:

FTP Hostname: cPanel server hostname

To find out your cPanel server FTP Hostname:

1. Log in to your Webcentral account
2. Click Manage
3. Click cPanel Hosting
4. The hostname is the cPanel server
5. The username and password are shown underneath

FTP upload directory: Specify the upload directory as public_html

Step 6 - Import your Database file

If you had a MySQL Database associated with your cloud service, you can import the data via phpMyAdmin.

Log in to cPanel and create a Database:

1. Log in to the Console
2. Click Manage
3. Click cPanel Hosting
4. Scroll down to the cPanel interface heading Databases
5. Click MySQL Databases
6. Click to Create a new Database (note the new name)
7. Click to Create a new Database User (note the username and password)
8. Assign the new user to the new Database using Add User to Database menu

Then, import the database contents:

1. Click Home on the cPanel screen.
2. Scroll down to the cPanel interface heading Databases.
3. Click phpMyAdmin (opens a new window).
4. Click the database name on the left-hand side.
5. Click Import in the top navigation bar.
6. Click Choose File from your computer which you created earlier when exporting.

Update your website code to connect to the new Database

Your website application connecting to this database now requires a modification of settings to connect to the new server. Your settings have changed:

Database hostname: localhost

Database name, username, and password are as noted earlier.

Migrating your cPanel Hosting to Cloud Hosting:

If you want to migrate your website from cPanel to Cloud Hosting you will need to have an active Cloud Hosting service. Please note, that we no longer sell Cloud Hosting.

This article will outline all associated steps in migrating a live website from cPanel to Cloud Hosting. It is important to plan such migrations because some downtime is imminent while the product is reconfigured on the new platform.

The process of migration includes the following:

• Backing up your website files and databases
• Backing up your email message
• Submission of upgrade/downgrade online

With an active Cloud Hosting service, complete the following steps;

1. Create Cloud Hosting email accounts
2. Upload files to the Cloud server
3. Import your database file (if applicable)

You can achieve the above steps by either following the detailed instructions below or by commissioning this update to be performed by our team. Please contact our customer support team.

cPanel Hosting Steps

1. Download your files from cPanel to your computer
2. Use the same FTP program to upload the files to the new location. The settings for your FTP connection have changed
3. FTP Hostname: cPanel server hostname

To find out your cPanel server FTP Hostname:

1. Log in to your Webcentral account
2. Click Manage
3. Click cPanel Hosting
4. The hostname is located against Current CPanel Machine
5. Username and password are supplied underneath

FTP Website directory: Specify the directory as public_html

Export your Database file

If you had a MySQL Database associated with your cPanel service, you can export the data via phpMyAdmin.

Export the data using phpMyAdmin

Export the database contents:

1. Click Home on the cPanel screen.
2. Scroll down to the cPanel interface heading Databases.
3. Click phpMyAdmin (opens a new window).
4. Click the database name on the left side.
5. Click Export in the top navigation bar.

Cloud Hosting Steps

Step 1 - Creating Email accounts

Create a Cloud Hosting email account

• Log in to your Webcentral account
• Click Manage
• Click Email
• Select IMAP/Pop from the drop-down to create a new account
• Fill in the fields provided
• Click Create

Step 2 - Upload your website files

Upload your website files using FTP. See our Using FTP article on how to access your website via FTP.

Step 3 - Importing your Database

To import a copy of your database, you can import it using phpMyAdmin. See Backing up your MySQL database article on how to import/export your database.