Migration of ISPConfig 3 to new server

Since I had to upgrade my servers many times as my host was offering better deals (more CPU/RAM/HDD) for less money I decided to write this tutorial. So lets find out what you have to do to migrate from old server to new server without issues, as I had plenty of issues when I did it for the first/second time!

1. Install new server with tutorial provided by howtoforge.com, there are plenty of “Perfect Server” tutorials there. Since I’m using Debian, this one was mine.

   NOTICE: If you have multiserver setup do not join this new server to existing multiserver setup. Just install ispconfig as a standalone setup.
   When finished reboot and backup your system:

   cd /
   tar -pczf new_backup.tar.gz /var/vmail /var/log /var/www /etc
   mysqldump -u root -pXXXXXXXX –all-databases –events > /var/www/html/new_db.sql

   Now open sources list, and copy contents of it somewhere:

   nano /etc/apt/sources.list
   
   We need this for old server in next step.

2. On old server, open sources.list delete everything inside of it and paste into it all you have from new server:
   
   nano /etc/apt/sources.list
   
   Now perform update and keep all configuration when upgrading:
   
   apt-get update
   apt-get upgrade
   apt-get dist-upgrade
   
   NOTICE: You need to perform dist-upgrade only if your old server is for example running Debian v6 or v7 and your new is v8. If you don’t do this bad things will happen. Make backup:
   cd /
   tar -pczf old_backup.tar.gz /var/vmail /var/log /var/www /usr/local/ispconfig/interface/lib /usr/local/ispconfig/server/lib
   tar -pczf etc-old_backup.tar.gz /etc
   mysqldump -u root -pXXXXXXXX –all-databases –events > /var/www/html/old_db.sql

   Move backups so you can download it to new server or somewhere else:

   mv old_backup.tar.gz /var/www/html/old_backup.tar.gz
   
   NOTICE: For Debian v7 and older versions apache web path is /var/www/, starting with v8 path is /var/www/html/

   Open /etc/passwords and /etc/shadow  and copy only webXXX lines from it somewhere to your PC.

   nano /etc/passwords
   nano /etc/shadow

   Open /etc/group and /etc/gshadow  and copy only clientXXX lines from it somewhere to your PC.

   nano /etc/groups
   nano /etc/gshadow

   We need to paste those lines to same files on new server!

   Open /etc/fstab and copy only lines that contain /var/log/ispconfig/…:

   nano /etc/fstab

3. Go back to new server and download backups from your old server:

   cd /
   wget http://IP.OF.YOUR.OLD.SERVER/old_backup.tar.gz
   wget http://IP.OF.YOUR.OLD.SERVER/old_db.tar.gz
   
   Extract backup:

   tar xvfz old_backup.tar.gz

   Import database:

   mysql -u root -pXXXXXX < /old_db.sql

   Remove files:
   rm old_backup.tar.gz
   rm old_db.sql
   

   Paste webXXX lines:

   nano /etc/passwords
   nano /etc/shadow

   Paste clientXXX lines:

   nano /etc/groups
   nano /etc/gshadow

   Paste /var/log/ispconfig/… lines:

   nano /etc/fstab

   Update ISPConfig:

   cd /tmp
   wget http://www.ispconfig.org/downloads/ISPConfig-3-stable.tar.gz
   tar xvfz ISPConfig-3-stable.tar.gz
   cd ispconfig3_install/install
   php -q update.php

    

   Reboot now.

4. On DNS server change your old server IP address with IP of your new server.
5. Wait 30 mins to 1 hour… prosper. This depends on your DNS TTL. Mine are 3600 seconds (one hour) so maybe it would be smart to set it even to something like 1 to 100 if possible before migration for faster propagation through Internet.

Have fun and report any issues you encounter!