Migration to New Server - Preparation

[kuhle]

As of November 15th, 2007, SWsoft will no longer patch, troubleshoot, or answer support issues other than migrations related to Plesk for Linux for the following operating systems:
• FedoraCore1
• FedoraCore2
• FedoraCore3


Because of the above, I am trying to ensure that I am well prepared for a major upgrade to my system, and I do hope that a number of regular contributors will be able to help me. As I do not consider myself an expert, if members are able to help, then guidance in non-technical step-by-step speak would be most appreciated.

Currently, I am running:
CPU: GenuineIntel, Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.80GHz
Version: psa v8.1.0_build81070224.19 Os_FedoraCore 2
OS: Linux 2.6.8-1.521smp

awstats 6.5-2.swsoft bind9.2.3-13
coldfusion-support 8.1.0-fc2.build81061129.23
courier-imap 3.0.8-fc2.build81061129.23
drweb 4.33-rh5_psa
drweb-qmail 4.33-fc2.build81061129.23
frontpage 5.0-72psa.fc2
httpd 2.0.51-2.9
mailman 2.1.5-10.fc2
mod_perl 1.99_12-2.1
mod_python 3.1.3-1.fc2.2
mysql 3.23.58-16.FC2.1
perl-Apache-ASP 2.57-fc2.build81061129.23
php 4.3.10-2.4
postgresql-server 7.4.7-3.FC2.1
psa 8.1.0-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-api-rpc 8.1.0-fc2.build81061226.14
psa-autoinstaller 3.1.0-build31061201.02
psa-backup-manager 8.1.0-fc2.build81061226.14
psa-horde 3.1.3-fc2.build81070201.15
psa-imp 4.1.3-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-logrotate 3.7-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-manual-custom-skin-guide 8.1.0-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-migration-manager 8.1.0-fc2.build81061226.14
psa-proftpd 1.3.0-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-qmai l1.03-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-qmail-rblsmtpd 0.70-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-spamassassin 8.1.0-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-tomcat-configurator 8.1.0-fc2.build81061129.23
psa-turba 2.1.3-fc2.build81061129.23
samba 3.0.10-1.fc2
spamassassin 2.63-8
SSHTerm 0.2.2-fc2.build81061129.23
tomcat 4.1.24-full.2jpp
webalizer 2.01_10-22


I think I will need to:

1. Buy another server with FC 6 or later.

2. Backup entire server to another one.

3. Migrate Plesk & all domains to a new server. Will also need to test this once done.

4. Upgrade OS to FedoraCore 6 (or is there a version 7?)

5. Upgrade all software (not sure if I have yum installed)

I do hope that those who have done this will be able to advise as follows:

Backup.
• Backup/Restore Guide from SW Soft says that the command to backup everything is

/plesk_installation_directory/bin/pleskbackup --all <backup file name>

Can a backup be done to a different server with a different IP address? If so, what should be put as <backup file name>?
Migration.
• http://forum.swsoft.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46127&highlight=migrate+new+server says get a temporary licence key from SW Soft. Do I first install this on the new server before doing anything else?
• It seems that Migration Manager http://download1.swsoft.com/Plesk/Plesk8.2/Doc/plesk-8.2-unix-administrators-guide/17348.htm is the best way to migrate all data? Forgive my ignorance, but how do I know that iconv is installed on the remote host “Make sure that the remote hosting platform is running, and the "iconv" utility is installed in the remote host's operating system†? Also, do I run Migration Manager from the new server or the old one?
• How do I then get the right licence on my new server? Is it the same as the way that I normally upgrade it? Worried from http://kb.swsoft.com/en/396 that I might get problems with different versions of Plesk.
• Log on to my server is done through xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8443. Where/how to I make that the port to use?
• Second post on http://forum.swsoft.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=48179&highlight=migrate+new+server suggests that many people cannot migrate Plesk. Any comment on this?
• As the new server will have a different IP address, will clients have to be warned of the new IP address or will the migration take care of all that, less those who log directly onto the server using the IP address? Is this done with the IP address mapping that it mentions?
• Do I need to add the new IP address to the Plesk Control Panel BEFORE migration and also change every client/domain to use the new IP address (for those that are using shared IP addresses?
• http://forum.swsoft.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=48416&highlight=php+version covers different versions of php. Is it possible to prepare it beforehand and avoid the problem?
• http://forum.swsoft.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20313 covers webmail going into Arabic. The comments were a long time ago, so has this been solved?
Upgrade
• Do I need to install yum in order to do the Plesk & application upgrades? http://forum.swsoft.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23745&highlight=yum+info+php seems to be best advice, but I am not sure that I have yum set up - just found that I have it at /etc/yum.conf. Should yum and the updates be done on the new server?
• What is the feeling about Plesk 8.2? Is it worth upgrading to that or staying on 8.1.0? Or something in between?
• http://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...pgrade-fedora-core-2-to-fedora-core-6-489295/ suggests that it is not possible to upgrade FedoraCore 2 to FedoraCore 6 after putting everything onto the new server. How do I do a clean install – forgive my ignorance, and not really a Plesk question? Is it better to leave it with FC2 and then use it as a data repository only?

 

[kuhle]

Fedora Upgrade

I have answered one of the questions above regarding the FedoraCore install:
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/

 

[kuhle]

"Is there anybody there?" said the traveller.

There have been a lot of views of this thread, but no responses to the component parts. Did I ask too many questions in one thread?

I hoped that this would be a good reference point for anyone doing a server & software upgrade.

I do hope that some the regular contributors will be able to assist here. I have separately gone to SW Soft, and any answers that they can give will be posted here.

 

[kuhle]

Server Preparation for Migration

Getting some useful information slowly.

http://kb.swsoft.com/en/2112 covers how the Plesk server must be prepared for migration.

I can see a potential issue with ensuring that all the same packages are installed on the server.

Any other help/assistance would still be most welcome!!

 

[kuhle]

Remote backup to a different server

I am told by SW Soft that if you want to store the file on another server the backup should be run with the following:

ssh user_name@dest_server_IP '/usr/local/psa/bin/pleskbackup all -' > obtained_backup

I am not sure what the "user_name@dest_server_IP" should be if I have created a directory /home/backup on the remote server ... can anyone help me on that?

 

[tiramisu]

let me try to answer all your questions

1) you need to setup a new server with FC6/7;
2) migration is better way to transfer data from one Plesk to another;
3) you will need to install temporary license on destination server, you can get it by contacting support team;
4) then you will have to install your permanent license on server after migration complete;
5) if you use backup, Plesk versions should be exact the same;
6) Plesk 8.2.1 is more stable then 8.2.0;

so you need to:
- setup new server;
- this server should be totally working with IP address and so on;
- install Plesk on this new server:
- get and install temporary license;
- check if you are runnig the latest PMM;
- perform migration from old server;
- take old server offline;
- install permanent license on neew server;
- you can finally relax


if you have more question, ask!