Migration Tool a Joke?

[Consultant1027]

I've migrated several websites from a Plesk 8 to Plesk 10.1.1 server recently. What a nightmare. I think I would have been better off if there wasn't a migration tool available and I just did everything manually.

The first issue was when I couldn't change a password on an e-mail account. Took the ServInt people like 2 days working with Plesk to solve it. Once they did the account was then associated with some admin user and I couldn't associate it with my user. So back to the ticket system. Eventually got fixed.

Next, on some sites, it properly migrates all the directory and file ownership and permission settings. On other sites it doesn't. Sometimes the file owner gets changed to root. Sometimes a 755 permission directory gets changed to 750 for some reason. Sometimes the group ownership matches the original site (psacln for instance) sometimes it doesn't (psaserv when should be psacln).

The latest nightmare is a site that has lots of e-mail addresses forwarded to other addresses (on the same domain). The non-forwarded addresses work fine, the forwarded ones don't forward.

These are just SOME of the issues off the top of my head.

Fun Fun. I do NOT recommend using the stupid Migration agent to migrate to Plesk 10, at least from Plesk 8.x. Maybe there are less issues coming from 9 but just on an initial perusal of these forums it appears 10 has lots of bugs which isn't surprising in a .1.1 version I guess.

Plus I HATE the new interface with all the subscriptions and stuff. I realize what they are trying to do. But it seems more like a case where a bunch of designers came up with new feature ideas to justify people buying a newer version and ended up taking a big step backwards in basic usability and user-friendliness. I suppose it is because I'm not some big reseller or someone with sub-resellers. Wishing my new server came with the latest 9.x version now.

Whine Whine.

 

[AtifQ]

Plus I HATE the new interface with all the subscriptions and stuff. I realize what they are trying to do. But it seems more like a case where a bunch of designers came up with new feature ideas to justify people buying a newer version and ended up taking a big step backwards in basic usability and user-friendliness. I suppose it is because I'm not some big reseller or someone with sub-resellers. Wishing my new server came with the latest 9.x version now.

I understand your pain. Though I can't, for the life of me, understand why someone would migrate and not having revised the documentation and forums initially. Especially if your web deployment is at risk.

Meh.

 

[Consultant1027]

Oh I read the documentation. We attempted to migrated three times in the middle of the night. Third time we got enough working to say it was okay to go into production with it. The only thing we (and the ServInt team) are beating their heads over is why forwarded e-mail accounts are not forwarding. So we've had to setup mailboxes for all those accounts so we can at least get at the e-mail until it is forwarded.

If you can point out somewhere in the migration documentation that tells how to fix migrated mail accounts no longer forwarding, I'd love to know where it is. lol

 

[AtifQ]

It seems many people are running in to issues with Migration, as you pointed out. Seems like a tedious process and I have a hunch that Parallels have tried to reinvent the wheel a little too steep, in effect causing countless problems.

Just by off-chance, are you using qmail or postfix?

 

[Consultant1027]

qmail

Had to delete and recreate all the forwarded accounts. Wasn't going to wait days for Plesk to respond.

 

[AtifQ]

One of my boxes has a clean setup of 10.1.1 and I can confirm forwarding does not work accordingly.

Strangely, on my primary email I can setup forwarding. But if I create, say [email protected] and add a forwarder, it doesn't forward?

 

[lhwparis]

can confirm this too!! this problem is known for such a long time now still no fix
tested with two different 10.1.1 servers same behaviour on both... forward adresses set after migration work perfekt! forward adresses which are migrated dont work

 

[lhwparis]

Plus I HATE the new interface with all the subscriptions and stuff. I realize what they are trying to do. But it seems more like a case where a bunch of designers came up with new feature ideas to justify people buying a newer version and ended up taking a big step backwards in basic usability and user-friendliness. I suppose it is because I'm not some big reseller or someone with sub-resellers. Wishing my new server came with the latest 9.x version now.

Whine Whine.

have you tried power user mode?

 

[Kurt Ludikovsky]

.....
I can't .... understand why someone would migrate and not having revised the documentation and forums initially. .......

Now
1) I have read the documentation, which is quite clear nd precise http://download1.parallels.com/Plesk/PP10/10.2.0/Doc/en-US/online/plesk-migration-guide/
* Nothing special to consider with a migration from a Debian 4/Plesk 9.2.3 to 10.2 - or have I missed something

2) I have perfomed those steps as described

RESULT:
* break at about 50%
* no error message
* OK-not aktive (no action if clicked)


What should I have been doing differently?

 

[AtifQ]

Post documentation, I also mentioned the forums... There have been many problems reported on the forum regarding migration. I was making that clear as many people see the forum as a point of contact when a problem is run in to, rather than diagnosing potential issues people may run in to...

 

[Kurt Ludikovsky]

Somewhat disagree.
I would agree with you if we are talking about printed docu. Everything here is on-line, and if customers are identifying issues I would assume
1) that Parallels is going to accept/confirm them (I have sent a bug report some days abo - not even a confirmation so far)
2) offer some help to the customer identifying issues (see below)
3) improves the product and docu (good products sell better. Sorry, not true se M....s...).

Because, here I am paying for the product. This is not Open Source, free download at no cost.

Just an example of excellent support:
Out there is a small company proving SW around Outlook called 4team.
If you report an issue they create a ticket, you enter a chat at your discretion, they log into your system with remote support (you see what they do) and provide you help or bring the issue to their developers.
All at no additional cost. Just to provide quality SW.

 

[AtifQ]

I think your delving your expectations, whereas my post was really about what people should do before considering doing something.

For example, when purchasing or upgrading an automobile, people hunt for reviews, opinions and expectations. They don't just read the automobile manual and decide for themselves.

There has been clear evidence of Paralells lack of support, their failure to live up to a reputable service, and lately most bugs have been overlooked or 6 months too late.

Don't get me wrong. They have done a brilliant to get us here, complaining in the first place. But frankly, the forum constantly reports poor migration succession and inevitably large scale failures. I myself have hit a few bugs, which make me wonder what schoolboys are behind such simple tasks? But the simple act is, this is Parallels, and this is how they do business. Great apps, not so great support. Many of us know this, many of us expect too much with ignorance.

In all fairness, migrating has been a nightmare for so many people. I've witnessed it, therefore I'm happy to say I would not migrate in future unless I had enough confidence that this forum could give me an insight in to safely doing so.