I did write a very similar post on our community, but I feel it needs to be made more official. This week we are moving our site to a new server.
The one we’re still using now is almost 2 years old and it’s just time for an update. Completely new machine. The migration is be performed by the Liquid Web guys, since the new server is also from them. The migration is done in a few stages. First and foremost, you need another server. Once that’s done it’s fairly straight-forward:
- Initial Migration
Everything is moved to the new server. - Checkup and Testing
Using changes in hosts file we can point computers to find any domain name under any IP. When we can access the site on the new server we perform tests of everything that’s crucial to the sites operation. Like: logging in, leaving comments, checkout process etc. - Last Sync
Of course the site on the new server is not accessible to the public. Old one is. With that in mind, the data won’t be the same. Not to lose any data the final sync needs to be performed. During that time, we’ll put our site in maintenance mode so that the sync can be made and to ensure there are no differences in data between the old old and the new servers. - Post Sync Testing
Similar to the previous checkup, we need to ensure all works fine. If yes, we’ll proceed to the next step. - DNS Switch
When the sync is done we’ll also perform the DNS switch so that the domain name points to the new server. The problem with DNS is that it can take up to 24h to propagate. But there’s a trick for that with the last step. - New Server Goes Live
When all is done, we’ll switch off the maintenance mode on the new server. However, it will be left on on the old server. With that in mind, we don’t have to worry about some people accessing the old site and some people accessing the new one. Those who can see the site are already working with the new server. Those who see the maintenance mode notice, you’ll just need to wait a bit longer for the DNS propagation to reach you. You can also try removing browser’s cache, and flush dns cache that can sometimes help too. - Final Testing
The last step to ensure everything works perfectly fine.
Everything should go smoothly and seamless. We already finished with the initial migration, checkup and testing steps. The rest are scheduled for Tuesday, March 12th at 9PM EST. That’s about 24h, us being located mostly in the opposite time zone (it’ll be 9AM our time), will give us all the necessary time to do
We can plan and test as much as humanly possible. With that in mind, we’re all just human so should you see any glitches or notice any issues, please don’t hesitate to contact us about any of it. If that form doesn’t work, reach out to us via our other social media accounts.
Quick FAQ:
Why are you taking a new server, if the old one is ok?
Every few months hosting companies change and update their offer. Being stuck on an old server just because it works makes no sense to us. You’re stuck paying for an old server the same amount of money like you did those 2 years ago. New servers can be cheaper and if you go for a more expensive option, you can be sure you get more power and it’s just worth it in the long run.
Just to add, computers like everything else get old. There’s nothing wrong with doing migrations and changing servers when necessary. For us making it every 2 years or so seems to work great.
What are the new server specs?
I’m glad you asked, it comes with the following specs:
- Processor: Intel Xeon Gold 6130 – 16 Total Cores
- OS: Linux OS
- RAM: 64GB DDR4 SDRAM
- HD1: 4 x SSD (+480 GB SSD) (+RAID 10)
- HD2: Single SATA HDD (+1 TB SATA HDD (7,200 RPM))
- NVMe: Single NVMe SSD (+800 GB Micron 9100 PRO)
We also get 3 backup systems. Continuous backups on the same server and disk. Incremental backups on a separate disk within the server plus offsite incremental backups that are kept on a different continent. That’s right.
How much does such server cost?
With this setup and a few other addons that I haven’t listed here, it’s about $650/month. We’re expecting huge traffic and are getting ready not only for new clients but also for visitors and few other things we’re planning under the hood. We do realize that it might be a huge overkill, but hey… We’re planning for long term and would rather have some resources to spare rather than be trapped in a bottleneck and in need for quick fixes.
What’s the hosting again?
LiquidWeb – we’ve been using their services for years now. You can check out their offer here.
