Moving servers - best practise?

Hello,

we are about to change servers due to performance problems.
We have to move to another hoster.

What are the recommended steps SEO-wise?

We don't want to lose our rankings...

Here's our ToDo list:

• Order new server using a temporary domain name
• Redirect all traffic from old server/domain to new server/temporary domain via:
  
  Code:

  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteBase /
  RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^(www\.)?mcseboard2\.de [NC]
  RewriteRule /* http://mcseboard2.de%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=307]

  Is it safe to use the HTTP 307 status code for that purpose?
• Move old domain to new server, which takes max. ~5 days
• Done

Thanks for your thoughts,
Lian

I wouldn't bother with a temporary domain at all. Most new servers require a "master" domain... if you have a 2nd domain, just register the box with that. Me, I registered skeyhost.com and used ns1.skeyhost.com, etc, as my name servers. This way, my main site domain name wasn't the 'box' name.

I recently moved servers and here's what I did.

• leave forum running on old box
• buy new server, configure, etc etc
• close forum late at night, make a back up. save locally.
• if you have cpanel on both/whm, you can easily move from server to server. my 700k post board took about 30 min to move. verify all is working by visiting http://yournewip.com/~sitehostpackagename (as DNS has not been changed yet)
• In your new server's mysql administrator, add an access host of your old box's IP. (In cpanel, its right above the phpmyadmin link)
• log into old box, change 'localhost' to the IP of your new server in the config.php file in the includes folder.
  • This sets all posts to come from and put into the new server, regardless of which server is hosting the php scripts.
• Re-open both boards, old server and new server.
• update DNS to the new nameservers.
• After a couple days, shut down your old server, as DNS has proppigated fully.

You'll have next to no downtime (only during the backup/move process, an hour max), and no waiting for DNS to resolve. The board will function on both servers, using 1 unique database.
Just make sure you don't change any php scripts or add mods. you want to keep the scripts the exact same for these couple days.

Great info Brian.

Thanks. updated a few things i missed too

I like the idea a lot, thanks.

I just have two problems which render the plan as not usable for us:
- Both servers don't allow mysql access from the internet/WAN
- I have only access to MX entries of DNS

:(

So I think I have to stick to the initial idea using two domain names for a period of 2-5 days.

Is the rewrite any good I posted above?
Will the 307 do any harm seo-wise?

Thanks,
Lian

You can't add an access host? even temporarilly?
(See ScreenShot)

You can even use a specific port if need be for slightly more security instead of the default... you just need to make sure both config files reflect this, and that the port listeners know how to handel such request.

MX entries are good for email... but they won't help you move yourdomain.com to your new server's IP. You (or someone who has access to them) HAVE to update DNS to reflect the new name servers of the new box, or yourdomain.com will point to the old server (current config) forever.

Regarding MySQL: That's not allowed on both hosts. I can add the entries, but both MySQL servers only listen to internal queries/LAN traffic. No way to change that.

MX entries are good for email... but they won't help you move yourdomain.com to your new server's IP

That's my point.
We don't have access to the NS entries, the hoster will change the settings accordingly once the domain is moved to him.

:( Sorry Brian, that are the facts due to having managed server plans. But thanks for the ideas.

So...

Is the rewrite any good I posted initially?
Will the 307 do any harm seo-wise?


Any ideas greatly appreciated.

I have never used 307's so I can't help you there...

But, perhaps it's time to go to an un-mangerd system that doesn't have so many rules? I made the plunge just last week, and it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be... and I have next to no Linux experience (I'm an ASP developer! lol)

I'm sure the guys here, including myself, can help you with anything you get stuck on.

Just a suggestion.

We have two people who are fluent in LAMP stuff, but we don't have the time to manage a server since we all have normal jobs...
But we will think about switching to root.


Just got a better rewrite to the new, temporary domain:

Code:

RewriteEngine On 
RewriteRule ^ http://mcseboard2.de%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=307]

What I really still need to know is if this will do any harm seo-wise.

Many thanks,
Lian

I am really glad about this thread since i'm also planning to move to a new server within 10 days.
Thanks for the tips Brian

I'm a bit confused at the moment what to use:

10.3.3 302 Found
The requested resource resides temporarily under a different URI. Since the redirection might be altered on occasion, the client SHOULD continue to use the Request-URI for future requests. This response is only cacheable if indicated by a Cache-Control or Expires header field.

10.3.8 307 Temporary Redirect
The requested resource resides temporarily under a different URI. Since the redirection MAY be altered on occasion, the client SHOULD continue to use the Request-URI for future requests. This response is only cacheable if indicated by a Cache-Control or Expires header field.

The temporary URI SHOULD be given by the Location field in the response. Unless the request method was HEAD, the entity of the response SHOULD contain a short hypertext note with a hyperlink to the new URI(s) , since many pre-HTTP/1.1 user agents do not understand the 307 status. Therefore, the note SHOULD contain the information necessary for a user to repeat the original request on the new URI.

If the 307 status code is received in response to a request other than GET or HEAD, the user agent MUST NOT automatically redirect the request unless it can be confirmed by the user, since this might change the conditions under which the request was issued.

HTTP/1.1: Status Code Definitions



Please advise

Using 307 or 302 seem both to be safe for our purpose - says google:

Webmaster Help Center - 302 (Moved temporarily)
Webmaster Help Center - 307 (Temporary redirect)

Googlebot will continue to crawl and index the original location

Perfect


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