Server migration is the process of moving a site and data from one hosting provider to another (or one server to another). It's normally a stressful time for the business β if done poorly, the site can be down for hours or days. Done correctly, downtime can be close to zero.
Reasons to migrate
Better price and service from another provider. Speed problems on current hosting. Resource shortages (disk, RAM, bandwidth). Needing new technology (Node.js, Python, Redis). Changing geography (if customers are closer to a different location).
Classic migration with downtime
1. Create and configure an account on the new hosting. 2. Take a full backup from the old hosting (files and database). 3. Restore the backup on the new hosting. 4. Test. 5. Point DNS to the new server. 6. DNS propagation (1-48 hours) β during which the site is reachable on both.
During this window new orders on the old hosting don't appear on the new one β data can be lost.
Zero-downtime migration strategy
1. Set up the site on the new hosting (code, site files, dependencies). 2. Real-time database replication (old β new). Tools: MySQL master-slave, MariaDB replication. 3. Lower DNS TTL to 300 seconds (5 minutes) 1-2 days in advance to speed up propagation. 4. When everything is ready on the new hosting, switch DNS. 5. Watch traffic on both old and new hosting briefly.
The switch itself happens in 1-3 minutes; customers barely notice.
WordPress migration
Dedicated WordPress plugins: All-in-One WP Migration (free) β for small sites (the free plugin has a 512 MB limit, Pro is unlimited). Duplicator β better for large sites. WP Migrate DB Pro β for database migration.
Manual migration: move WordPress files via SFTP, MySQL dump and import, update database credentials in wp-config.php, configure .htaccess.
Migration checklist
Email accounts β move each email address to the new server, warn clients to update IMAP/SMTP settings. SSL β Let's Encrypt installs automatically on the new hosting. Cron jobs β list them on the old hosting and configure on the new. File permissions β 644 for files, 755 for folders. .htaccess and custom configuration. Test β run the full site (login, forms, payments, email sending).
Sayt.uz practice
Sayt.uz handles about 250 inbound migrations from other hosts per year. Migration service is free (on Pro+ tariffs). Average downtime: 2-5 minutes for WordPress sites (with DNS propagation acceleration), 15-30 minutes for VPS or large e-commerce (depending on data size). For migrations out of Sayt.uz, we provide a full backup and assist with restore on the new hosting. Tip: always run migrations outside peak traffic seasons (New Year, sales).