Moving Hosts, How to ensure domain mappings won't break?

  • I’m planning on moving web hosts soon.

    I have a multisite network, with many of my clients websites hosted on it. They each have set their A Records at their respective domain registrars to point to the IP address of my current server.

    I understand that when I change web hosts, my clients will all need to change their A Records again to point to the new server.

    But here’s my question:

    If I copy everything over to the new server, then point my main site domain (parent domain of the network) over to the new host, what will happen to my clients websites (before they make the change to their A Record)?

    Will my old server become unavailable to them? Will their sites break? Obviously I really want to avoid this from happening…

    What would you suggest is the best “game plan” for this type of situation?

    Thanks in advance…

    https://www.ads-software.com/extend/plugins/wordpress-mu-domain-mapping/

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Plugin Author Ron Rennick

    (@wpmuguru)

    Leave both installs running until all your client DNS has switched over (72 hours after they change it).

    Thread Starter Brian

    (@casbk)

    Let me clarify…

    Lets assume that it will be difficult/impossible to get all clients to plan on changing their DNS at a scheduled time. So with that in mind, heres my proposed plan (please tell me where this could go wrong):

    1. Setup WP multisite on the new server with a temporary URL (not live yet).

    2. Copy over files and database to new server. Test to make sure everything is working.

    3. Point my main site domain DNS (for the main/parent site of the network) to the new server.

    4. Inform my clients they have 30 days to update their DNS to point to the new server – The old server will remain active during this 30 day period.

    5. Now that everybody is live on the new server, I end service on the old.

    My question is this: At step 3, will pointing my main site DNS to the new server have any effect on those clients who still have their A Records pointed at the old server?

    Plugin Author Ron Rennick

    (@wpmuguru)

    At step 3, will pointing my main site DNS to the new server have any effect on those clients who still have their A Records pointed at the old server?

    If you are using A records – no. The old site is still there. You no longer have access to it because the DNS says it’s somewhere else.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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