Migrate multisite

  • I am looking at migrating a small/medium sized multisite from one virtual machine to another. The stumbling block is the IP address, and this must be a common issue to others. I am unable to take my msite IP address to the new vm – my friends @bytemark say this is not possible – presumably because it goes back to a pool and unavailable to the new virtual environment that is running on bigv.io.

    There are literally dozens and dozens of A records to amend from all sorts of people, who I have never met, and multiple domain registrars. The msite has under a 100 sites. From experience mapping has always confused people.

    What do the experts suggest?

    Thanks

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

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Plugin Author Ron Rennick

    (@wpmuguru)

    What do the experts suggest?

    Unfortunately the only choice you have is to update all the DNS records.

    Thread Starter alittlebitofnothing

    (@ecomonkey)

    Thanks Ron.

    Alas, I was coming to that conclusion as I was hitting the submit button, but

    1) is there a sensible running order that would limit downtime, while not entailing excessive effort?

    Just switching and catching up with people could mean they go offline for weeks! My best guess is that I ask everyone to send me their registrar login details, if they agree, which means I can compress the process into hours rather than days.

    It doesn’t look to me that switching to CNAME would make it any easier, except that it would mean futures server changes may be easier to manage. But that would mean we are responsible for NS and MX … an additional complication.

    There’s an earlier related discussion/question here:

    https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/plugin-wordpress-mu-domain-mapping-a-record-vs-cname-please-explain-like-im-5?replies=8

    I am still checking how an @ CNAME works on a new test site and my main registrar, so my other question is

    2) how widespread is the CNAME limitation referred to in the link above (Some registrars do not allow TLDs to have CNAMEs while others do)? Is this a show stopper?

    Thanks

    Plugin Author Ron Rennick

    (@wpmuguru)

    1) is there a sensible running order that would limit downtime, while not entailing excessive effort?

    Any time I’ve done it I have kept both installs active at the same time. I access the new install using my hosts file. I backup everything, get it set up on the new server then switch the DNS.

    Once the domains’ DNS has all propagated over then you can close down the old install.

    Thread Starter alittlebitofnothing

    (@ecomonkey)

    OK, looking at how CNAME (canonical name, doh!) works it seems logical to switch to CNAME, not just because this will not interrupt service. What I hadn’t appreciated is that you can use an A record or a CNAME regardless of whether I have set a CNAME or an IP in the mu domain mapping plugin – just wish I had figured this out sooner.

    All I need to do is ask people to switch to CNAME, and pray I can do the move this side of xmas.

    Thanks

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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