Transferring your account to us can be an easy process with zero downtime if done properly. To do so you only need a little preparation and allow for about 3-4 days overlap between the two hosts. Your primary concern is having control of your domain names. This is paramount as you will need to be able to change the nameservers for the domain name.
Summary:
1. Purchase a new hosting account with us.
2. With your login information for your new account with us upload your web content to the new server and configure any email addresses you use/need via IP address.
3. Once the new server is tested and functions as needed via IP address, log in to your domain name registrar interface and update the DNS nameservers to:
- ns1.capeverdehosting.com
- ns2.capeverdehosting.com
3a. (optional) If you use a high traffic, database driven site, it is wise to setup remote access to the database on your old web hosting server during the DNS propagation process. This ensures that your database stays in sync and up to date all on one server. If you need help with this, please submit a support ticket and we'll do our best to assist.
4. One key thing many forget about is that you must continue to check email on both the old and new hosting servers via IP address to ensure that no communications are lost during the DNS propagation. While the internet propagates to the new address, you may be seeing the new server, however mail still could be flowing to the old one for up to 72 hours.
5. After about 72 hours, DNS propagation should be complete and if all testing shows your new account is fully functional you can close the old account.
5a. (optional) If you chose to use remote access listed in step 3a you will need to shutdown your site using a temporary webpage or to let your users know there is some work in progross for a moment. Transfer your database from the old server, set your connection script to use the "local database, and turnjaguar your site back on.
Following the above steps will prevent any downtime for your site and allow you to ensure that neither emails nor database updates are lost in the transfer process.
