Knowledge Base

How to migrate from a Linux server with custom hosting to Plesk?

Question

How to migrate from a Linux server with custom hosting to Plesk?

Answer

In case of migration from the following platforms, consider contacting Plesk Professional Services for assistance on a paid basis:

- HDE Controller 6
- H-Sphere
- Interworx
- ISPmanager 4 Pro
- ISPmanager 5 Business
- PPA (Plesk Automation or Parallels Plesk Automation)
- WebControl Panel

Otherwise, follow the instructions below.

Note: Migrating from servers with custom hosting can only be done via the command line, and not via the Plesk interface. It is not possible to automatically generate hosting description file.

If you have administrative access to the source server

Log in to the destination Plesk server via SSH
Install Plesk Migrator if it is not installed yet
Prepare hosting description file. Name the file hosting-description.[yaml/json], depending on the chosen format, and place it to /usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator directory. The file must contain the list of clients, subscriptions, addon domains, mailboxes, etc. to be transferred from the source server. Sample hosting description files can be found here.
Prepare migrator tool configuration file. Name the file config.ini and place it in the /usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator directory. The file must include the configuration and access information for the source server. Sample configuration file can be found here.
Generate the migration list:
# /usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator/plesk-migrator generate-migration-list

The resulting file will be named migration-list and will be placed to the /usr/local/psa/var/modules/panel-migrator/sessions/migration-session/ directory. The migration list is a list of objects (customer and reseller accounts, service plans, domains, and so on) to be migrated.
Edit the migration list. Remove the domains you do not want to migrate, assign domains you want to migrate to service plans, or re-assign them between customer accounts.
(Optional) Validate the hosting description file:
# /usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator/plesk-migrator validate

Read more about hosting description file validation here.
Start the migration:
# /usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator/plesk-migrator transfer-accounts
(Optional) Perform an additional content sync:
# /usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator/plesk-migrator copy-content

The changes of hosting content that may have happened on the source server while the migration was running are transferred on the destination server. If you want to re-sync only specific types of content, use the plesk-migrator copy-web-content, plesk-migrator copy-mail-content, or plesk-migrator copy-db-content commands.
(Recommended) After the migration is finished, check the operability of the migrated objects on the destination server:
# /usr/local/psa/admin/sbin/modules/panel-migrator/plesk-migrator test-all