Transfer clients to a new server

M

MtK

Verified User
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Aug 2, 2007
Messages
405
Hey,
I have a new DA server up and running, and a lot of clients on an old (current) server.
I want to be able to keep the client domain's DNS settings, so I've done this:
  1. set on the new server a multi-server DNS for Zone transfer but excluded the domain check.
  2. backup a single client on the old server
  3. restore the data on the new server

client & domains were restored successfully, but on the old server the DNS is still 'old' (not pointing to the new zone on the new server.

according to this: http://help.directadmin.com/item.php?id=97 I've tried running:
Code: 
echo "action=rewrite&value=named" >> /usr/local/directadmin/data/task.queue
and verified that the cron/queue actually ran.

but nothing has changed...
 
I just that the logs say:
Code: 
Cluster: Error writing remote dns zone

the connection to the remote cluster is OK, so I guess the ports are perfectly open in the firewall. unless there is another port for the actual task...

what else could it be?
 
I don't know why you turned on Multi-Server. Are both servers running the same IP#s? Doing that causes routing problems.

I'd suggest removing Multi-Server. Remove the domains from the new server, and re-do the move, chosing the shared server IP#.

Then afterwards assign the domains to any IP#s you want. Then move DNS, either by removing DNS from the old server and then starting Multi-Server, or however you do DNS.

Jeff
 
Why wouldnt admin level backup get a copy of the zones as they are?
 
jlasman said:
I don't know why you turned on Multi-Server. Are both servers running the same IP#s? Doing that causes routing problems.

I'd suggest removing Multi-Server. Remove the domains from the new server, and re-do the move, chosing the shared server IP#.

Then afterwards assign the domains to any IP#s you want. Then move DNS, either by removing DNS from the old server and then starting Multi-Server, or however you do DNS.

Jeff
Click to expand...
the 2 servers have 2 different IPs/Licenses/hostnames...
 
My scenario should work.

However remember that I make no guarantees, except when I do the work myself.

Jeff
 
jlasman said:
My scenario should work.

However remember that I make no guarantees, except when I do the work myself.

Jeff
Click to expand...
thanks for the idea, but it's not really practical, since I have 100s of clients/domains, and I'm not planning on a backup-all-and-move scenario...


I've just tried to simply add a new domain to a test client, and it wasn't added to both servers. I still get:
Code: 
Cluster: Error writing remote dns zone
can some1 help me fix this first...?
 
jlasman said:
Probably the zone is on both servers as local.

Jeff
Click to expand...
as I said, I tried it with a new domain, which doesn't exists in either server.
added it to the new server, and the Zone was not transferred to the old server...
 
If you're sure the settings are correct and the transfer isn't being made then you should probably contact DirectAdmin Support.

Jeff
 
jlasman said:
If you're sure the settings are correct and the transfer isn't being made then you should probably contact DirectAdmin Support.

Jeff
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure about this, because if I select the domain check it does notify me that the domain exists...
 
I want to be able to keep the client domain's DNS settings
Click to expand...

I have to ask why you want to do this because this is the only thing making it complicated.

Do you mean you want to keep the client's ip addresses?
 
floyd said:
I have to ask why you want to do this because this is the only thing making it complicated.
Click to expand...
because I have hundreds of clients, and I want to make the move as transparent as possible from the client's point of view.
If I'll have to wait for each client to change the DNS records of each domain they are hosting, it'll last forever...

floyd said:
Do you mean you want to keep the client's ip addresses?
Click to expand...
no, the will move from the shared IP on the old server to the shared IP on the new server...
 
If I'll have to wait for each client to change the DNS records
Click to expand...

The client does not have to change anything. Host the dns on the original server until everyone is moved and then move the ip's over to the new server. The only glitch would be you may have to get the DC to clear the ARP table.

I am in the process of moving thousands of domains right now and going through the same thing. 99% of my clients are not noticing anything.
 
floyd said:
The client does not have to change anything. Host the dns on the original server until everyone is moved and then move the ip's over to the new server. The only glitch would be you may have to get the DC to clear the ARP table.

I am in the process of moving thousands of domains right now and going through the same thing. 99% of my clients are not noticing anything.
Click to expand...
could you please write a step-by-step of the process for moving one client?
 
  1. Make sure the ttl for the zone has already been set to something low and the old ttl has expired. http://help.directadmin.com/item.php?id=87
  2. On the old server change the ip for the user to the new ip.
  3. Suspend the user.
  4. Backup the user.
  5. Transfer the backup to the new server. (Use ftp backup to skip this step.)
  6. Restore the user on the new server.
  7. Unsuspend the user.

That is as good as it gets. If they are all using your nameservers then you can change one of your name server ip's to the new server ip in advance.
 
Last edited:
floyd said:
  1. ...
  2. Suspend the user.
  3. ...
  4. Unsuspend the user.
Click to expand...
great, but this is the thing I'm trying to avoid.


btw, the multi-server feature claims to take care of the "change IP part", since I'm having the new IP on the new server's template, and the multi-server feature supposed to overwrite the old zone file on the old server.
that's the theory, but it's not working since I have an undocumented error...
 
floyd said:
If you do not suspend the user while moving then you take a change on data corruption and lost emails.
Click to expand...
yes I know.... :)
don't worry I don't plan to trick to clients and move them without letting them know.


I still think that the "change IP" feature is a huge bug (or misconfigration)..
 
Last edited:
I think trying to use multi-server is a mistake for this process.
 
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