Premigration Checklist

We are excited to provide our Migration Policy to all eligible services, making your transition to your new Hostwinds account a breeze!

We highly encourage you to take a moment to review our Migration Policy and become familiar with the process. As you prepare for your migration, please keep in mind the following information before starting your Migration Request.

Hostwinds Service Considerations

Before you switch to Hostwinds, you might be confused about which service is right for you. We suggest you pick a service that's similar to what you're already using or better. But don't worry, we've got some tips to help you decide what's best for you and plan for.

• Hosting Plans
  • Review and compare the hosting plans offered by Hostwinds to ensure that they meet your current and future needs regarding resources, performance, scalability, and budget. Consider factors such as disk space, bandwidth, CPU/RAM allocation, number of websites or domains allowed, and any specific features or tools you may require for your website or application.
• Website or Application Requirements
  • Evaluate the requirements of your website or application, such as the operating system requirements,  programming languages, databases, content management systems (CMS), e-commerce platforms, or other software that you are using or planning to use. Ensure that Hostwinds supports these requirements and is compatible with your selected hosting environment.
• Downtime and Impact
  • Consider the potential downtime and impact on your website or application during migration once completed and ready to move over. Although Hostwinds strives to minimize downtime during migrations, propagation may cause a period when your website or application is not accessible or may experience reduced performance. Plan accordingly and communicate with your visitors or users about the temporary inconvenience.
• DNS and Domain Name Transfer
  • Suppose you have a domain name registered with your current hosting provider or other registrars. Consider transferring the domain name to Hostwinds or updating the DNS settings to point to Hostwinds' servers after the migration. Familiarize yourself with the domain transfer process and any potential downtime or impact on your website or email during this process.

If you have any further questions regarding Hostwinds services, please feel free to contact us 24/7 through LiveChat, call our sales team, or email our sales team at sales@hostwinds.com.

Preparing Details

Before you switch to Hostwinds, it's crucial to gather all the necessary information from your current host to start the migration process smoothly. To speed up your migration request at Hostwinds, make sure to gather and prepare the following information in advance.

• Make sure you have all the necessary information to connect to your current web hosting provider's server before starting the migration process. This includes:
  • IP address
  • Connecting Port
  • Username
  • Password
  • Specific details that we need to know
• If we (Hostwinds) need access to your previous web hosting control panel, CDN provider, or any other web hosting accounts, have those details handy.
• Make sure to save any present DNS information, such as DNS Zone files, from your Authoritative Nameserver provider. This should include A records, MX records, CNAME records, TXT records, and any other DNS settings you currently have for each domain you plan to migrate.
• Make a copy of your website's files and databases and keep them stored in a place where you can access them quickly in case we need them. You can create a copy manually or use a backup tool via SSH or FTP. You can also ask your current provider to give you a backup of your account if they offer this service.

When you buy Hostwinds service, we'll send you a welcome email with all the details you need to know about your new service. Keep an eye out for it!

Testing

Before you start moving to Hostwinds, try doing these tests:

• Collect and write down all of your important website URLs.
• Test all the best pages and functions of your website so you can compare them later after your move is done.
• Check for any error reports about broken links and search engine crawl errors to see if they can be fixed before starting your migration.
• Lower the TTLs for your website's DNS records to 300. You might need help from your current DNS provider to do this.

Notifying Your Team

You may want to consider notifying any of your stakeholders, developers, and IT staff of the migration plan so that they can begin preparations if applicable. This should be done well in advance so they are prepared and can stand by in case they are needed.

By considering these factors before migrating to Hostwinds, you can ensure a smooth and successful transition to the Hostwinds hosting environment. Proper planning, preparation, and communication will help minimize potential issues or downtime and ensure your website or application continues functioning effectively on Hostwinds' hosting platform.

Related Resources

• Migration Policy
• Submit Migration Request and Process