Member Avatar for maxelcat

Hi all

We currently have a reseller package sitting on one of the "old" cPanels without WHM. We are considering moving our 10 or so sites that we host over onto the "new" cPanel.

Has anyone got any experience of doing this - was it easy? Are there hidden pitfalls?

Any comments greatfully received!

Thanks

PS - not sure if this is the right forum to post this on...

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by remarkablyso

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Quick, practical checklist for moving a reseller-style set of accounts from an old cPanel-only host to a WHM-enabled server — building on ’s reassurance that the move is doable and taking into account ’s one-month overlap window.

Prepare the WHM side first: create matching account packages, confirm PHP handler/version and common PHP extensions, set disk/quota limits, and enable AutoSSL or plan how you will install certificates. If the source host gives root access, WHM’s Transfer Tool automates most work; if not, ask the old host for account export archives or plan a manual sync (see commands below). Use a low DNS TTL a day or two before cutover so changes propagate quickly, and test each site by pointing your local hosts file at the new IP before changing DNS globally.

Useful transfer commands (examples — adapt usernames, hosts and ports):

rsync -azP -e "ssh -p 22" oldhost:/home/olduser/public_html/ /home/newuser/public_html/
imapsync --host1 old.imap.host --user1 user@domain --password1 'old' \
         --host2 new.imap.host --user2 user@domain --password2 'new'

Rsync preserves file timestamps and permissions; imapsync moves mailbox contents without cutting mailflow.

Watch for these common pitfalls: SSL private keys must be moved or reissued; mail MX and SPF/DKIM/DMARC need reconfiguration; absolute paths in scheduled tasks or scripts may point to a different PHP binary on the new box; database engine/version differences (MySQL vs MariaDB) can break extensions; third-party APIs or payment gateways may be IP-restricted. After cutover, keep the old hosting active for a few days, monitor error logs, run uploads/forms and transactional tests, and confirm email deliverability. If any step looks risky, consider a paid transfer from the host or a short contract with a sysadmin to avoid downtime.

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Member Avatar for remarkablyso

It depends on how complex the site is. I have transferred a number of accounts before, the website included of files, MySQL databases, email accounts and one of them had a cron job or two.

It was just a matter of doing a whole directory backup, whole MySQL backup and an email backup and restoring them in the new location. This is of course once the appropriate accounts were created.

It's even easier if the host offers free transfers or even transfers at quite a low cost, have you considered this?

Member Avatar for maxelcat

Thanks for the response. I don't think the host does a "do it for you" service. They give you a free month on the old account which is the time to copy over the sites. Most of the sites are joomla based, and all are just files, mysql and a ftp settings/email settings.

So doesn't sound too bad then.

Thanks again

Member Avatar for remarkablyso

Oh good, Joomla. Then it's just a matter of setting up the new account, backing up the MySQL database, file directory and then uploading it to the new destination. Don't forget any cron jobs.

Then you can do FTP/email accounts.

Member Avatar for maxelcat

ok - thanks for your help

Member Avatar for remarkablyso

No worries.

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