Moving Your Website from Shared Hosting to VPS: A Simple Guide to Overcome SSL Challenges

Описание: Learn how to effectively migrate your website from shared hosting to a VPS while addressing SSL certificate challenges and optimizing your PHP platform.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/66910489/ asked by the user 'Wim' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/15394510/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/66910625/ provided by the user 'AhmedBelghith' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/15509551/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Move a Website from Shared Hosting to VPS

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, upgrading your website hosting from shared hosting to a VPS (Virtual Private Server) can significantly enhance performance and resource management. Many webmasters encounter performance bottlenecks with shared hosting and, for various reasons, decide to make this transition. However, the process comes with its challenges, one of which revolves around SSL certificate management during migration.

Problem Overview

When transitioning from shared hosting to a VPS, particularly from an older PHP version (like PHP 5.6) to a newer one (like PHP 7.4), you may face several challenges, especially regarding SSL certificates. The dilemma generally lies in a deadlock situation where:

You cannot issue a new SSL certificate without switching the DNS settings.

You cannot successfully migrate and test your site without having an SSL certificate in place.

This creates a catch-22 scenario that can stymie development efforts and delay your transition.

Proposed Solution

The solution to this conundrum emerges in several distinct steps that enable a smooth migration while effectively dealing with SSL certificate challenges.

Step 1: Create Your Webspace on Plesk

Set Up Your Domain: Begin by creating a new webspace in Plesk with your domain name. This will serve as the foundation for your website on the VPS.

Step 2: Upload Your Sources and Database

Transfer Files: Use FTP or another file management protocol to upload your website files and databases to the VPS environment.

Step 3: Certificate Considerations

Wildcard SSL or Let's Encrypt: To bypass the DNS switch deadlock, you can purchase a wildcard SSL certificate or create one using Let's Encrypt. This allows secure connections using subdomains.

Subdomain for Testing: For the initial testing phase, set up a subdomain like test.yournodomain.com and point it to the new VPS's IP address. This setup enables you to test the site securely without changing the primary domain's DNS.

Step 4: Add to Hosts File

Modify Local Hosts File: On your local machine, add the IP address of the VPS along with your subdomain to the hosts file. This enables you to access your new site using the subdomain before the DNS change.

Step 5: Re-Code PHP and Test the Site

Update PHP scripts: Make necessary adjustments to your PHP scripts to fully utilize features and improvements in PHP 7.4.

Testing: Conduct thorough testing of the website on the VPS using the subdomain to ensure everything is functioning as expected.

Step 6: Finalize the Migration

DNS Change: Once testing is complete and you are satisfied with the new setup, change the DNS to reflect the new IP addresses of your VPS.

Additional Challenges to Anticipate

While the above steps guide you through the migration, be aware of potential challenges such as:

Compatibility issues with old PHP scripts that could arise in the coding phase.

Any database compatibility issues between the new server environment and your uploaded database.

Conclusion

Migrating your website from shared hosting to a VPS is not without its challenges, especially when it comes to SSL certificates. However, with strategic planning and the suggested steps, you can successfully navigate this migration process. Use a wildcard SSL or Let's Encrypt to tackle SSL issues, and don't forget to thoroughly test your new environment before changing the DNS settings. Happy migrating!