I am planning to move to a new web host. Same existing domain, moving to a new company/web host.
I assume I first need to install Backlight on the new host.
Then can I use ftp to download from the old site and upload to the new site? Or do I need to “publish” through LightRoom to move the files up to the new site? I have generally found using ftp to be much faster to upload than going through LightRoom.
And since I am trying to keep downtime to a minimum, when I first start up with the new web host I will be able to ftp in, but in viewing anything on the new server, through a local browser, I will be using whatever they supply me with as a temporary URL, until I transfer the domain. I am hoping to upload all my existing galleries first, test, and then do the domain transfer. As long as I put that temporary URL into Backlight, will I be good to upload and test and then transfer the domain? And then once the Domain transfer propagates I can again change the URL in Backlight back to the original URL.
Will that be a problem? Should I transfer the domain first and then try to quickly upload the files?
Doesn’t the new or old host offer to transfer the site for you? It’s been so long since I transferred hosts, but from what I remember it was a matter of pointing to a new nameserver (or some such) and my whole site was moved. This was way back before Backlight though.
Have you checked with your new host?
If you have to move things yourself. You could try just moving everything into place and then sign into Backlight and make sure the site URL, etc is what you want it to be.
I think you should be able to download everything via FTP and then upload to the new host.
Others may have more recent experience with this (try searching the forum) so maybe someone with better info will chime in.
I am cleaning up enough things as part of the move, that I would prefer to do it myself.
I guess my real question was, besides installing Backlight on the new server, there aren’t any invisible files or other connections that need to be made in a database or such?
As an example, will just ftp uploading the files, not through LightRoom, make it clear to Backlight that they are managed by LightRoom and not Publisher? Will all my client sign in information and client response information get transferred? Or do I need to manually recreate my clients?
I think all your client info should come along.
I don’t think I would install Backlight first though. I would try just downloading the entire site and then uploading to the new site.
If you’ve previously uploaded anything via the Backlight uploader (favicon, graphic logos or mastheads, etc.) you may need to upload them again.
I agree with Rod, I would move the entire site to the new host. Don’t start with a fresh install. Once the move is complete and dns updated, execute ‘Clear Template Cache’ and you are done.