topvip
2010-10-20, 12:02 AM
Over the last few months, Picsopedia (http://www.picsopedia.com/) has bugged me a lot. It all began when I decided to move Picsopedia from DreamHost to HostGator and then from HostGator to Hostony. Just imagine how hard would it have been for me to transfer the whole 5GB big backup from one server to the other.
In all this time I managed to discover some tips and tricks that can be used to transfer files/backup from server to server. These tips and tricks make use of tools and utilities and are recommended for users who want to transfer huge files from one server to another in least possible time.
1. cPanel Remote Backup
This is the most easiest method used to transfer whole site backup from server to server. It makes use of the "Backups" feature in cPanel and needs to be enabled by your host.
To use this
Open the Backups manager (http://www.sizlopedia.com/2008/03/16/how-to-transfer-filesbackup-from-server-to-server/#) in your cPanel and click "Generate/Download a Full Backup"
For Backup destination choose "Remote FTP Server (Passive Mode Transfer)"
Enter the FTP server, username and password
Enter the FTP server port (this is usually "21")
Leave Remote Dir field empty
Hit "Generate Backup"Your backup will now be passively generated and transfer from server to server using the net2ftp protocol. If you don't see this option in your cPanel then you need to ask your host to enable it.
2. SSH
SSH is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged over a secure (http://www.sizlopedia.com/2008/03/16/how-to-transfer-filesbackup-from-server-to-server/#)channel between two computers. Now a days nearly every web host provides this on request. You will need the PuTTy (http://chronos.cs.msu.su/ssh/PuTTY/download.html) client to connect to your server via SSH.
Once you are connected via PuTTy just follow the instructions:
Login to server 1 via SSH and open the folder which you want to backup e.g.
cd /home/somepath/to/yourwebsite/public_html
Make a compressed archive out of this folder using the command
tar -cvf sitepack.tar ./
Login to server 2 via SSH and use the command below to fetch the backup from server
/home/manmall/public_html/XXX.com, wget yourdomain.com/sitepack.tar
Now uncompress the archive using the command
tar -xvf sitepack.tar
To check the hirearchy of files and their permissions, use the command3. FlashFXP
FlashFXP is one of those few FTP clients which allow you to transfer files through FTP from one server to another without downloading them to your local PC first.
I haven't ever tried it myself but it is one of the most recommended FTP software across the Internet. You can download it from here (http://www.flashfxp.com/download.php).
4. SST Web Script
SST is basically a server to server file transfer PHP web script. It is really useful as I have used it myself several times however it is recommended for small backup/file transfers. It has a complete GUI which lets you operate it easily. You need to install this on server 2 (the server where you want to download your backup)
Download (http://www.sizlopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/files/sst-script.zip) the script from Sizlopedia.
Thats all! I knew only 4 best techniques to transfer files/backup from server to server. If you have any more, please share in the comments.
<IMG style="BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; WIDTH: 0px; DISPLAY: none; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; HEIGHT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none" width=0 height=0> http://kona.kontera.com/%20/lib/imgs/grey_loader.gif
In all this time I managed to discover some tips and tricks that can be used to transfer files/backup from server to server. These tips and tricks make use of tools and utilities and are recommended for users who want to transfer huge files from one server to another in least possible time.
1. cPanel Remote Backup
This is the most easiest method used to transfer whole site backup from server to server. It makes use of the "Backups" feature in cPanel and needs to be enabled by your host.
To use this
Open the Backups manager (http://www.sizlopedia.com/2008/03/16/how-to-transfer-filesbackup-from-server-to-server/#) in your cPanel and click "Generate/Download a Full Backup"
For Backup destination choose "Remote FTP Server (Passive Mode Transfer)"
Enter the FTP server, username and password
Enter the FTP server port (this is usually "21")
Leave Remote Dir field empty
Hit "Generate Backup"Your backup will now be passively generated and transfer from server to server using the net2ftp protocol. If you don't see this option in your cPanel then you need to ask your host to enable it.
2. SSH
SSH is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged over a secure (http://www.sizlopedia.com/2008/03/16/how-to-transfer-filesbackup-from-server-to-server/#)channel between two computers. Now a days nearly every web host provides this on request. You will need the PuTTy (http://chronos.cs.msu.su/ssh/PuTTY/download.html) client to connect to your server via SSH.
Once you are connected via PuTTy just follow the instructions:
Login to server 1 via SSH and open the folder which you want to backup e.g.
cd /home/somepath/to/yourwebsite/public_html
Make a compressed archive out of this folder using the command
tar -cvf sitepack.tar ./
Login to server 2 via SSH and use the command below to fetch the backup from server
/home/manmall/public_html/XXX.com, wget yourdomain.com/sitepack.tar
Now uncompress the archive using the command
tar -xvf sitepack.tar
To check the hirearchy of files and their permissions, use the command3. FlashFXP
FlashFXP is one of those few FTP clients which allow you to transfer files through FTP from one server to another without downloading them to your local PC first.
I haven't ever tried it myself but it is one of the most recommended FTP software across the Internet. You can download it from here (http://www.flashfxp.com/download.php).
4. SST Web Script
SST is basically a server to server file transfer PHP web script. It is really useful as I have used it myself several times however it is recommended for small backup/file transfers. It has a complete GUI which lets you operate it easily. You need to install this on server 2 (the server where you want to download your backup)
Download (http://www.sizlopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/files/sst-script.zip) the script from Sizlopedia.
Thats all! I knew only 4 best techniques to transfer files/backup from server to server. If you have any more, please share in the comments.
<IMG style="BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; WIDTH: 0px; DISPLAY: none; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; HEIGHT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none" width=0 height=0> http://kona.kontera.com/%20/lib/imgs/grey_loader.gif