Preventing Yourself from Facing the Drawbacks of Changing a Web Host

You might cringe at the thought of changing host. But, at some point it becomes essential for every web master to look out for a better web host. Moving from one to another host is an exciting as well as daunting task. The move could either be to another server or changing the company entirely.

What makes most of us shift to another company is the plan it offers. You will get better performance, features, increased stability and a more reasonable price, if you head for other web host. But, the process has potential dangers and it could even invite some not so good situations for you. Therefore, you should adopt some critical steps for securing yourself from unnecessary headache.

Before starting your search for a web host, it is better to make a detailed list of what is currently present in your system. Review the frequent changes and alterations done to your software and files. If some systems are not getting properly transferred or you can not restore them, remake all of them. It is better to keep the record of old and new names, your IP address and the information required at the time of migration.

Always remember that keeping a backup of everything on your system is very important. Most of the web hosting providers offer this as their service, but their software are not that good. Usually back ups seem to be well, but they are not tested by restoring on another server. It means that you might face a problem while running it at the time you need it the most.

The next step is to restore the system to new location and make the necessary changes. Make sure that the name of your earlier host or IP address buried in the files is carefully changed. Many web servers like SQL Server on windows picks up the name of the host at the time of installation. If you move only a single or several databases to a new server just by using the back up software, it is alright. But, if you move some system related information, then changing the host name saved in the master database is important.

Be Prepared for Downtime

It rarely happens that your system is picked up, moved to another place and still it has zero downtime after getting online. A very good web hosting company will use the best available tools for making the entire transition as seamless, as it can.

Name Changes

One of the major drawbacks of changing a web host is the change in domain name and IP address combinations. Which is easier for you to remember, a URL or an IP address like   209.34.567.123?

Although the combination of IP address and url can change, but specialized servers called Domain Name System keep a track of the names. The bad news is that there are hardly two or a dozen of DNS servers between a visitor’s computer and your hosting company. Every system keeps a track of the change in url or IP address, but the whole process takes time. It might happen that your visitor finds you at the new place, but other server might point at the older address. This means a particular downtime period, till the things get back in order.

Forget about change in IP address and url, still you will find lots of hurdles on the way. To overcome the problem, you can use an FTP program. This will help you in moving files quickly from one place to another and get the system ready for the other big changes.

Getting friendly and familiar with the support staff of new hosting company often makes things easier for web masters. You never know if they prefer to help you first, leaving behind other clients.