Apache Hosting Migration

Over the coming weeks we will be migrating websites that are using our Apache Hosting to our new state-of-the-art platform. Once we start getting ready to work on your website we’ll be sending you a series of emails to keep you informed every step of the way. We will be handling the majority of the work ourselves and, in many cases, there should be no requirement for you to get involved at all.

Why do I need to migrate?

We’ve been working hard building a brand new superior Hosting platform that is intended to be the successor to our Apache Hosting. This new platform offers a vast array of improvements and new features which you will be able to benefit from as soon as you have been migrated.

More details of these features will be sent to you by email in the weeks leading up to your website being migrated. Here is a short summary of some of the key benefits:

• Improved performance
• Enhanced security
• Technical tools
• Advanced resilience

Can I opt out of the migration?

Once the migration has completed we plan to decommission the platform shortly afterwards. This means that you won’t be able to leave your website on the Apache Hosting. If you have a specific concern about being migrated, please contact our team to discuss this further.

Will I need to do anything myself?

We plan to take care of as much as we possibly can ourselves, in order to limit the inconvenience to you. In most cases, there should be no need for you to do anything. The main exception to this will be if we do not control the DNS for your domain (for example, if you’re using Cloudflare or a similar provider). In that scenario, we will email you with the details of the new IP address, which you will need to update with your provider. It’s important to do this as quickly as possible in order to minimise any possible downtime.

How will I know when I am being migrated?

We plan to keep you fully informed every step of the way. You will receive an initial email around one month before the planned migration. This email will provide more details about the advantages of the new Hosting platform and what you can expect. A second email will then be sent around two weeks before the migration, to remind you about it. You’ll then receive another email 3 days before, which will confirm the exact migration date and provide more specific technical information and details.

What can I expect on the day of the migration?

When we start working on moving your website we will display a simple maintenance message instead of your homepage. This will reassure your customers that this is planned work and the website will be back very shortly. For most websites, we expect the actual migration process to take around 5 – 10 minutes, so this maintenance message shouldn’t be displaying for very long. Once we are done, the website will then re-appear online, now operating from the new Hosting platform.

We will then send you a final email confirming the completion of the process.

• if we have been unable to update DNS, this final email will let you know what the new IP address is
• if you have multiple websites hosted on the Apache Hosting, the email will be sent to you once we have migrated the last one

Can I specify a particular time for the migration?

We are unable to fulfil specific time requests. All websites will be migrated during working hours of the day in question and we cannot be any more specific about which particular time of day yours will be done.

How can I update my website after the migration?

If you use a content management system such as WordPress, Magento or Joomla, you should be able to login there exactly as you used to.

If you update your website using an FTP client, then it’s important to note that your FTP credentials will have changed. Our How to set up FTP article walks you through how to setup your new FTP credentials on the new Hosting platform.

You can also use the File Manager located within the Dashboard to update your website. More details about that are in the File Manager support article.

What if the migration fails?

It is unlikely that the migration of your website will fail. However, if this does happen we will immediately revert the migration and restore the website back to the Apache Hosting how it was before we started. We’ll then get in touch with you to let you know what we plan to do next.

What if I have questions?

We understand that a website migration can be concerning, but please be assured that we aim to make this as seamless as possible. If you have any questions or concerns about what is happening, please contact us on 0345 363 3633 or by creating a support enquiry.