IP Migration Wizard

Valid for versions 90 through the latest version

Version:

82

90

Overview

The IP Migration Wizard helps you to change the IP addresses of the cPanel accounts that your server hosts. You can also use the IP Migration Wizard to change your server’s primary IP address. This feature is very useful if you move your server to different subnet or another datacenter.

Warning:
  • We recommend that you do not add new cPanel accounts during the IP address migration. This ensures that any new accounts will use the new IP addresses.
  • This change will take about 48 hours to complete, because DNS records across the internet need time to update. If you must undo this process, it will take another 48 hours to undo.
Note:
  • This feature updates your server’s configuration files; however, it does not bind new IP addresses. To bind a new IP address, use WHM’s Add a New IP Address interface (WHM >> Home >> IP Functions >> Add a New IP Address).
  • If your server runs behind a Network Address Translator (NAT) you must enter the private IP address instead of the corresponding public IP address. For example, you would use 192.168.1.2 instead of 208.74.121.102.

Change the IP addresses of all cPanel accounts on your server

To change the IP addresses of multiple accounts, perform the following steps:

Step 1: Enter the new IP addresses

  1. Enter new IP addresses in the text box.
    Note:
    • Enter individual IP addresses on separate lines.
    • You may use CIDR notation to enter multiple IP addresses (for example, 192.168.0.20/25).
  2. Click Continue to begin Step 2.

Step 2: Confirm the translation

  1. Read all of the information in the interface to ensure that it is correct.
    Note:
    • The wizard assigns a new IP address for each IP address that is currently on the server.
    • If you enter more new IP addresses than the current number of IP addresses, the system discards the extra new IP addresses.
    • If you enter fewer IP addresses than the current number of addresses, the system assigns all available new IP addresses and display an editable text box for accounts that require a new IP address. If you do not enter addresses in the empty text boxes, those accounts will retain their old IP addresses.
  2. Click Continue to begin Step 3.

Step 3: Download the translation matrix

  1. If you wish to view a list of each domain’s administrator username, old IP address, and new IP address, right-click Click Here to Download a IP Translation Matrix, and then click Save Link As.
  2. Click Continue to begin Step 4.

Step 4: Convert the configuration files

In this step, the system updates the following files:

  • The Apache configuration file.
  • The FTP server configuration file.
  • The cPanel internal data files.

The system changes the Apache configuration file to include both the old and new IP addresses for each virtual host. This allows visitors to access the website through both the updated DNS records and the old, cached IP address.

Note:
We recommend that you watch for and take note of any error messages during this step.

Click Continue to begin Step 5.

DNS Migration

This step updates the DNS zone files, then automatically takes you to the next interface

Note:
We recommend that you watch for and take note of any error messages during this step.

Step 6: Wait 48 hours

Log out of WHM and wait 48 hours for DNS records to propagate. When 48 hours is over, navigate to WHM’s IP Migration Wizard interface (Home >> IP Functions >> IP Migration Wizard) and then click Click Here to proceed to Step 7.

Step 7: Additional steps to clear the old IP addresses

In this step, the wizard removes the old IP addresses from the Apache configuration file. When this process finishes, click Click Here. A new interface will appear to announce that the IP address migration process is complete.

To completely remove the old IP addresses, perform the following steps:

Note:
We recommend that system administrators take note of any error messages during the update.

Step 7a: Remove the old IP addresses from this system

Click the Show or Delete Current IP Addresses link to open the interface in a new window in order to remove the old IP addresses.

Warning:
You can only delete IP addresses that you created with WHM’s Add a New IP Address interface (WHM >> Home >> IP Functions >> Add a New IP Address). You cannot remove IP addresses that the operating system controls.

Step 7b: Update your system’s startup scripts to reflect the new main IP address

Your system’s startup scripts assign the IP address that the system uses as the primary network interface. Your operating system determines how these scripts are configured. At the command line, run the ifconfig -a command to see your current IP address and the interface to which your IP address is assigned.

Note:
For a virtual server, your hosting provider must configure the primary network interface in the container configuration.

To assign your new IP address to the primary network interface on a dedicated server, perform the following steps:

  1. Edit the proper file in the /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ directory to remove the old IP address and add the new one.
    Note:
    For a dedicated server, eth0 is the most common primary network interface.
  2. Restart the network with the /etc/init.d/network restart command.
    Note:
    We recommend that you have a technician available at the server console to address any issues that may occur during the restart.
  3. After the network service restarts, run the ifconfig and ping commands to verify that all of the IP addresses are available.

Step 7c: Change your licensed IP address

You must perform this step immediately after you complete the previous step. Until you complete this step, the cPanel, WHM, WebDAV, and Webmail interfaces will not be available. Websites, FTP, and email services through desktop mail clients will not be affected.

Note:
The instructions below are for cPanel, L.L.C. direct customers only. If you did not purchase your license directly from the cPanel, L.L.C., you must contact your licensing provider. For more information, visit the cPanel & WHM License Verification website.
  1. Log in to your cPanel Store account.
  2. Under Orders, click View My Licenses. The Manage Licenses interface will appear.
  3. Under Actions, click the pencil icon. A new interface will appear.
  4. Click Edit IP.
  5. Enter the new IP address.
  6. Click Save Changes.

Step 7d: Configure WHM to use the new IP address for new accounts

After you click Server Setup, WHM’s Basic WebHost Manager Setup interface (WHM >> Home >> Server Configuration >> Basic WebHost Manager Setup) appears in a new window. To configure the shared IP address, perform the following steps:

  1. Click the Basic Config tab.
  2. In the The IP address (only one address) that will be used for setting up shared IP virtual hosts text box, enter the new IP address that the system will use for shared IP virtual hosts.
  3. Click Save Changes.

If you have set a different main IP address for your resellers, you must change the IP address in WHM’s Reseller Center interface (WHM >> Home >> Resellers >> Reseller Center).

To update the main IP address for a reseller in the Reseller Center, perform the following steps:

  1. Click Manage Main Shared/IP-less IP.
  2. Select the reseller that you wish to modify from the menu.
  3. Click Submit.
  4. Select the desired IP address from the menu.
  5. Click Save.

Step 7e: Ensure DNS and reverse DNS are configured properly

Your hosting provider will need to help you set the reverse DNS entries for your server. However, your new main IP address should already point back to the server’s hostname. To ensure that your hostname points to your new main IP address, navigate to WHM’s DNS Zone Manager interface (WHM >> Home >> DNS Functions >> DNS Zone Manager).

Step 7f: Revise custom configurations

If you have custom configurations in WHM, you must ensure that your configurations do not use the old main IP address.
For example, you may need to update the following customizations:

  • Custom sender IP addresses for Exim in the /etc/mailips file.
  • Custom DNS templates in WHM’s Edit Zone Templates interface (WHM >> Home >> DNS Functions >> Edit Zone Templates).