Migration of sites based on CMS WordPress, Drupal, Joomla to the cloud. Tucha clients experience

We continue to talk about typical examples of solving popular cloud tasks. Recent article will help you figure out how a remote office deployment process to the cloud. We are now talking about another typical task — migration to the cloud of sites based on various CMS, particularly WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. And we do this on several real-life examples of our clients. Therefore, in this article, you will learn about the process of transferring various types of sites to the cloud:

1. a simple business card site based on Joomla CMS;
2. a corporate website built on Drupal;
3. an online store that works on WordPress.

Of course, the article provides examples of site migration only on a few of the most popular CMS. However, the information will be useful and relevant for owners of web resources based on any other content management systems. By the way, here you can read about why a website should live in the cloud but not on local machines in a company's office.

Who is our customer

A newly opened law firm addressed us with the task of placing its business card site in the cloud. The site for the customer was developed by one of the web studios, which temporarily placed the created website on one of its test subdomains so that the client could pre-check the project operation. After the customer was satisfied with the result, arose the question about choosing a domain name and hosting organization for permanent site placement.

The site contains information with a description of the company's activities, its services, price list, and contact details. In short, the customer's web resource is a typical example of a regular business card site, which does not provide for constant content updates and processing of a large number of requests.

What solution was chosen for the client

Usually for hosting business card websites, ledings, and sometimes small online stores, we offer customers solutions based on our shared hosting TuchaHosting. The service provides reliable hosting of small and medium-sized web projects in the cloud on remote servers in Germany. The advantages of the service are that it already includes basic protection of information from viruses and spam, data backup, an opportunity of issuing free SSL certificates from Let's Encrypt, and a CloudFlare DDoS umbrella. For more information about all the features of this shared hosting, read a special article.

Considering the needs, budget, and recommendations of the Tucha specialists, the client has chosen the service TuchaHosting.

To choose the right tariff for a client, you need to know how much disk space their web resource occupies. The client's business card website size is about 150 MB, so to solve this problem, the customer was offered a minimal tariff, which contains 0.5 GB of disk space.

In addition, the client also needed service for registering and maintaining domain names, and we offered to choose a domain name in the com.ua zone. Tariffs on registration (re-registration) services and support of domain names you can find on our website.

How the migration happened

Step 1. Registration of a new domain.

Firstly, to transfer the business card site of the law firm to the shared hosting, the specialists of Tucha registered a new domain and immediately sent its NS records to the hosting. It was done so that the client could manage the domain's DNS records through the hosting control panel.

Step 2. Transfer of the business card site itself.

In parallel with the domain registration, the migration was carried out:

1. For a start, we checked initial site settings in a test environment and installed them on the client's permanent hosting. Among these settings, for example, MySQL versions, PHP, PHP parameters and extension, etc.
2. After performing all the preparatory settings, we copied the files of the customer's site and transferred a database dump. Also, we checked the availability of site tasks in cron. Since there were such tasks, they were also transferred in the same way.
3. Then the period of the result verification, during which we made sure that all the site pages work correctly.
4. Next, the site was checked by the client. This stage is equally important since only the customer knows what functions they will perform through the site control panel and what changes they will make during operation. If there were any nuances during the verification process, we would promptly correct them.
5. When the client confirmed that the site was working properly, the migration was completed.

Important! The given site migration algorithm of actions is universal and relevant also for migrating projects based on Drupal, WordPress, and other CMS.

Step 3. The next step is to issue an SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt.

This action is performed using a hosting panel. To do this, you only need the site already designate hosting since the DNS record update procedure usually takes up to 24 hours, although it is often much faster. Next, in the panel in the domain settings, you need to activate the SSL option and select Let's Encrypt. Visually, it looks like this:

Redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS enables redirection to HTTPS so that the site is opened only through a secure protocol with the SSL certificate.

Step 4. After the site transfer was completed, the client received an email with a username and password to access the hosting control panel.

The entire migration process took about an hour. This is usually the average time to transfer a site to the hosting from Tucha, but it all depends on the size and number of site files, that is, the time during which they are copied.

Technical support

The service TuchaHosting includes round-the-clock support of the shared hosting performance, timely installation of necessary updates, and assistance to the customers in solving any technical issues related to working in the cloud. The Tucha technical support service is available 24×7, so the customers can contact us with questions or tasks at any time.

How much it cost to solve the task for the client

The cost of migrating the client's web project to Joomla CMS consists of the following components:

• Use of the 0.5 GB tariff in the service TuchaHosting. This tariff is paid for 24 months and costs only 24 euros* for a certain period.

* Hereinafter payments are made in hryvnia at the NBU exchange rate on the first day of the current month.

• Domain name registration and support service. The cost of using the com.ua domain at the time of registration was 321 hryvnias/year. You can pay for the use of the service for 1 year or more.
• The transfer of the site by the Tucha technical support specialists is free.

By the way, learn about how to calculate the estimated cost of hosting sites based on the various Tucha services in our recent article.

Result

The young law firm needed to move its business card website to the shared hosting from Tucha. And the service TuchaHosting provided the firm with the reliable placement of the web resource and convenient work in the cloud. The client also got the opportunity to use the SSL certificates from Let's Encrypt for free and several other advantages that are available in this service. And the caring Tucha technical support service is in touch round-the-clock and is ready to provide competent advice on technical issues at any time.

Who is our customer

Move a corporate website to the cloud and ensure its stable operation was the task of a jewelry company. The client's website contains information about the company, its services, and a wide range of products that can be purchased from the company. The main thing is that the web project contains a large number of media materials: photo and video reviews of products, which are supplemented with detailed descriptions and characteristics. In general, the resource contains significantly more files than regular business card sites.

What solution was chosen for the client

After a detailed description of the conditions of the task, the customer received a recommendation to consider the option of a small virtual server so that the website with a large number of media files would work stably and without delays. The client generally supported the proposal but noted that they needed a reliable but as budget-friendly solution as possible.

Since the customer needed a lot of disk space, and the site does not have high-performance requirements and peak traffic, the Tucha specialists offered the client to deploy a virtual machine based on the service TuchaHost. Data centers of this service are located mainly in Germany, provide guaranteed availability of services at the level of 99.0% and what is important for the customer, have a good price.

The service TuchaHost consists of balanced blocks of resource — cells. 1 cell is 1 processor core, 2 GB of RAM, and 125 GB of HDD memory. By default, 1 IP address is added to each server.

Then, the client clarified that the site size is about 85 GB. For such a web project, which contains a large number of media materials and will continue to be filled with them, we suggested starting with the virtual machine, which consists of one cell.

And to strengthen the security of data storage, the customer chose a separate solution — the service TuchaBackup, which provides reliable placement of important data backups in the cloud (mainly in German data centers). For a start, to store a single backup copy of the site, the client, according to our recommendations, chose a configuration that contains 90 GB of disk space. Further, if the site and its backups need more resources, the configuration can be easily increased.

Also, the customer needed a domain transfer service. An important point: the customer had previously ordered support for their domain name from another provider, and it was 4 months before the end of its use. When the customer contacted us, they immediately paid for this service for a year and transferred the domain name to us for service, and the paid period was added to the one already paid earlier.

How the migration happened

Step 1. Selecting and installing a panel for managing sites.

First of all, for virtual servers, we always recommend customers installing a panel for site management. Of course, the site can be placed in the system without such a panel, but this is not a very convenient solution for work. Therefore, we usually offer customers several options to choose from: a paid ISPmanager Lite product or a free Vesta CP panel. At the request of the client, we can also install another panel for site management.

In this case, since the solution's price was important for the customer, based on our recommendations, they chose the free Vesta CP panel.

For managing the site content, the customer can use the site control panel or upload new files using FTP or SSH network protocols.

Step 2. Issue of an SSL certificate.

The Vesta CP panel supports issuing of free Let's Encrypt SSL certificates. You can issue them yourself using the panel or with the help of specialists from Tucha. Our client performed the procedure independently.

Step 3. Implementation of the domain transfer.

This usually happens in this scenario. A client informs their current registrar that they wish to perform the transfer. Then the customer receives a transfer code from the registrar and passes it to us. We, in turn, provide this code to a domain name registrar imena.ua to start the procedure. All steps take about one week, but it does not affect the site's operation in any way.

Step 4. The transfer of the customer's site to the cloud from Tucha.

All the stages of migration are similar to those described in the first case of this article.

Step 5. Configuring of site backups creation.

The Vesta CP site control panel allows you to create backups without installing additional software. Therefore, the client also received configured backuping from us thanks to the panel tools.

Step 6. Providing access details.

After deploying the virtual machine, the client received an email containing details for accessing the server and its control panel.

Technical support

The customer chose the basic type of support, in which we maintain the performance of the physical infrastructure, virtualization environment, and virtual equipment, but do not interfere with the operation of the client's virtual machine since we do not have the access details to the client's system. At the same time, the technical support service is available 24×7 and provides consultations on issues that the client may have while working on the server. More information about the features of all four types of support you can read in this article.

How much it cost to solve the task for the client

The cost of hosting the company's corporate website for the customer consists of the following components:

• Rent of the virtual machine based on the service TuchaHost in the configuration of 1 cell — 25 euros/month.
• Using the service TuchaBackup in the configuration of 90 GB of disk space is 9 euros/month.
• Transfer (re-registration) and support of the domain name com.ua costs 321 hryvnias/year. The client paid the cost of using the domain name for 12 months and received the domain transfer service for free.
• The transfer of the site by the specialists of the Tucha technical support service is free.
• Basic technical support is free.

Result

The jewelry company, which approached us with the task of transferring the corporate website on Drupal CMS to the cloud, received the secure placement of their web project on foreign platforms using the service TuchaHost. The virtual machine in the right configuration provides the site with fault tolerance and stable operation with a large number of products, photos, and video files. And thanks to the basic technical support, the client has round-the-clock support in solving any technical problems.

Who is our customer

A furniture retailer company has a task to transfer their online store to a fast and reliable hosting. The client's website is based on WordPress CMS and contains a detailed product catalog, which is constantly updated with new items, and descriptions and photos of products. After getting acquainted with the features of the service, the client agreed to host the site in the TuchaBit+ cloud on the Ukrainian platform.

What solution was chosen for the client

Since the site has high-performance requirements and requires stable operation even during peak traffic, the customer was immediately offered to choose the service TuchaBit+. Virtual servers available in the service are based on modern Intel Xeon Gold 6248R processors with a clock speed not lower than 3.0 GHz and have an increased amount of RAM. Therefore, they meet all the current requirements for computing speed. After getting acquainted with the features of the service, the client agreed to host the site in the TuchaBit+ cloud on the Ukrainian platform. Also, note that the service consists of balanced sets of resources — virtual units. 1 unit consists of 2 GB of RAM and 15 GB of SSD memory.

Considering the client's task and the size of the site, which is 60 GB, the customer received a recommendation to deploy a virtual machine that consists of 6 units (3 CPUs, 12 GB RAM, 90 GB SSD).

Also, to ensure reliable storage of backups in the cloud, the client additionally ordered 70 GB of disk space based on the service TuchaBackup. If the online shop requires more resources in the future, it will be easy to increase the TuchaBackup service configuration.

Also, the customer wanted to additionally install a commercial SSL certificate, which we also offer to customers — in this case, the client chose PositiveSSL from Comodo.

How the migration happened

Step 1. Selecting and installing a panel for site management.

One of the most popular panels for site management is ISPmanager Lite. This is a paid software product, but when ordering any virtual server from us, which price starts from 25 euros inclusive, the cost of using the panel is already included in the rental price. ISPmanager Lite allows you to place up to 10 domains in the panel.

By the way, if the client needs a larger number of domains, there is a Pro version of the ISPmanager panel, which allows you to host up to 50 domains, and Host with an unlimited number of domains.

Step 2. Issue of an SSL certificate.

The Tucha technical support service specialists issued the certificate and installed it using the ISPmanager Lite panel.

Step 3. Migrating the site to the virtual server.

This step is performed in the same way as described in the previous sections on migrating sites to CMS Joomla and Drupal.

Step 4. Configuring of site backups creation.

The ISPmanager Lite website control panel makes it just as easy to configure backups with its own tools. Therefore, after the site migration, we performed this step for the client through the ISPmanager Lite panel.

Step 5. Providing access details.

After deploying the virtual machine and completing the migration, the customer received an email with access details to the server and its control panel.

Technical support

For smooth operation on the server and maximum support from the IT specialists, the customer chose constant server administration. This type of support provides maximum facilitation to the productive work of the system on our part since the specialists of the Tucha technical support service take the server on a special account. Since with this type of support, we have access details to the server, we not only support its operation at the physical level and consulting but also can troubleshoot problems if they suddenly arise from the client's operating system or software.

How much it cost to solve the task for the client

The cost of working with the online store on the cloud server from Tucha for the customer consists of:

• Rent of the virtual machine based on the service TuchaBit+ in the configuration of 6 units — 62 euros/month.
• Using the service TuchaBackup in the configuration of 70 GB of disk space — 7 euros/month.
• Using the SSL certificate PositiveSSL from Comodo — 18 euros/year when paying for 12 months. You can also pay for the service in advance for 24 months then its cost will be 14 euros/year.
• Site migration with the help of the Tucha technical support specialists is free.
• Constant server administration — 31 euros/month. This type of extended support level costs 50% of the server cost, but not less than 30 euros/month.

Result

As a result of the transfer of its online store to the cloud from Tucha, the furniture retailer company received the secure site placement, its stable operation, and fault tolerance even during peak loads. The service TuchaBit+ provides the online store with high performance and users with convenient operation. And the constant administration of the server allows the client not to worry about maintaining the server health since this the task of the Tucha IT specialists.

The examples given from our experience and the experience of Tucha customers can be used by every company that has its own website on WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or any other CMS. At the same time, it does not matter how large your web project is: a business card site, corporate site, or highly loaded online store. For every type of website, we will select the solution that will ensure its stable and fast operation. And during the entire period of cooperation, there will be experienced technical support specialists who will answer any technical questions. The excellent quality of cloud services and the prompt assistance of the technical support team are confirmed by numerous reviews from customers and partners of Tucha.

Cooperation with all clients is based on the Public Agreement (offer). If necessary, each client can pre-test most of our services for free within 7 days.

Contact us at sales@tucha.uaa or call +380 44 583-5-583, and we will help you decide on the right service, configuration, and site migration to our cloud!