Migrating from Shared Hosting to AWS or Google Cloud: File and Database Overview

When migrating a website from a shared hosting server to a cloud environment, it’s important to know which data needs to be moved. This article summarizes the process based on hands-on experience with an actual migration.

WordPress Migration: Files and Database Only

When migrating WordPress to another server, you only need to move the WordPress files (including design and uploaded images) and the MySQL database.

After migrating the data, update the wp-config.php file with the new database information so that WordPress can retrieve content from the database and serve it online.

Migrating WordPress Design and Files

Place the WordPress folder containing wp-content, wp-config.php, and other files into the Root Document directory of your cloud environment.

Migrating the Database to the Cloud Environment

After transferring the files, migrate your existing database—which contains all your posts and content—to the database on the new server.

Linking WordPress to the New Database via wp-config.php

WordPress builds a site by linking the design files with the database that stores posts, images, and other content.

After migrating your WordPress site to the cloud and transferring the database, update the wp-config.php file to link the WordPress design files with the migrated database.

Configuring the Root Document in NGINX or Apache

Set the Root Document directory in your web server software so that your WordPress site can be accessed on the new server.

Restart MySQL, NGINX, and Other Services to Apply Settings

Once the files and database migration is complete, restart the configured software to ensure all settings are applied on the server.

Conclusion

Migrating from a hosting service to a cloud environment offers many benefits. While the process of moving data may seem daunting at first, once you get used to it, it won’t feel too difficult.

Although it’s not something you do very often, if you manage multiple sites on subdomains, having a good grasp of the process can make migrations much easier and more efficient.