1. cPanel Remote Backup
This is the most easiest method used to transfer whole site backup from server to server. It makes use of the “Backups” feature in cPanel and needs to be enabled by your host.
To use this
- Open the Backups manager in your cPanel and click “Generate/Download a Full Backup”
- For Backup destination choose “Remote FTP Server (Passive Mode Transfer)”
- Enter the FTP server, username and password
- Enter the FTP server port (this is usually “21″)
- Leave Remote Dir field empty
- Hit “Generate Backup”
Your backup will now be passively generated and transfer from server to server using the net2ftp protocol. If you don’t see this option in your cPanel then you need to ask your host to enable it.
2. SSH
SSH is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged over a secure channel between two computers. Now a days nearly every web host provides this on request. You will need the PuTTy client to connect to your server via SSH.
Once you are connected via PuTTy just follow the instructions:
- Login to server 1 via SSH and open the folder which you want to backup e.g.
cd /home/somepath/to/yourwebsite/public_html - Make a compressed archive out of this folder using the command
tar -cvf sitepack.tar ./ - Login to server 2 via SSH and use the command below to fetch the backup from server
wget yourdomain.com/sitepack.tar - Now uncompress the archive using the command
tar -xvf sitepack.tar - To check the hirearchy of files and their permissions, use the command
3. FlashFXP
FlashFXP is one of those few FTP clients which allow you to transfer files through FTP from one server to another without downloading them to your local PC first.
I haven’t ever tried it myself but it is one of the most recommended FTP software across the Internet. You can download it from here.
4. SST Web Script
SST is basically a server to server file transfer PHP web script. It is really useful as I have used it myself several times however it is recommended for small backup/file transfers. It has a complete GUI which lets you operate it easily. You need to install this on server 2 (the server where you want to download your backup)
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