Often a requirement will arise when you will need to do a migration of Cerberus from an old server to a new server where Cerberus on the new server will take over from the Cerberus on the old server and you intend to use the same license key. Below are the recommended steps. These will allow a measured approach to migration, giving you time to ensure the new instance is working as expected before spinning down the old instance.
Update Current Cerberus
First, before doing anything else, you should update your current instance of Cerberus to the latest version. This will ensure that anything you export, such as users and settings, is in the latest format and can easily be restored onto your new server. To update, you can either use the application ('Help' > 'Check for Update') or visit our website to download the latest executable (https://www.cerberusftp.com/support-downloads/). If you will be manually kicking off the update using a downloaded executable, to make your update process go as smoothly as possible, while not required, exit the Cerberus management UI by selecting ‘File’ > ‘Exit’
and stop the Cerberus service using the Windows Services App (windows.msc).
Back up Users and Settings
Once you have updated, you can backup your Cerberus users and settings into a single archive file. This will include your users, configuration settings, and license key.
Please note, a Cerberus backup does not include your file structure. Files and directories will need to be migrated separately, outside Cerberus.
To create the backup file, go to ‘Tools’ > ‘Backup Users and Settings’ in Cerberus.
Install Cerberus on the new server
Once you have your new server up and running, ensuring you have all service packs and Windows Updates installed, you can install the latest version of Cerberus FTP server. Use the same executable you downloaded to update your old Cerberus, or just download it again from our website (https://www.cerberusftp.com/support-downloads/).
Restore Settings and Users on the new server
After you have installed it, you may restore your previous settings from the archive file you created earlier.
When restoring, make sure you have the zip file placed in a location that the Cerberus service account has permission to access. For example, if you put the file on the desktop or downloads folder of a Windows user account like Administrator, the Cerberus account likely will not have permission to read the file. This location is recommended: C:\ProgramData\Cerberus LLC\Cerberus FTP Server.
To restore, in your new instance of Cerberus on the new server, go to ‘Tools’ > ‘Restore Settings and Users’.
If you wish to test the new server while concurrently running Cerberus on the old server, check the box to NOT restore the license key.
Uninstall Cerberus on the old server
Once you are satisfied the new instance is working as required, uninstall Cerberus FTP Server from the old server, or decommission the machine, before you assign the license key to the new machine. You can't use the same license key on more than one machine at a time. To apply your license, navigate to ‘Help’ > ‘Enter License Data…’.
Comments
4 comments
Craig, you should be able to update your 32bit v11 Cerberus to 64bit v12. v12 will not run on Windows Server 2008, so if your OS is too old, you will need use v11 to do the migration to the new server, then update it on the new server to v12. If you need the latest release of v11, you download it from https://www.cerberusftp.com/support-downloads. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click 'Previous Releases'. There you can see the last release of v11 for download. If you have more detailed questions or need any other assistance, please open a support request at support@cerberusftp.com.
Thanks for the note on the old help page. I will pass that on to the team that manages our site.
I'm looking to migrate from our old 32 bit server to a new 64 bit server. The old server is running version 11 (can't upgrade to vers 12+ due to 32 bit). Will I need to run vers 11 on the new server initially, for the restore to work?
Also, you may want to update this page - https://www.cerberusftp.com/how-to-migrate-cerberus-ftp-from-one-server-to-another/page/2/ - to note it's been superseded by this article.
:-)
Localizations are not included in the backup. We have filed an enhancement request to investigate if those can be included.
What about the edits you make to the localization? Those do not appear to be part of the backup.
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