Plesk Migration Nightmare

daverogers said 2 years, 9 months ago:

I’m trying to migrate from Plesk 7.5.6 to 9.2.3 and the Migration Manager can’t seem to locate my old server by it’s IP address. I keep getting a Host [my ip address] is not accessible error.

Migration Manager requires Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Print Sharing to be enabled which I had to add on the new server.

Some sort of issue on my new server isn’t allowing me to see itself in Network Neighborhood and I think this is part of the issue. Spent the last few days trying to resolve this all, and nothing is working. To complicate matters, a backup and restore from the old version of Plesk to the new one requires two back up conversions, one at Plesk 8.6 which I don’t have installed. Tried to set it up locally on my PC running Windows 7 and the install crashed out.

Anyone have any ideas what so ever?

bradf said 2 years, 9 months ago:

Hi Dave,

Your best bet at this point may be to backup your files and perform a reprovision. What operating system do you currently have on your dedicated box? I know our current offerings will automatically install Plesk 9.2.3 for you on a clean reprovision.

I know its a pain, but it might be easier/less time to backup and start over!

As a side note, we disable file and print sharing and client for MS networks by default as a security measure.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Brad

daverogers said 2 years, 9 months ago:

The new box doesn’t have much of anything on it. No need to even back it up even. All I’ve gotten done is the Windows Backups and modified the DNS settings through Plesk so it acts as a Primary & Secondary DNS server for my accounts, as well as set up a test domain to make sure everything was working as far as being a web server.

The new box and old box are both running windows 2003 server.

How long does a reprovision take?

bradf said 2 years, 9 months ago:

OK, I verified that 9.2.3 is what will be installed for win2k3.

You can request a re-provision through the HCC and it will complete in a couple hours, typically.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Brad

daverogers said 2 years, 9 months ago:

Thanks Brad. The reprovision just finished. I’ll try to do the bare minimum to the server before trying the migration again. Hopefully the issue was with a windows update or something.

daverogers said 2 years, 9 months ago:

Same error, Host xx.xxx.xxx.xx is not accessible. This is maddening.

The new server also still can’t see itself in My Network Places, while the old one can.

Something caught my attention. Windows Firewall is turned off. When I click the Advanced Tab, under Network Connection Settings in the Windows Firewall, it states “Windows Firewall is enabled for the connections selected below. To add exceptions for an individual connection, select it, and then click Settings:”. I’m guessing that this means if the Firewall was turned on, it would be enabled for those network adapters and not that it is active even though Windows Firewall is turned off.

So frustrated right now.

bradf said 2 years, 9 months ago:

Dave,

Yes, if the firewall were on, you would need to add exceptions to it our it would block traffic on the ports that are needed.

If you install file and print sharing, then you should probably enable the windows firewall (but not until you get this migration thing figured out).

Have you checked the forums on http://www.parallels.com? This might be one of those issues that others have run in to and it might save you some time and frustration.

I logged on there and they have a specific board for the Migration Manager in version 9.2. You can find that board here:

http://forum.parallels.com/forumdisplay.php?f=499

Hope that helps.

Brad

daverogers said 2 years, 9 months ago:

Yeah, I’ve been all through Parrallel’s forum, including every thread in the Migration Manager in version 9.2 board. A few have had the same problem, but none of their solutions worked or applied (ie, German Language set, password containing $ or over 30 characters). I’m pretty sure my problem is a lack of ability for the one server to communicate with the other, I don’t think it’s actually Plesk related. In one of the Parrelel KB’s they mention trying to access an administrative share (also required in the form of C$, D$ and ADMIN$) directly using //IP/C$ and that doesn’t work either (//XX.XXX.XX.XXX/C$ at the run box). When I do that I get the standard file not found error message from Windows.

The servers can ping each other, though. I’ve checked all the ports to make sure that the ones needed aren’t in use (and Parallels KB’s indicate a different error would be shown if that were the case).

I’ve even tried to tackle the issue a different way, creating a backup on 7.5.6, installing Plesk 8.6 on another server I have that didn’t run Plesk (for a specific backup conversion milestone) then bringing that converted backup to 9.2.3 for a second backup conversion prior to restoring it. The Plesk 8.6 install didn’t have the conversion utility required, though and the directions to use their Update to get it didn’t work.

I’m at the point now that I don’t see any other options but to manually transfer each domain individually (there are about 100), but I haven’t even begun to explore whether I can migrate the email server seperately.

bradf said 2 years, 9 months ago:

Dave,

Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Originally I thought you were just trying to upgrade (thats what I get for trying to be helpful before my 3rd cup of coffee).

Sounds like you have done quite a bit of digging and have exhausted the backup and migration route.

The only other suggestion that I have is to have you open up an incident with them. I am not sure if there is a fee involved with that, but it may be worth it based on the amount of time it will take to transfer 100 domains by hand.

Again, sorry I couldn’t be more help to you.

Brad