Question
The question of "Can I clone my old server to a new server?" or "Can I merge my old server files to my new server?" is asked more often than one would think.
Answer
No. One cannot merely clone a server or merge old server files to a new server with a tool like "rsync." The older server files may cause conflicts on the new server and disrupt the cPanel & WHM functionality.
When creating a new server, you can copy or clone the following information using cPanel & WHM tools or interfaces:
- Specific service configurations.
- Account packages.
- Account data.
Here are some additional article resources on how you can copy the above-listed information:
Service Configurations
What service configurations can I migrate with the Transfer Tool?
How to transfer service configurations between cPanel servers
How to use the cpconftool script to backup and restore server configurations
How can I restore old settings to my cPanel server?
Account Packages
How to copy packages between cPanel servers
Account Data
How do I Move All cPanel Accounts from One Server to Another?
Restore an account from a backup file on the server
How To: Manual Account Transfer With Rsync