Can I upgrade from MySQL 5.6 to MariaDB 10.6 before migrating to AlmaLinux?

Question

Can a server running MySQL 5.6 on CentOS 7 be upgraded to MariaDB 10.6 in WHM, and then migrated to a new AlmaLinux 8 or 9 server with the Transfer Tool?

Answer

Yes. MySQL 5.6 is only available on CentOS/CloudLinux 7, but you can upgrade to MariaDB 10.6 from WHM / Home / SQL Services / MySQL/MariaDB Upgrade. MariaDB 10.6 is available on CentOS 7, AlmaLinux 8 and AlmaLinux 9, so once the source server runs MariaDB 10.6 you can install the same version on the new server and migrate your accounts with the Transfer Tool.

Available MariaDB versions by operating system:

The available versions change over time. See the following article for the current list.

What versions of MySQL and MariaDB does cPanel support?

Procedure

1. On the source server, back up all databases. 

   How to backup MySQL databases before doing a MySQL upgrade

   MySQL backups with mysqldump.

2. Upgrade the source server to MariaDB 10.6. 

   How to upgrade MySQL/MariaDB

   How to upgrade MySQL/MariaDB on the command line.

3. Confirm that the databases and your applications work after the upgrade.
4. On the new AlmaLinux server, install cPanel & WHM and set MariaDB to the same version (10.6) before you transfer accounts.
5. Use the Transfer Tool in WHM / Home / Transfers / Transfer Tool to migrate the accounts, databases and configuration to the new server.

Note: Using the same database version on both servers helps ensure compatibility during the migration. Although issues are not expected, review the MySQL to MariaDB compatibility matrix for features that differ between MySQL 5.6 and MariaDB.

Additional resources

• What versions of MySQL and MariaDB does cPanel support?
• How to upgrade MySQL/MariaDB
• cPanel Docs - MySQL/MariaDB Upgrade
• MySQL to MariaDB compatibility matrix