What a migration includes
The scope depends on what is moving: one site with a database or the team's whole infrastructure.
Inventory
You can't move what nobody remembers.
- ✓services, databases, cron jobs and queues
- ✓external dependencies: email, DNS, payment gateways
- ✓IP addresses whitelisted by partners
- ✓actual load over recent weeks
Choosing the destination
I compare providers on price and features for your project.
- ✓cloud, dedicated server or VPS
- ✓managed databases and Kubernetes, if needed
- ✓data residency requirements
- ✓monthly cost calculated before the move
Infrastructure as code
I describe the new environment in Terraform and Ansible instead of configuring it by hand.
- ✓networks, servers, load balancers, buckets
- ✓repeatable server configuration
- ✓a test environment built the same way
- ✓code and documentation stay with you
Data transfer
The most critical part: data must not be lost or get out of sync.
- ✓database replication before the switchover
- ✓file and S3 bucket sync
- ✓data verification after the transfer
- ✓a backup before every step
Switchover
A short window, rehearsed in advance.
- ✓DNS TTL lowered a few days ahead
- ✓switchover at the lowest-traffic hours
- ✓key user flows checked right after
- ✓the old environment runs until you confirm
Vendor independence
Replacing proprietary services with open-source or self-hosted ones.
- ✓AWS-specific services replaced with portable ones
- ✓CentOS replaced with a supported distribution
- ✓paid SaaS replaced with self-hosted alternatives
- ✓data kept in the region you need
Cost reduction
A move is a good moment to rebuild the infrastructure around the real load.
- ✓servers sized to actual usage
- ✓dedicated servers instead of expensive cloud VMs
- ✓forgotten disks, snapshots and IPs dropped
- ✓provider discounts for committed capacity
After the move
The first weeks in the new environment matter most.
- ✓monitoring and alerts from day one
- ✓backups in the new environment
- ✓old resources shut down so you don't pay twice
- ✓a report: what moved where and how
Migration pricing
I estimate a migration after the inventory: in hours and broken down by stage.
| Format | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Audit and migration plan | from $230 | inventory, choice of destination, cost calculation, a plan with a switchover window |
| Migration | $35/hour | preparing the new environment, data transfer, switchover, decommissioning the old one |
| Support afterwards | $250/month | monitoring, backups, updates and incident response in the new environment |
Example estimates
| Task | Estimate |
|---|---|
| One server with a site and database to another provider | 4-8 hours |
| Several services from AWS to a cheaper provider | from 20 hours |
| S3 storage transfer with data verification | 2-6 hours |
| Moving off CentOS 7 to a supported distribution | 4-10 hours per server |
Migration stages
- 1
Inventory
I list everything running in the old environment, including things long forgotten.
- 2
Plan and costs
We choose the destination, calculate the cost, agree on the switchover window and the rollback plan.
- 3
New environment
I build the infrastructure at the new location and test it on a copy of the data.
- 4
Rehearsal
We run the switchover in a test environment so there are no surprises on moving day.
- 5
Switchover
We transfer the latest changes, switch DNS and check everything works. The old environment is shut down only after you confirm.
Why teams move
The cloud bill grows faster than the project
Years of extra machines, disks and snapshots have piled up. In a move they simply aren't carried over.
The provider has become a risk
Payment issues, account blocking risk, or data that has to be stored in a specific country.
The server sits in an office or at home
One disk or a power cut and the service is down. A data center with backup power and network links is more reliable.
The distribution is out of support
CentOS 7 and old Ubuntu releases no longer get security updates. Moving to a new system is a migration too.
Cloud, dedicated server or VPS
Where to move depends on the load and on who will run the infrastructure:
| Cloud | Dedicated server | VPS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fits | variable load, managed services | steady high load | small projects |
| Price per resource | the highest | the lowest at high load | low at small scale |
| Scaling | in minutes | days, a new machine | a plan change |
| Managed databases and Kubernetes | yes | no, we run them ourselves | usually not |
A hybrid setup is often cheaper: steady load on dedicated servers, peaks and managed services in the cloud.
Free migration from the provider: when it's enough
Many providers offer to move you with their own team or tools. It's a good option if you know its limits:
- the provider moves you into its own cloud and doesn't compare it with others;
- free terms are usually tied to your future spend with them;
- virtual machines are moved as they are, with all the clutter;
- application settings, DNS and integrations often remain your job.
If the infrastructure is small or the move is a chance to clean up, it's easier when one engineer runs it from inventory to shutting down the old servers.
Technologies
- From and to
- AWSHetznerYandex CloudSelectel
- Infrastructure as code
- TerraformAnsible
- Data
- PostgreSQLMySQLS3restic
- OS
- DebianUbuntuRHELAstra Linux
Case studies
IPTV service: a server for the real load
The service ran on oversized hardware and paid for capacity it didn't use.
Picked a server for the actual load, moved streaming and the database, and described the nodes in Ansible so a new one comes up in minutes.
ML platform: from home servers to the cloud
The ML platform's services were running on three home servers with no redundancy.
Moved the services and data to fault-tolerant cloud infrastructure while keeping update delivery into the client's isolated network.
Why work with me
Moves without downtime
Data is synced in advance and the switchover is rehearsed in a test environment.
One person in charge
One engineer runs the move from inventory to decommissioning the old servers, so nothing falls between contractors.
I know AWS
I built infrastructure on AWS for several years and know how to replace its services elsewhere.
I count the money
I compare costs before the move so the new environment doesn't end up more expensive than the old one.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a server migration cost? +
Moving one server with a site and database usually takes 4-8 hours at $35/hour. For larger infrastructure I start with an audit and migration plan, from $230, and estimate the migration by stage.
Will there be downtime? +
Usually from a few seconds to a few minutes for the switchover, at an agreed time. Databases are replicated in advance, so only the latest changes move during the window.
What if something goes wrong? +
The old environment keeps running until you confirm, and a short DNS TTL lets us switch back within minutes.
Is it cheaper to leave AWS? +
Often yes, for steady workloads: dedicated servers and simpler clouds cost several times less for the same resources. But managed services have to be replaced or run yourself, so I calculate both options in the audit.
Can data be moved out of AWS S3? +
Yes, most providers offer S3-compatible storage. Data is copied with verification, and storage addresses in the application are switched to the new ones.
Do we have to keep data in a specific country? +
It depends on your users and the law: some countries, Russia among them, require personal data of their citizens to be stored locally, others restrict transfers abroad. The destination region is chosen with that in mind.
Send a request
Tell me where your services run now, where you want to move and what doesn't work for you. I'll say how long the move will take and what you can save.