Migrating Ecommerce From Shared to Dedicated Server

nervous about the transition

[axgrindr]

We're moving our main ecommerce site from a shared to a dedicated server (yes, we should have done this a long time ago).
Everything seems to be in place for the move and we've tested as many of the functions as possible.

The main part I am wondering about is transferring the SSL certificate.

As far as I can tell I need to revoke our current license on the shared server then renew it so I can move it to the new dedicated server.

This seems like it could take some time.

I was hoping for a seamless transition for customers but it is looking more like the store won't be functional for a few days as the DNS picks up the change and the digital certificate gets transferred.

I was wondering how some of might handle the situation.

Do you close your store till the transition is done?

Do you just let orders happen during the transition, hope for the best and put out fires if customers complain?

I had also considered buying an additional SSL certificate and have it set up on the new server but I'm not sure I can do that until the site is actually live, Versign seems reluctant to issue a certificate to an IP address. Buying an additional certificate is also the most expensive option.

[aleksl]

Judging by the fact that you think of an SSL certificate as "the most expensive option", I am guessing this is a small shop...so, look at your orders, choose the slowest time period (weekend, holidays, monday-tuesday, etc.), move the server over without SSL, keep getting orders untill you get certificate over. Doubt someone notices, you may loose a few web-savvy customers...

If I am wrong and this is a big shop, let your tech stuff worry about it, or buy another certificate...for instance for a similar domain, like if your domain is mywidgetstore.com, get certificate for mywidgetsstore.com, point shopping cart to it, when you move old certificate over just switch it back.

There are many other ways, I presume

[budgie]

I think it depends on who manages the certificate for you - in our case our hosting company organised the SSL certificate and so when we've moved or upgraded servers, our hosting company has simply migrated the whole lot overnight and it's been completely seamless. There has at most been an hour where the site wasn't available. If it's been done separately, perhaps contact the certificate issuer and see what they recommend?

[Corey Bryant]

If you are on a Windows server, you can export the SSL cert and then import it over to the new website.

If you set up the DNS records to have a short TTL, this will also help update the name servers a bit quicker in some instances.

-Corey

[axgrindr]

Thanks for the replies.
The site isn't on the same host and neither server is running Windows. I'll probably go with the quick switch as described by aleksl and hope for the best.

I was able to get the existing private key and CRT from the admin for the shared server so maybe I can plug those in when the time comes.

aleksl- the site is a 'big store' to me (cleared 6 figures in 2006) but you are correct in assuming that I do not have a technical staff to sort this out for me.

[Corey Bryant]

If you don't have the technical staff and this is a big store, you should consider hiring someone - like etechsupport.net to help you migrate the domain.

-Corey