Forum Moderators: phranque
So I am considering moving the site over to a Linux host. It will be cheaper, faster, more secure, and just an overall happier experience using Linux. The downside is that I am using the site to prove my asp skills as well as to experiment and learn new asp skills. I have the option to use Chili!Soft ASP but it is cheaper without that option, so I am wondering how much I need an asp site. I can always just use my home PC to experiment with asp and iis and I can post asp code on my php site as coding examples. But I will have to spend a lot of time rewriting the code in php, which is only a time concern.
This will be quite a large project to move my site. There is quite a bit of coding and some hefty databases. I don't have any experience with Chili!Soft ASP. Is there any difference between ASP on a Windows Server and ASP using Chili!Soft? All of my code is written in ASP Javascript. There is also the matter of migrating my old databases to the new server. I will not have an ms sql server on the new host. So even if I continue to use asp I will have to change some of my coding a bit to use a new database. What is the best way to migrate a MS SQL database to a MySQL database?
There is also the email situation. Under the best of circumstances I would not like to lose any email. So my plan is to set up the new host with my new email addresses and then change the nameservers. Then I will cancel my old hosting. Is this the best course of action? Will I lose any email this way?
My last concern is my domain registration. I registered the domain through my hosting company and they have been in charge of reregistering the domain. Is my best bet to transfer my domain name to a new registering service? Will I need to pay another fee immediately for doing this, or do they just want my future business? It is already paid for another year or so.
Is there anything else I should be thinking about before I start this process?
Going from MS SQL to mySQL isn't too hard, most of the code is the same its just a bunch of little stuff like date/time formats, using LIMIT instead of SELECT TOP, etc. If you're using any stored procedures, don't go to mySQL - only the latest version of mySQL supports stored procedures and its not a full release.
It will be cheaper, faster, more secure, and just an overall happier experience using Linux
I've got sites on both Windows and Linux at a variety of hosts, and I'd say while there are some elements of truth in the above statement, the differences are very unlikely to outweigh the cost and hassle of what could be a whole-site rewrite.
If you are happy with your current software, stick with Windows hosting. If your current Windows web host is too expensive, too slow, and doesn't stay up to date with patches and other security measures, find a new Windows host. There are plenty of cost effective, competent Windows hosts out there.
However, if you need to work on asp programming, then you should probably stick with windows boxes, my experience is it's very hard to motivate with programming unless your work is for a real reason, like running a real website.
The upside of switching to apache/php/mysql[or postgre] of course is that you can host on rock solid servers, freeBSD being my favorite, and never have to worry about your code running right, I'm a fan of the open source options, they are just more pleasant to work with in my opinion, but it's a pretty big decision, so go with the direction you want to develop in, I started on ASP/IIS, hated it, found PHP/Apache and loved it.
HUGE upside to APACHE? .htaccess. things like mod_rewrite are amazing products, once you start learning that subset of programming you will probably never look back, there's a reason google/amazon/ebay/friendster etc use Apache/*nix servers.
However, that doesn't stop you from changing hosts if you are not satisfied with your current hosting company. Competition is fierce - if you are looking for better security, chose Windows Server 2003 rather than 2000. The basic steps are:
1. Start by transferring the domain name to another supplier - you will probably only have to pay for an extra year with the transfer being free. The new supplier will guide you through the process. Wait until the transfer is completed before changing hosts (in case of delays, etc.)
2. Order your new hosting package first, at least two weeks before the old hosting runs out. Upload the site, and test by changing your hosts file to get to the new server. Set up all the email accounts, etc.
3. When everything looks OK, switch the nameservers in your domain name supplier's control panel.
4. DNS propagation takes up to five days - during this period, check your email with both hosting companies (use the IP address to connect to each mailserver to avoid DNS problems.
5. Googlebot (and others) cache DNS for longer than the five days. Check the stats daily with each hosting company. When you see Googlebot and Slurp on the new hosting company stats (and that the stats on the old hosting company have dropped off completely), then you can cancel the old hosting.
However, if you need to work on asp programming, then you should probably stick with windows boxes, my experience is it's very hard to motivate with programming unless your work is for a real reason, like running a real website.
That's so true isitreal. That's why I'm debating using Chili!Soft. I can always use IIS on my home pc, but no one will see that but me. It's hardly a motivator. But I also don't have much time for that anyway, so it might not even matter.
I have a few websites that I'm getting ready to launch and I need a 'nix host. So I will just throw this website on with this hosting. It's my cheapest option. So I will redo the site in php. With this decided, thanks for the words of wisdom guys, do you have advice for my other concerns?
1. MS SQL database (without stored procedures) to a MySQL database
2. Keeping my email accounts active
3. Domain registration
1. MS SQL database (without stored procedures) to a MySQL database
2. Keeping my email accounts active
3. Domain registration
Question 1, whatever digital v says, he knows what he's talking about.
2. Setup your new email accounts with the same information as your old ones, the one difference you might see is how the user name for the email account is setup, otherwise the transition is pretty seamless, when I switch hosts I try to do all the major switches friday night, including dns stuff, and find it's pretty much all ready to go by monday morning, almost transparent to clients barring the odd bug or two. I setup the entire package all at once.
3. Transfer your domain registration now, that can take forever depending on who the old one was, sometimes they don't cooperate in the transfer, or 'lose' the transfer, or fail to release the name, do this long before you change hosters, I strongly advice against using cheapo registrars, I read one here recommended a few times and it sucks, no zone information, cheesy forwarding, no features, and all to save a few dollars a year, huge amounts of ads at every step, no thank you (rhymes with caddy). For only $10 more a year, I get: 0 ads, full zone control, pro support. Same advice in general for hosters and registrars, it's not worth it, the money I save I always pay for with my time, or with reduced services.
