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Migration from another host

If you would like to switch from another host to us, we are happy to help you transfer your data. This guide prepares you for the process so that the transition goes as smoothly as possible.

Contact us​

Please get in touch

Please contact us as early as possible. That way, we can coordinate everything important with you and prepare the migration together without time pressure.

To make a rough estimate of the effort, we first need the following information from you:

  • Database size (uncompressed)
  • Size of the media data (uncompressed)
  • Number of users
  • Example Matrix handle of your instance (e.g., @yourname:yourdomain.com)
  • Domain on which the Matrix homeserver runs
  • Is the domain managed by you? Are you able to set DNS records?
  • Which host are you moving from?
Important: domain

Is the domain not under your control, or are you unable to change DNS records? Then, unfortunately, a server-side migration is not possible. In this case, however, you can consider starting over with a different domain and possibly trying a client-side migration with Element's migration tool. This tool is currently still in beta and, in our experience, has not worked reliably in some cases. One alternative is to start over with a fresh Matrix instance and keep an HTML export of your chats, made beforehand, as an archive.

If you cannot find this information in the export area of your previous host, contact them in advance.

To ensure that the information does not get lost, please create a ticket in your client area and upload all relevant information there. Alternatively, you can email us at info@ossrox.org or use our contact form. We will get back to you promptly and ask for further information if necessary.

Preparing for the migration​

Before the migration can be carried out, some preparation is required:

  • A few days before the migration, the DNS TTL (time to live) of your domain must be set to a lower value such as 600 (10 minutes). The default is often 24 hours - which would delay the switchover to our server. After the migration, you can increase the value again.
  • You must make sure that you have access to the current export of your data at the time of the migration.
  • Please send us the configuration of your Matrix homeserver.
  • Order your Matrix plan in our shop 2-3 days before the planned migration.
  • Instruct each of your users to back up their E2EE keys before the migration.
  • Please switch off your old Matrix server before the final data export and make the exports available to us promptly. You will receive an upload link from us for this purpose. Alternatively, you can also change the DNS records in advance and start the export 15-20 minutes later.
  • Make a note of the current DNS records and change them as agreed.

Migration​

Once the migration has been completed successfully, you will receive a short email from us. After that, you should be able to continue working as usual. The duration of the migration depends on our current workload and the size of your Matrix instance. However, the migration is usually completed after 4 hours at the latest. Immediately after the migration, please check that all data is complete and that sending and receiving messages works.

Support​

Need more support? Feel free to ask us about our flat-rate support. Either way, we're here to help with any questions about running your Matrix instance.

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