Comprehensive Guide to Migrating Accounts in DirectAdmin

1. Moving Users Between Resellers

DirectAdmin provides a built in interface for transferring users between resellers:

Admin Level → Account Manager → Move Users Between Resellers

You can also access it directly via:

https://yourdomain.com:2222/CMD_MOVE_USERS

This tool is a GUI wrapper for the move_user_to_reseller.sh script. You can run it manually:

/usr/local/directadmin/scripts/move_user_to_reseller.sh 'user' 'oldreseller' 'newreseller'

2. Avoiding Sync Issues During Backup/Restore Migration

When migrating accounts from server A to server B, data may change between backup creation and DNS propagation. Common concerns include:

• New email arriving on server A
• Database updates after backup creation
• User changes (passwords, files, settings)

General recommendation: Lower DNS TTL several hours before migration.

2.1 Preventing Email Loss

To ensure no email is lost:

• Block port 25 on server A temporarily (SMTP senders will retry later)
• Or perform a final rsync of mail data right before DNS switch

2.2 Handling Database Changes

Databases are harder to sync. Options:

• Perform a final mysqldump and import right before DNS switch
• Temporarily point server A’s website to server B’s database
• Enable maintenance mode in CMS (WordPress, Joomla, etc.)

2.3 Other User Changes

You may suspend the user on server A during migration and show a maintenance page to prevent changes.

3. Migrating Users Between Multi Server Setup (MSS) Linked Servers

When servers A and B are linked via Multi Server Setup with DNS zone transfer, restoring a user on B may cause a “Domain Already Exists” error.

3.1 Steps to Fix the Issue

Step 1: Create backup on A and transfer it to B.

Step 2: On server B, go to:

Admin Level → Multi Server Setup

• Disable Domain Check
• Keep Zone Transfer enabled

Step 3: Change restore behavior:

Admin Level → Admin Backup/Transfer → Backup/Restore Settings

Enable:

Check for domain conflict in domainowners instead of named.conf

Step 4: Restore the user normally on B.

Step 5: Re enable Domain Check in MSS.

Step 6: When deleting the user from A, ensure:

Leave DNS

This keeps DNS zones intact while removing the account.

4. Pulling Large Data from Remote Server Using rsync

If a user has massive data under /home/username/domains/, it is better to exclude it from the backup and transfer it manually.

4.1 Create Backup Without Domains Directory

Admin Level → Admin Backup/Transfer → Create Backup → Step 4: What

Deselect:

Domains Directory

This produces a much smaller tar.gz file.

4.2 Restore the Backup Normally

Restore the tar.gz file on server B.

4.3 Pull the Domains Directory via rsync

On server B, run:

rsync -ave 'ssh -p 22' 1.2.3.4:/home/username/domains/ /home/username/domains/

Replace:

• 1.2.3.4 → IP of server A
• 22 → SSH port

For enhanced security:

rsync -ave 'ssh -l username -p 22' oldserver:/home/username/domains/ /home/username/domains/

This ensures only user level access is used.