Site migration and deployment Walkthrough
Take the source archive and database backup, deploy the server, import the database, configure the HTTPS certificate and verify connectivity. Read-only on the source machine.
Measured on a live site, not a mock
| Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| System | Old CMS 6.x, GBK encoding, Zend-encrypted files (code cannot be changed) | Plain PHP + SQLite, 16 business files, no framework, fully maintainable |
| Content URLs | /e/action/ShowInfo.php?classid=&id= | /html/{id}.html; legacy links 301 to the new addresses |
| HTTPS | None | Site-wide redirect plus HSTS, certificate auto-renewal |
| Sitemap | None | 3,013 entries, updated with content |
| Home page TTFB | — | 28.8 – 38.5 ms (5 samples) |
| Home page size | — | 47.5 KB → gzip 11.3 KB |
| Admin | Zend-encrypted, unchangeable | Maintainable, with accounts, submissions and editorial review |
301 check: old article and section links → new addresses, 3/3 returned 200; data from the live site
What was done
Full migration and go-live
Source and database moved to the new server, DNS switched, every link and image path verified.
HTTPS and security hardening
Certificate issued and auto-renewing, forced redirect, sensitive files blocked, uploads non-executable.
Connectivity verification
Home, list, detail, search and admin login walked through, with a checklist and screenshots.
Cases
Industry body site (anonymised)
Old CMS → plain PHP + SQLite rebuild, responsive redesign, HTTPS and auto-renewal.
Institution site B (anonymised)
Same self-built core, independent visual design; sections, people directory, news and submission backend all built in-house.
Migration demo site
Full path from backup to go-live: read-only backup, row-level checks, 301 takeover, page-by-page roll call.
What is out of scope (written down to avoid surprises)
- No changes to business logic or page design — deployment and migration only
- No content writing, no third-party asset copying
- No ranking promises — only correct 301s and a clean indexing path
- If the source site depends on an encrypted licence, the vendor must cooperate or the job is declined
Acceptance criteria
- Complete pre-migration backup (database + site files)
- HTTPS working site-wide, certificate auto-renewing
- First screen under one second, no 404 / 500
- Configuration issues handled within 24 hours of go-live
- No changes to the source site's business code or templates
- Every step documented with screenshots and a change list