Migrating project to a different region

Valentina de la Nuez Martinez

Updated June 29, 2023 15:10

To host your project data, Platform.sh offers several regions. You specify a region when you create a project. You can also migrate the project to another region after it’s created. We encourage everyone to move projects to greener (lower CO2 impact) regions. However, this is still a manual process.

Migration plan

1. Plan for it:

Plan a time frame in which to handle the migration. Your code shouldn’t change during this time to ensure all changes are copied to the new project. Prepare for a brief site outage when you migrate, just as with a relaunch of a site.
Set your DNS Time-to-Live as low as possible. This ensures the switch to the new site propagates as quickly as possible.

2. Creating a new project

In the target region, create a new project from scratch.

If you plan to test for long, start with a Development plan and upsize it before switching the DNS. Otherwise, use the desired plan size from the start.

3. Add codes and environments

Without a source integration

Clone your existing project with Git.

In the new clone, add a remote for the project:

platform project:set-remote

Select your newly created blank project.

Push the code for your production branch:

platform push --target PRODUCTION_BRANCH_NAME

(Optional) Checkout other branches and then push their code:

platform push --activate --target BRANCH_NAME --parent PRODUCTION_BRANCH_NAME

With a source integration

For a source integration with GitHub, BitBucket, or GitLab, add the integration to your new project. Your new project then mirrors the configured repository automatically.

4. Copy files

If you have files in a mount, first download them:

platform mount:download

Then upload them to your new project:

platform mount:upload

See more options on how to export files and how to import files.

5. Copy data from services

For services with generated data such as Solr and Redis, you don’t need to copy data directly. Just rebuild the data in the new project.

To download data from persistent services such as databases, see how to export and then import data for each service:

6. Migrate variables and project settings

Make sure anything else connected to your old project is moved to your new project:

If you have project or environment variables defined on your old project, add them to your new project. Get a list of all variables set outside of code by running platform variables.
Add any users to your new project that you want to continue to have access.
Add any existing integrations.

7. Test the site

Verify that the new site is working as desired before continuing. You can leave the two projects running for as long as you need. After you have finished all your testing, sync all your data (code, files, database) for the last time.

8. Switch to the new site

Now that you know the new project works, switch public traffic to that site:

Make sure your new project has the right plan size.
If possible, put your site into read-only mode or maintenance mode.
Add your domain names to your new project and remove them from the old project.
(Optional) Add any custom SSL certificates you have.
Update your DNS provider’s records to point to the new site. See more on setting custom domains.

It may take some time for the DNS change and SSL change to propagate. Until it does, some browsers may not see the new site or may get an SSL mismatch error. In most cases that resolves itself in 1–3 hours.

9. Remove the old project

Delete the project in console or with the CLI using the following command:

platform project:delete --project PROJECT_ID

For any further questions or issues, do not hesitate to open a support ticket.