Three things move: the databases, settings.cfg, and anything you edited under gamedata. Everything else comes out of a release archive on the new machine.
The Order
- Stop the old server. A database copied while it is running is a database copied halfway through a write.
- Copy the data.
db/on the default backend, or amysqldumpon MySQL. - Install the same version on the new machine, from the same release archive. A newer version may change the schema; move first, upgrade second.
- Restore the data and the settings.
- Start it, and sign in before pointing anybody at it.
- Update DNS or the launcher address last.
What Changes on the New Machine
| Setting | Why |
|---|---|
| Any bind address naming the old machine | It does not exist there |
| Database host, if it moved too | |
| Paths, if the directory layout differs |
The database credentials and the game data do not change. Neither does the version.
Players Do Not Need to Do Anything
If the address is the same. If it is not, they need the new one in their launcher, so give them time before the old machine goes away.
Keeping the Old Machine
Leave it stopped rather than deleted for a week. It is the only rollback that does not depend on a backup being good, and a week is long enough for anything wrong to show up.