Need to replicate your entire Cloudways server—complete with apps and optional configurations?
This article walks you through how server cloning works, what’s included in the process, and the differences between Basic and Advanced Server Clone options, so you can easily duplicate your server setup in just a few clicks.
Table of Contents:
What is Server Cloning, and How Does it Work
Server cloning means creating a fully operational copy or replica of your current server, including all its applications and the selected configurations.
Why and When Should You Clone Your Server
You will find this feature very helpful if you want to:
Change your cloud provider.
Change the server region.
Move onto a new server or a different server type.
Swap your server with a smaller server size
Perform load testing.
This allows you to move your website to a data center closer to your target audience, improving page load times and potentially SEO.
Useful when expanding to new geographic markets or optimizing for different user locations.
Note:
DigitalOcean Servers (General Purpose & CPU-Optimized) created with the New Unified Experience cannot be cloned in the Classic interface, please use Unified Experience to experience seamless cloning of these servers.
What Does the Cloning Server Include
When you clone your server, it creates an identical copy of your current server with all its applications. The cloned server is completely isolated from the current server as it is a new server because it has:
Different IP address
Applications with new staging domains, e.g., xyz.cloudwaysapps.com.
Your applications will still be live from your current server until you update your DNS records and point them to the new cloned server. Therefore, after cloning your server, you must update your domains (in the case of Classic Interface) and DNS records.
Basic vs Advanced Clone
Cloudways currently offers two types of customizations when it comes to cloning your server.
Basic Server Clone
Advanced Server Clone
Basic Server Clone is offered to customers who are still using Classic Interface so when you clone your server, only the applications are copied to your cloned server. It does not copy any other settings and configurations of the current server.
However, the Advanced Server Clone is exclusively available for customers who are using the New Interface so when you clone your server, it copies all your applications on your cloned server but also provide you several settings and configurations of the current server that you can also copy to the cloned server, such as:
Server Configuration:
Settings: Choose this option to copy your server settings and packages. The server settings include basic settings, advanced settings, and disk optimization configurations. It also includes your SMTP add-on and security settings, such as whitelisted and blacklisted IP addresses for SSH/SFTP and database connections.
Application Configuration:
Domains: Choose this option if you want to copy all your domains for all your applications on the cloned server along with SSL certificates. Please note that this includes the primary domain and all the additional domains. Applications with the primary domain set as the default cloudwaysapps.com staging domain will be assigned a new staging domain.
Cron Jobs: Select this option to copy all your cron jobs on the cloned server.
Supervisord Jobs: Select this option if you want to copy all your supervisord jobs on the cloned server. This option will only be visible if you have supervisord installed on your server currently.
Settings: Select this option to copy your application settings for all your applications on the cloned server. The application settings include general application, PHP-FPM, Varnish settings, and Git deployment configurations.
Credentials: This option allows you to copy your application credentials for all your applications on the cloned server.
Team Configuration:
Team Access: By choosing this option, you can grant access to the cloned server to the same team members with access to the current server.
How to Clone Your Server
Here's how you can clone your server in just a few clicks using the Cloudways Platform.
Note:
If you use a custom session path and encounter errors while cloning your application or creating a staging application. In that case, we recommend updating the session path to:
/home/hostname/application_name/public_html/var/sessions, as this directory "var/sessions" is excluded by default from cloning and staging creation processes to avoid any conflicts.
Click here to learn more about updating the session path. Trial Period Limitations During the 3-day trial period, only one server is allowed per account, and cloning is not permitted as it would result in multiple servers.
You'll need to upgrade your account to use the cloning feature for changing server locations or other purposes.
If you need to set up a trial server in a different location during the trial phase, you may need to create a new account with a different email address.
Step #1 — Navigate to Desired Server
Log in to your Cloudways Platform using your email address and password.
From the top menu bar, open Servers.
Then, select your desired server.
Click ⋮ and click Clone Server.
You can customize which configurations you want to copy to your cloned server.
Step #2 — Initiate the Cloning Process:
Now, you need to provide the following information to begin the server cloning process.
Choose your infrastructure provider.
Select your server size.
Select your server location.
Finally, click the Clone Server.
If you are going with AWS or GCP instances, you must select the storage size (for web application files and databases). You will also see monthly and hourly charges based on your selected instance.
Your new cloned instance should be deployed soon. The cloning process time depends on the size of the data to be copied.
Once the cloning process is completed, you must map your domains and update DNS records to take your sites live. You can also deploy an SSL certificate.
Once your DNS changes have propagated, it's important to thoroughly verify all website functionality on your new cloned server.
Check all key features and pages to ensure they're working as expected. This verification step is crucial before decommissioning your old server.
FAQs
What is the difference between server cloning and application cloning?
Server cloning involves creating a fully operational copy or replica of your server, including all its applications; however, application cloning involves creating a copy of a specific application you wish to clone.
Will my server configurations be the same on the cloned server too?
If you use Classic Interface, the cloning process only creates an identical copy of your server with all its applications. It does not copy any other settings and configurations of the current server on the cloned server.
On the other hand, if you use New Interface, the cloning process creates an identical copy of your server with all its applications. It also copies the selected settings and configurations of the current server on the cloned server you chose while cloning.
Will my SSL Certificates be copied too during cloning?
If you use Classic Interface, the SSL certificates will not be copied from your current websites to the cloned websites. However, you can still install a Free Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate on your new cloned applications to protect them.
On the contrary, if you use New Interface, you can copy the SSL certificates of your current applications to the cloned ones by selecting the Domain option (listed under Application Configuration) while cloning the server. If any application is unprotected, you can also install a Free Let’s Encrypt SSL Certificate.
How can I scale down my DO/Vultr/Linode server?
You can easily scale down your server by cloning it, as shown in this article. Once the cloning process is completed, you must map your domains and update DNS records to take your sites live. Later, you can also deploy an SSL certificate.
How can I change my server region?
As shown in this article, you can easily clone your server to your desired region by following these steps:
Log in to your Cloudways Platform
Navigate to the Servers tab and select your current server
Click the ⋮ menu icon and select "Clone Server"
Choose your desired infrastructure provider, server size, and new location
Click "Clone Server" to start the process After the cloning process completes, you must:
Update DNS records to point to the new server's IP address
Thoroughly test all websites and applications on the new server
Once confirmed working, delete your old server to avoid additional charges What should I consider when changing server location? When changing your server location, keep in mind:
SEO Impact: Changing server IPs requires search engines to re-crawl your site, which may temporarily affect search rankings.
Cloudflare Users: If using Cloudflare Enterprise, remember to transfer the Cloudflare domain to the new server.
Maintenance Mode: Consider enabling maintenance mode on your websites during migration to avoid disruptions.
Will Clone Server Charges be Included in the Invoice?
Whether created or cloned, each of your running servers will be charged on a pro-rata basis in your monthly invoice.
That’s it! We hope this article was helpful.
Need Help?
If you need assistance, feel free to:
Visit the Cloudways Support Center
Chat with us: Need a Hand > Send us a Message
Or create a support ticket anytime.
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