Migrate from DreamHost to MdmHost cPanel hosting

DreamHost runs its own custom panel, so a move to cPanel is done by copying files and databases rather than restoring a backup archive. DreamHost sites live in the SFTP user's home folder, one directory per domain, which makes them easy to find.

Before you start

• Your DreamHost login.
• An MdmHost cPanel account; see web hosting.
• A list of websites, databases, mailboxes and DNS records on DreamHost.

Back up everything on DreamHost

1. Download the website files over SFTP or FTP (each domain has its own folder in the SFTP user's home). Compressing the folder first, if the file manager allows it, is much faster.
2. Export each database with phpMyAdmin (reached from the MySQL databases page of the DreamHost panel) as an SQL file.
3. Write down every mailbox and forwarder, and copy the DNS records from the DNS editor into a text file.
4. Check whether the account has scheduled tasks or a specific PHP version set.

Restore the site in cPanel

1. Add the domain in cPanel → Domains → Domains if it is not the main domain.
2. Upload the files archive in File Manager to the document root and extract it.
3. Create the database and user in Manage My Databases, import the dump in phpMyAdmin and update the app config with the new details.
4. For WordPress, a migration plugin is often easiest; see migrate WordPress to MdmHost.

Migrate email with IMAP sync

Mailboxes rarely restore cleanly between different control panels, so the dependable method is to create the same addresses in cPanel → Email → Email Accounts and copy the messages over IMAP:

1. List every mailbox on DreamHost with its approximate size.
2. Create the same addresses on cPanel and give each enough quota.
3. Run an IMAP sync per mailbox from the old server (by IP or hostname, since DNS still points there) to the new one. imapsync between servers explains the command; migrate email to cPanel over IMAP covers the cPanel side.
4. After the DNS switch, run the same sync again. imapsync skips messages it has already copied, so the second pass only picks up mail that arrived in between.

Copy DNS records

Note custom TXT, CNAME and SRV records in DreamHost's DNS editor and recreate them in cPanel → Zone Editor.

Switch DNS with minimal downtime

1. One or two days before the move, lower the TTL of the A, AAAA and MX records at the current DNS host to 300 seconds. See DNS TTL strategy for a server migration.
2. Test the new copy before switching: add the new server IP for the domain to your computer's hosts file and browse the site.
3. Freeze changes on the old site (no new orders, posts or comments), take a final database export and import it on cPanel if content has changed since the first copy.
4. Either point the A records to the new IP, or change the domain's nameservers to the ones in your MdmHost welcome email. Changing records is faster when the TTL is already low; nameserver changes can take up to 24–48 hours.
5. Keep the old account running for at least a week so slow resolvers and delayed mail still land somewhere.

Post-migration checks

• The site loads over HTTPS with a valid certificate. AutoSSL issues it once DNS points to MdmHost; run it from cPanel → Security → SSL/TLS Status if needed.
• Forms, logins, checkouts and uploads work, and there are no database connection errors.
• Sending and receiving email works from webmail and from your mail client, and SPF/DKIM pass in cPanel → Email → Email Deliverability.
• Cron jobs are recreated under cPanel → Advanced → Cron Jobs with the new paths (/home/username/…).
• The PHP version in cPanel → Software → MultiPHP Manager matches what the old server used.

FAQ

Can I restore DreamHost backups in cPanel?

Not directly; DreamHost uses its own panel, so move the files and SQL dumps as shown.

DreamHost database host is not localhost. Is that a problem?

DreamHost uses separate database hostnames; on cPanel set the host back to localhost in your config.

Do I need to transfer the domain too?

No. You can keep it where it is and update DNS, or move it later with domain transfer.

Next steps

• Move a website to cPanel
• Website migration checklist
• DNS TTL planning