Guide
Migrating your servers: from one machine, host or country to another
The methods compared, what the Data Act changes when leaving a cloud, the precautions for changing country and the steps for a migration with no nasty surprises.
Updated on 17 October 2026 · Figures are sourced at the bottom of the page; opinions are those of IT CyberWall.
Three situations
Sooner or later, your servers will have to move: the machine is ageing, the host raises its prices, a client requires its data to stay in its country, or you open a subsidiary abroad. There are three situations:
- From one server to another, with the same host or on your premises: hardware renewal, more capacity.
- From one host to another: price, quality of service, leaving a public cloud, changing hypervisor.
- From one country to another: legal or contractual requirements on where data is located, bringing servers closer to users.
The methods compared
IT CyberWall’s assessment of the three common methods.
| Method | Principle | Downtime | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reinstall, then transfer the data | The server is rebuilt from scratch on the new machine and the data is copied onto it. | Variable, often several hours | Starts again from a clean base; the only option between very different physical servers | Slow; risk of forgetting a setting; requires good knowledge of the existing setup |
| Copy the virtual machine | The entire virtual server (system, software, data) is copied and restarted elsewhere. | The time of the final copy | An exact replica; simple rollback | Volume to transfer; the target hypervisor must be able to import it |
| Replicate, then switch over | Data is synchronised to the target while the old server keeps running, then you switch over. | Very short | Minimal downtime, ideal for large volumes | More complex to prepare; must be built for each application |
Virtualised servers make migration much simpler, on two conditions: you must be able to export the virtual machines, and the target must be able to import them. There is a standard format for this, OVF, standardised as ISO/IEC 17203:2017 [1], and hypervisors offer import tools: since version 8.2 (April 2024), Proxmox VE, for example, includes a wizard that directly imports VMware ESXi and vCenter virtual machines [2].
Changing host, leaving the cloud
Leaving a public cloud
Outbound traffic is normally charged ($0.09 per GB beyond 100 GB per month at AWS [3]). Since 5 March 2024, AWS has waived these charges for customers leaving AWS for another provider or their own servers; beyond 100 GB per month, you need to request this from AWS support [4].
What the Data Act provides
The European Data Act, applicable since 12 September 2025, governs switching cloud provider [5] [6]:
- a maximum notice period of two months before the switch begins;
- a transition period of 30 days at most, which can be extended to seven months if it is technically impossible;
- at least 30 days after the transition to retrieve your data;
- switching charges limited to direct costs, then prohibited from 12 January 2027.
Traffic from parallel use (for example during a multi-cloud period) may, however, still be charged at cost [5].
Proprietary services
A « managed » database, a message queue or a cloud-specific function cannot be copied like a server: they must be replaced with an equivalent at the new provider. This is often where most of the work lies.
Changing country
Changing country adds a legal question to the technical one. Within the European Union, personal data moves freely. To send it outside the Union, the GDPR imposes a framework (Chapter V): a country recognised as adequate by the Commission, standard contractual clauses or other appropriate safeguards [7].
Some countries also require certain data to stay on their territory, and your clients may require this by contract. Have the framework validated by your legal adviser: for our part, we choose the host and region that comply with this framework, and we carry out the technical migration.
Finally, think about the details that matter: response times for users who are further away, the timing of the switchover window, IP addresses and domain names to change.
The steps of a successful migration
- Take an inventory: servers, software, data flows between them, access rights, licences, hidden dependencies.
- Back up and check before touching anything: a full, restorable backup, independent of both the old and the new host.
- Choose the method server by server: reinstallation, copy or replication.
- Test on a copy: start the migrated server in isolation and check that your software works.
- Prepare the switchover: a time window agreed with you, domain names ready, users informed.
- Switch over and check, with a rollback possible at any time.
- Keep the old server for a few days before shutting it down, then wipe the data properly.
Our advice
Our method: virtualised servers on a hypervisor we master (Proxmox VE, VMware, Virtuozzo or Hyper-V depending on the host or your choice), so that your servers can always be moved, and a WeDoBack backup as the foundation of every migration.
- An encrypted backup, independent of both the old and the new host, which can be restored to the new infrastructure.
- A safety net: WeDoBack recovery servers keep the business running if the switchover takes longer than planned.
- Tailored synchronisation for very large volumes: continuous replication between the source server and the target is not automatic; it is built around your applications, on quotation.
- A single point of contact for inventory, testing, switchover and operations after migration.
To choose the destination, see also our hosting comparison and our backup guide.
A server cannot be migrated yet because old software depends on it? Read our guide obsolete systems and software: it can be virtualised, isolated and the migration tested on a copy.
Let’s prepare your migration
Describe your current servers and your destination. We will propose a method, a schedule and a rollback plan.
Sources
Sources consulted on 17 October 2026. Supplier prices are shown excluding tax, in the currency and region of the published price list, and may change: always check the official page before deciding.
- StandICT – ISO/IEC 17203:2017, Open Virtualization Format (OVF) — www.standict.eu/standards-repository/standard/information-technology-open-virtualization-format-ovf-specification-0
- Proxmox – Proxmox VE 8.2 press release (24 April 2024) — proxmox.com/en/about/company-details/press-releases/proxmox-virtual-environment-8-2
- AWS data transfer pricing survey, checked in June 2026 — egresscost.com/aws/data-transfer-pricing
- AWS – Free data transfer out to internet when moving out of AWS (5 March 2024) — aws-news.com/article/2024-03-05-free-data-transfer-out-to-internet-when-moving-out-of-aws
- WZ-IT – Data Act: Articles 25, 29 and 34 on switching providers — wz-it.com/en/blog/data-act-switching-charges-2027/
- Regulation (EU) 2023/2854 (Data Act) – EUR-Lex — eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2854/oj
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Chapter V – EUR-Lex — eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj
Backup and restoration are operated by WeDoBack.