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I'm Looking at options for cloning a Linux server.

Basically the server company we're using is going bust and went down for 4 days last week so I need to act fast and use the simplest and fastest method available.

I'll need to do it all remotely through SSH as it's a remote root server and I have no physical access.

Is it possible to just completely copy everything including the OS, Database, files, over to a new provider?

If so what are the steps evolved, or are there any services that offer to do this?

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It's been forever since I've done this, but I think you can restore the backup without having to install the OS first. Just mount it with a live CD, and extract the tarball. Then install grub. There might be other steps. I wouldn't attempt installing an OS without some kind of console access e.g. ILO

Backup

mkdir /backups
cd /backups
tar -zcvpf /backups/fullbackup.tar.gz --directory=/ --exclude=proc --exclude=sys --exclude=dev/pts --exclude=backups .

Copy to new server 

rsync -av --progress fullbackup.tar.gz newserver.com:/

Extract

cd /
tar -zxvpf /fullbackup.tar.gz
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  • Thanks for your answer, I've just run the command to create the backup file. On the Extract Part will it override whatever is on the new server?
    – PeterG
    Oct 15, 2015 at 16:06
  • I'm not sure what it will do if you overwrite an existing os. But I'd guess that if it is a clean install of a matching os , it could work.
    – Ryan Babchishin
    Oct 15, 2015 at 16:37

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