# Has anyone done this very specific Linux migration?

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/has-anyone-done-this-very-specific-linux-migration/723090>\
**Category:** Plex Media Server\
**Tags:** server-linux\
**Created:** [June 17, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/has-anyone-done-this-very-specific-linux-migration/723090 "2021-06-17T14:51:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 26

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/has-anyone-done-this-very-specific-linux-migration/723090/26 "2021-06-18T23:33:29Z")

</div>

IF you’re using all the default locations:

1. Migrating “the whole server” (meaning PMS) is as  
a. Make a tarball of /var/lib/plexmediaserver,  
b. Install PMS on the new host (whatever it is)  
c. Stop PMS after installing (it will auto start that first time)  
d. Remove the newly-created `Library` directory in /var/lib/plexmediaserver  
e. Untar the cloned tar ball to supersede that which was created  
f. `sudo chown -R plex:plex /var/lib/plexmediaserver` to update to the new UID:GID

2. Having made a clone, one of the two “Preferences.xml” file must be deleted so the server, when it starts, can create all the new ID values and then be signed into the account

This is what bothers me

> [@ember1205](#):
>
> So, the issue I am still trying to solve is how to complete the migration of ONE server in a multi server environment

There are many things which qualify as ‘multi-server’ environment.

If you are truly talking about a ASMP (Asymetric Multi-Processing) cluster, which as what is frequently found in a HA environment, then PMS will not work that way.

PMS is written for the home user environment – not a commercial/enterprise grade environment.

1. The database server, SQLite3 is single-kernel context. It will fail (almost immediately corrupt itself) in multi-kernel environments

2. Sqlite3 cannot be replaced by SQL Server, MongoDB, or any other larger-scale engine.

To roll back, If you mean “One Server Instance”, which exists in a Single Kernel and Namespace context, to another Single Kernel host (aka. SMP) then it’s as easy as I’ve detailed.

I show the full process here:

> [@Linux Tips](https://forums.plex.tv/t/linux-tips/276247/7):
>
> Backup, Restore, or Clone your PMS installation Backing up your PMS data involves the same steps you’ll need if you were to clone your PMS and take to a new computer, reinstall the operating system, or just want a backup for safe keeping. Making the Backup (General Steps) Stop PMS Invoke the root shell Create the backup image Copy the image to the new system, perform your OS reinstallation, or whatever task you need Restoring a backup image (General Steps) (Re)install PMS itself if on a ne…

1. Backup from the one host
2. Restore to another
3. “Decommision” (note at the bottom) the original server.

I have multiple ESXi guest OS / PMS instances for all the testing I do. Each is self contained and atomic from the others all sharing the same source media

---

_[View the full topic](https://forums.plex.tv/t/has-anyone-done-this-very-specific-linux-migration/723090)._