WordPress Migration from WP Engine to AWS – Part 1

Overview

In the ever-evolving realm of website administration, selecting an appropriate hosting provider is important. WordPress, the predominant content management system, provides a variety of hosting choices, each distinguished by its specific features. Many individuals embark on their journey with wp-engine, a managed WordPress hosting service renowned for its swiftness and dependability. Nevertheless, as your website expands, you may contemplate exploring alternatives such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) for a more scalable and customizable solution.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a freely available content management system that enables individuals and businesses to create and manage websites effortlessly.

Why Migrate to AWS?

Migrating from WP Engine to AWS becomes imperative as your website expands and demands a more robust infrastructure. AWS is an optimal hosting solution for businesses due to its advanced features, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. Now, let’s delve into the step-by-step process of migrating your WordPress site from WP Engine to AWS.

Advantages of Migrating from wp-engine to AWS

While wp-engine provides an excellent environment for WordPress hosting, migrating to AWS can bring forth a multitude of advantages:

• Scalability: AWS enables you to adjust resource scaling in response to your website’s traffic, ensuring optimal performance during peak periods while avoiding unnecessary costs during periods of lower activity.
• Customization: With AWS, you have complete control over your server environment, allowing for fine-tuning and customization according to your specific requirements. This flexibility is especially beneficial for complex websites and applications.
• Cost Efficiency: AWS provides a pay-as-you-go pricing structure, ensuring that you are billed solely for the resources you utilize. This can result in cost savings compared to fixed-price plans offered by managed hosting providers like wp-engine.
• Global Reach: AWS has data centers strategically located worldwide, enabling you to host your website closer to your target audience.
• Security: AWS offers an extensive range of security features and compliance certifications, providing assurance regarding safeguarding your data and infrastructure and ensuring originality in expression.

Step for Migration (In WP-Engine)

Step 1: Begin the migration process by logging into your WP Engine account. Navigate to your site’s dashboard to access the necessary settings.

Step 2: Click on your site

Step 3: Click On Backups

Step 4: Click Create Backup, fill in a Backup description and email, then click Create Production Backup.

Step 5: Click on Prepare Zip (It’s the last Backup point. You can’t select the backup point, so keep looking at that). Select Full Backup & add the email to send a notification. Then Click on Prepare production backup ZIP.

Step 6: You Receive a notification zipping completed and ready to download. Then, go to the console to get the download option on the backup you created.

Step 7: The easiest way to download to an Amazon EC2 instance is to copy its download link directly. Right-click on the blue download symbol and select ‘Copy Link.’

Step for Migration (AWS)

Step 1: Begin the migration process by setting up a Custom Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) to ensure an enhanced security foundation. This provides a controlled network environment, safeguarding your WordPress site and its data.

Step 2: Create three Amazon EC2 instances: two will serve as the main servers (private), while the third will act as a public bastion host, providing secure access to the private servers. Start by configuring the bastion host to establish a controlled entry point into your AWS infrastructure.

Step 3: To avoid potential issues related to missing images and fonts during migration, deploy two private servers and attach an Amazon Elastic File System (EFS). This ensures that images and content stored in the ‘Wp-Content’ folder remain intact, offering a seamless transition. Unlike Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS), Amazon EFS provides shared storage, vital for maintaining data consistency across multiple instances.

Architecture Diagram for Amazon EFS

Step 4: Enhance your WordPress site’s performance and reliability by creating a Load Balancer and associated Target Group. Integrate the two private instances into the Target Group to distribute traffic efficiently. This step facilitates load balancing, ensuring optimal resource utilization and high availability.

Conclusion

In our WordPress migration from WP Engine to AWS, we’ve explored the shift’s foundations, emphasizing AWS benefits like scalability and security. The next blog will cover AWS setup, including Amazon VPC creation, Amazon EC2 deployment, Amazon EFS for data consistency, and a Load Balancer for performance. Stay tuned for insights and solutions in Part 2.

Drop a query if you have any questions regarding WP Engine and we will get back to you quickly.

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