Can I do a complete Cluster Migration?

Yes. Labforward’s backup mechanism can be used to move data to different clusters, virtual machines, and operational systems.

Notice that Kubernetes does not support moving the filesystem data to different environments. This process requires backing up all the cluster’s data and restoring it to the new environment.

The process consists of:

1. Creating a shared location for the backups. You can use any storage as long as both clusters have access to it;
2. Having both environments available. Make sure both have the same application and admin console version deployed. Check the admin console footnotes to find out its version;
3. Backing up the old cluster using the admin console UI. Configure the snapshot settings to use the shared location and trigger the new Snapshot. See the backup documentation at Backup Restore
4. Restoring the backup to the new environment. Configure the snapshot settings to use the shared location. You will be informed that another installation uses the same location, and having two instances using the same destination is impossible.  Agree with the message. You will see the backup done by the old environment in the new environment Snapshot’s page. Click on it and run the shown restore command;
5. The admin console configurations will also be copied to the new environment. Wait for the restore process to finish, and then you can update any configuration normally, such as a new DNS.

Do not use the same DNS for both environments simultaneously. It is recommended that users stop using the old environment during the migration process. After the migration, you can keep the same DNS pointing out to the new environment or change the URL via the admin console. The DNS pointing out to the old environment is not required during the migration process.