Migrate from OVH to RamNode

A comprehensive guide for migrating your virtual private servers from OVH (OVHcloud) to RamNode Cloud VPS.

Introduction

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for migrating your virtual private servers from OVH (OVHcloud) to RamNode Cloud VPS. The migration process involves exporting your server image from OVH, preparing it for compatibility with RamNode's infrastructure, and uploading it to your RamNode account.

RamNode's Cloud VPS platform supports multiple image formats and provides flexible options for importing custom images, making it an ideal destination for migrations from other cloud providers.

Prerequisites

Before You Begin

Active RamNode Cloud VPS account
Access to your OVH Control Panel or OpenStack credentials
SSH access to your current OVH VPS
Sufficient local storage for image downloads (typically 10-100GB depending on disk size)
qemu-img tool installed on your local machine or a Linux workstation
Backup of all critical data (recommended)

Supported Image Formats

Format	Description	Recommended
QCOW2	QEMU Copy-On-Write format	Yes (Best)
RAW	Uncompressed disk image	Yes
VMDK	VMware virtual disk	Yes
VDI	VirtualBox disk image	Yes
VHD/VHDX	Microsoft Hyper-V format	Yes

Exporting Your Server from OVH

OVH provides several methods for exporting your VPS image. Choose the method that best suits your environment.

Method 1: Using OVH VPS Snapshots

The simplest method for OVH VPS users is to create and download a snapshot:

Log into the OVH Control Panel
Navigate to Bare Metal Cloud → Virtual Private Servers
Select your VPS from the list
In the Home tab, scroll to the Backup panel
Click the options menu next to Snapshot and select Order (if not enabled)
Once enabled, click Take a snapshot
After completion, click Download to get the snapshot file (QCOW2 format)

Note: OVH snapshots are live snapshots. For best results, install qemu-guest-agent on your VPS before taking the snapshot to ensure filesystem consistency.

Method 2: Using OpenStack CLI (Public Cloud)

For OVH Public Cloud instances, use the OpenStack CLI:

Download your OpenStack RC file from the OVH Control Panel (Users & Roles section)
Source the credentials file:
```
source openrc.sh
```

Create an image from your instance:

openstack server image create --name "migration-image" <instance-id>

Download the image:

openstack image save --file migration-image.qcow2 <image-id>

Method 3: Direct Disk Cloning

For advanced users who need full control over the export process:

Boot your VPS into rescue mode from the OVH Control Panel
SSH into the rescue environment

Create a compressed disk image:

dd if=/dev/sda bs=4M status=progress | gzip > /tmp/disk-image.raw.gz

Transfer the image to your local machine using SCP or SFTP

Preparing Your Image for RamNode

Before uploading to RamNode, ensure your image meets the following requirements for optimal compatibility and performance.

VirtIO Drivers

RamNode Cloud VPS uses VirtIO drivers for optimal disk and network performance. Most modern Linux distributions include these by default. Verify VirtIO support:

lsmod | grep virtio

If VirtIO modules are not present, install them before creating your export image.

Cloud-Init Installation

Cloud-init enables automatic configuration of SSH keys, network settings, and user data. Install it on your source VPS before migration:

Ubuntu/Debian:

apt update && apt install cloud-init -y

CentOS/Rocky/AlmaLinux:

yum install cloud-init -y

Fedora:

dnf install cloud-init -y

System Generalization

Remove machine-specific identifiers to ensure your image works correctly on RamNode:

# Clear SSH host keys (will regenerate on first boot)
rm -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_*

# Clear machine-id
echo '' > /etc/machine-id

# Remove persistent network rules
rm -f /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules

# Clear bash history and logs (optional but recommended)
history -c

Image Conversion

If your exported image is not in QCOW2 format, convert it using qemu-img for optimal performance and space efficiency on RamNode.

Installing qemu-img

Ubuntu/Debian:

apt install qemu-utils -y

CentOS/RHEL/Rocky:

yum install qemu-img -y

macOS (via Homebrew):

brew install qemu

Conversion Commands

Use the appropriate command based on your source format:

RAW to QCOW2 (with compression):

qemu-img convert -f raw -O qcow2 -c input.raw output.qcow2

VMDK to QCOW2:

qemu-img convert -f vmdk -O qcow2 input.vmdk output.qcow2

VDI to QCOW2:

qemu-img convert -f vdi -O qcow2 input.vdi output.qcow2

VHD to QCOW2:

qemu-img convert -f vpc -O qcow2 input.vhd output.qcow2

Verifying the Converted Image

After conversion, verify your image:

qemu-img info output.qcow2

This displays the image format, virtual size, and actual disk usage.

Uploading to RamNode

Via Cloud Control Panel

Follow these steps to upload your image through the RamNode interface:

Log into the RamNode Cloud Control Panel at cloud.ramnode.com
Navigate to Compute → Images in the left sidebar
Click Create Image
Select File as the source type
Choose your prepared QCOW2 image file
Configure the image details:
- Name: A descriptive name for your image
- Format: Select QCOW2 (or your image format)
- Minimum Disk: Minimum disk size required
- Minimum RAM: Minimum memory required
Click Create Image and wait for the upload to complete

Large Image Uploads (Over 2GB) via OpenStack CLI

For images larger than 2GB, use the OpenStack CLI for reliable uploads:

Step 1: Download Your Region's Authentication File

Go to cloud.ramnode.com, navigate to API Access, and download the OpenRC file for your target region.

Step 2: Source the Authentication File

source openrc

Step 3: Upload the Image

openstack image create --disk-format qcow2 --container-format bare --file <file.qcow2> <image-name>

Example:

openstack image create --disk-format qcow2 --container-format bare --file ovh-server.qcow2 OVH-WebServer-Migration

For detailed OpenStack CLI instructions, see our Region Migration Guide.

Deploying Your Instance

Create Instance from Image

Once your image is uploaded, create a new instance:

Navigate to Compute → Instances
Click Launch Instance
Configure the instance name and select your datacenter location
Under Source, select your uploaded custom image
Choose an appropriate flavor (plan size) that meets your image requirements
Configure networking and security groups
Add your SSH key for access
Click Launch Instance

Post-Migration Steps

After deploying your migrated instance, complete these verification steps:

Initial Verification

Access the instance via VNC console from the Cloud Control Panel to view boot messages
SSH into your instance using your configured SSH key
Verify network connectivity and that DHCP is functioning
Check that all services start correctly

Configuration Updates

Update /etc/hosts with the new hostname if needed
Reconfigure any services bound to specific IP addresses
Update DNS records to point to your new RamNode IP address
Regenerate SSL certificates if necessary
Update firewall rules to match RamNode security group configurations

Performance Optimization

Verify VirtIO drivers are active for optimal disk and network performance
Consider installing QEMU Guest Agent for better snapshot support
Review and optimize any NTP configurations

apt install qemu-guest-agent -y && systemctl enable qemu-guest-agent

Troubleshooting

Instance Won't Boot

Check the VNC console for boot error messages
Verify that VirtIO disk drivers are installed and loaded
Ensure the bootloader (GRUB) is properly configured
Confirm the image was not corrupted during transfer

Network Not Working

Verify VirtIO network drivers are installed
Ensure DHCP is configured on the primary network interface
Check that cloud-init networking is enabled
Remove any static IP configurations from OVH

SSH Access Issues

Use VNC console to verify the instance is running
Check that SSH keys were properly injected by cloud-init
Verify SSH service is running
Review security group rules to ensure port 22 is open

systemctl status sshd

Need help? Contact RamNode support at clientarea.ramnode.com for personalized assistance.

Best Practices

Before Migration

• Create comprehensive backups
• Document your configuration
• Test with non-production first
• Plan for downtime

Image Optimization

• Use QCOW2 format
• Enable compression (-c flag)
• Remove unnecessary data
• Include cloud-init

Post-Migration

• Verify all services
• Update monitoring
• Create a snapshot
• Keep OVH active temporarily

General Migration Guide Custom Images Documentation Access Cloud Control Panel