# Moving certs from one server to another

**URL:** <https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/moving-certs-from-one-server-to-another/29539>\
**Category:** Server\
**Created:** [March 9, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/moving-certs-from-one-server-to-another/29539 "2017-03-09T22:09:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hal1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/hal1/32/8228_2.png) [@hal1](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/hal1)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/moving-certs-from-one-server-to-another/29539/1 "2017-03-09T22:09:38Z")

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I am upgrading some older Ubuntu servers, and one has a client with a LE cert that has been in production for a while. The “new” server will have new ip addresses. I have manually copied over the /live/ folder as a test to the “new” system, and this “works”, at least for now. This is being tested with my hosts file until I feel like its stable, and then I’ll flip the DNS to the new system’s ip.

The “new” system has other LE certs on a different ip.

I am guessing that when the renew script runs, stuff will break. Is there a better way to handle this situation where things have to be moved prior to the DNS changing?

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![jmorahan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/jmorahan/32/1873_2.png) [@jmorahan](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/jmorahan)\
**Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/moving-certs-from-one-server-to-another/29539/2 "2017-03-09T22:25:40Z")

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Assuming you’re using certbot?

Nothing should break when you run `certbot renew` if you only copied the certs and key from the `/live/` folder. Renewals are done based on the contents of the configuration files in `/etc/letsencrypt/renewal/` and if the new domain isn’t mentioned there, certbot won’t even try to renew it.

When you repoint the DNS, just delete that copy from /live/ and obtain a new cert the normal way. The next renewal should then pick it up correctly.

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**Author:** ![hal1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/hal1/32/8228_2.png) [@hal1](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/hal1)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/moving-certs-from-one-server-to-another/29539/3 "2017-03-10T18:48:06Z")

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Certbot on this “new” system, yes. Thanks, sounds like a plan then!

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/original/3X/c/a/ca6c06ea1ea201324bba7048c6841ce60236468d.png) [@system](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/moving-certs-from-one-server-to-another/29539/4 "2017-04-09T18:48:17Z")

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