Can I upload files before DNS pointing

[danmart]

I want to know if it is possible to upload files via FTP before pointing DNS for a newly created domain.

The goal is to transfer a site from one server to another. If I point the DNS for the domain to the new DNS, I have to wait the propagation before I can upload files on the new server. Thats not a good solution because the site will show wrong pages while uploading all the files.
Is it a way (even in WHM root) to upload all the files before changing the DNS pointing for this domain ?

Thanks

 

[Marty]

Sure, use the site ip address as the ftp host and the control panel user and pass for the account as the ftp user and pass.

 

[Lyttek]

There are a couple of threads here dealing with this issue exactly, particularly how to modify the TTL settings of your domain so that the propogation of DNS info will happen quickly.

Basically, you prep your DNS so that rather than lasting several days, it will have to be referenced every few hours or minutes... that should be done a few days before moving.

Then, you turn down services on the old server, transfer and update files to the new server, turn the services up on the new server, point the DNS on the old server so that it sends requests to the new server...

 

[dafut]

To add on to what Lyttek noted, one slightly more advanced method that I like is to mirror all records on the DNS server that will be handling the new domain. In other words, if your new server will be handling DNS for the domain that's being transferred, create a copy of the existing DNS records on the new server--except for the NS records, which need to be pointing to the new server. Use Lyttek's suggestion of short TTL's--very important.

Make sure that all records resolve properly on the new server using "dig" at the command line in SSH.

At registrar, transfer nameserver records to point to new server. When DNS propagates, new nameserver will be source for all records, most of which point to the old server. You can then make the changes to the 'A' records for your new IP addresses on the new server.

This is especially helpful if you don't have control of DNS on the old server.

This, of course, assumes that you have access to the DNS zone file (either WHM or as root in SSH).