CAEN is excited to announce that between July and December this year, all websites that utilize the CAEN Web Hosting Service will be migrated from the current external hosting provider, WP Engine, to the new campus hosting provider, Pantheon at U-M. This service is expected to provide better performance, better security, and additional developer tools for site owners and administrators.

Notice for CAEN Web Publishing users

This information is intended for CAEN Web Hosting customers only. If your site uses CAEN Web Publishing, separate communications will be forthcoming. If you are unsure if your site is in Web Publishing or Web Hosting, you can contact CAEN at [email protected]

FAQ

Will I still be able to make changes to my website content in the same way after the migration?

Yes, you be able to make changes to my website content in the same way. No URLs will change, your site will not change its appearance, and you will continue to use WordPress exactly as you always have, except during the content freeze.

Will my site look the same after this migration, and will any URLs change?

No URLs will change, your site will not change its appearance, and you will continue to use WordPress exactly as you always have, except during the content freeze.

Why is CAEN migrating Web Hosting sites to Pantheon?
  • Remove duplication of effort
  • Free up staff capacity for College priorities
  • Improve performance and security for site owners
  • Numerous features and tools that are available in the Pantheon platform but unavailable in WP Engine
What do I need to do to prepare for the migration?
  • Per the CAEN Web Hosting requirements, site owners must have a WordPress developer who is either a dedicated U-M staff member or a third party vendor on indefinite retainer; ensure that this person is aware of this migration and available to assist.
  • Ensure that WordPress core, plugins, and themes are up to date
  • Ensure your developer has reviewed Pantheon’s list of WordPress Plugins and Themes with Known Issues and is prepared to mitigate any issues. Your developer will have an opportunity to fix problems before the new site goes live.
  • Communicate content freeze information to site authors on your team
  • Ensure that your developer is familiar with the Pantheon platform, its git-based workflow, and capable of supporting your site after the migration
Will my developer need to assist in the migration?

Yes. Your developer must be involved throughout the process.

  • Before migration: ensure the site is fully up to date, review Pantheon’s list of WordPress Plugins and Themes with Known Issues and prepare to mitigate any issues after migration. The developer will have an opportunity to fix problems before the new site goes live.
  • During migration: be available to answer any technical questions that arise
  • After migration: provide quality assurance and mitigate issues in collaboration with CAEN
What does the migration process look like?
  1. CAEN sends proposed date to the site owner and site developer on record (This date can be appealed)
  2. No content can be edited during migration window
  3. CAEN makes backup and migrates site; original site remains in WP Engine
  4. CAEN does sniff test to ensure migration looks good
  5. Site owner/developer performs detailed quality assurance and gives final okay to go live in Pantheon
  6. CAEN configures Cloudflare & DNS
  7. Original WPE site remains online for at least 30 days
  8. CAEN will provide a high level of support through migration and for a period of approximately 30 days after migration to ensure migration was successful
  9. After successful migration, ITS and Pantheon will provide ongoing support
Can I still send email from my website once it has been migrated to Pantheon (e.g. using forms plugin that sends notifications)?

Sending emails from a WordPress site hosted on Pantheon is possible, but Pantheon does not include a built-in mail server to send out emails. Instead, it is recommended to use an external email service to ensure reliable email delivery. CAEN recommends installing the WP Mail SMTP WordPress plugin and configuring it to use a Google shared account. Shared accounts may be requested from ITS using this request form. CAEN can assist with completing this request form if we receive advanced notice.

More info: Why Use an External Email Service?

  1. Dependability: External email services are specifically designed to send emails. They’re more reliable compared to using the basic email-sending functions built into websites.
  2. Better Delivery: External email services are less likely to have their emails land in the recipient’s spam folder since they use special techniques to make sure your emails get through.
  3. Handling High Volumes: These services can easily manage sending lots of emails, which is great for busy sites that need to send many emails daily.
Can I keep my site on WP Engine?

No. All sites will be migrated to Pantheon at U-M.

I was planning to launch a new site in CAEN Web Hosting. What are my options now?

If you do not plan to use CAEN Web Publishing, you should request your site through ITS. You will be expected to provide a shortcode to ITS for Pantheon at U-M hosting.

Where do I learn how to use the Pantheon platform?

As you are responsible for managing the code and installation you will need to familiarize yourself with the Pantheon platform, as back-end site updates will happen differently than on WP Engine. Pantheon has many additional features not available from WP Engine. Peruse ITS Pantheon documentation, or join the #um-pantheon-website-hosting Slack channel for more information.

What else does my developer need to know about the change to Pantheon at U-M?

If your website is not already behind  U-M Cloudflare, as part of this transition you will be moved behind the U-M Cloudflare reverse proxy. Cloudflare improves your site’s performance and security and reduces hosting costs by blocking illegitimate traffic such as bots. Additionally, your developer should review Pantheon’s list of WordPress Plugins and Themes with Known Issues and is prepared to mitigate any issues. Your developer will have an opportunity to fix problems before the new site goes live.

Does Pantheon have unsupported plugins/themes that differ from WP Engine’s?

Yes, the WordPress Plugins and Themes with Known Issues on Pantheon differ than those on WP Engine. Your website developer should review these in advance and be prepared to mitigate issues once your site is migrated. Your developer will have an opportunity to fix problems before the new site goes live.

Will there be any site downtime?

No downtime is anticipated for site visitors during or after the migration of your site.

Will CAEN pay for hosting my site in Pantheon at U-M?

CAEN will continue to pay hosting costs for existing CAEN Web Hosting customers that have live sites today. Any new non-Web Publishing sites will incur cost for you and will require that you contact ITS to request a new site.

Will CAEN continue to support my site after the migration?

CAEN will provide a high level of support through migration and for a period of approximately 30 days after migration to ensure migration was successful. After successful migration, ITS, Pantheon, and your developer will provide all technical support.

Will my WP Engine site be altered or deleted after migration?

During the migration, CAEN will not alter your website or content in any way. The original WP Engine website will remain in WP Engine for at least 30 days. After that, the old WP Engine copy of your site will be permanently and irreversibly deleted.

I have questions or concerns about this migration. Whom can I contact?

Reach out to CAEN at [email protected] for questions and concerns.