# Migration

This document covers moving PDS compute from the current GCP VM to another VM or cloud provider while preserving account identity and data.

## What Moves

- `/pds` restored from backup
- Docker/PDS service configuration
- Caddy origin TLS configuration
- backup timer and environment

## What Stays

- live R2 blob bucket
- backup R2 bucket or prefix
- account DID
- `3drx.top` handle TXT record
- Cloudflare zone

## Migration Steps

1. Run a fresh backup on the source VM.
2. Stop PDS on the source VM to avoid concurrent writes during final copy.
3. Run one final backup.
4. Restore that backup onto the destination VM.
5. Install Docker, service files, Caddy config, and backup timer on the destination.
6. Confirm the destination can reach R2 live blob and backup buckets.
7. Update `pds.3drx.top` DNS to the destination VM IP.
8. Run health checks and account login checks.
9. Keep the old VM stopped but not deleted until the destination has run successfully for several days.

## Provider Requirements

The destination provider needs:

- public IPv4 or compatible Cloudflare origin routing
- inbound `80/tcp` and `443/tcp` allowed
- outbound HTTPS to Cloudflare/R2
- enough disk for `/pds` and temporary backup extraction
- enough memory for Docker/PDS; use swap on very small VMs

## Identity Notes

Do not create a new account as part of migration. The restored `/pds` contains the existing account and DID state.

Do not change `_atproto.3drx.top` unless intentionally moving to a different DID.

Do not run two active PDS instances from the same restored state at the same time.