How to manually remove service proxying for the migrated cPanel accounts on the source server?

Have you just migrated your cPanel accounts to a new server? You are now probably facing an issue, i.e., service proxying is still active on the source server. This means that some of your services, like webmail, cPanel login, or WHM access – might still be routing through the old server instead of working directly from the new one. By the way, just so you know and don’t get confused, the old server and the source server are the same thing. So, you need to clean things up manually so everything functions as expected on the new setup. Below are the steps to manually remove service proxying for the migrated cPanel accounts on the source server. It’s not super complicated, but you need to be careful to avoid breaking anything. And hey, if you ever feel stuck, SupportFly provides expert server support, so you don’t have to stress over these things – just connect and get the resolution at any point. Let’s begin!

What is service proxying and why removing it is important?

Service proxying is a cPanel feature that lets users access their accounts via the source server’s hostname, even if the actual content is on a different server. It’s useful when migrating accounts for a smooth transition. But after migration, it can cause confusion & issues, like:

• Users unknowingly connecting to the old server instead of the new one.
• Emails and web applications behaving unpredictably.
• SSL/TLS mismatches causing security warnings.

So yeah, once you have confirmed that everything works on the new server, it’s important to disable service proxying on the old one.

How to manually remove service proxying for the migrated cPanel accounts on the source server?

Step 1: Check if Service Proxying is Still Active

Before making changes, you need to confirm that service proxying is still running. The easiest way is to test by accessing webmail, WHM, or cPanel using the old server’s hostname. If you can still log in through the old server, proxying is still active.

Another way is to check the proxy subdomains in cPanel’s Service Proxying Configuration:

• Log into WHM on the source server.
• Go to Tweak Settings under Server Configuration.
• Find the option for Proxy Subdomains and see if it’s still enabled.
• If it is, you need to remove it manually.

Step 2: Disable Proxy Subdomains

Now that you have confirmed proxying is active, let’s turn it off. Here’s how:

• In WHM, go to Tweak Settings.
• Scroll down to the section labeled Proxy Subdomains.
• Set the option to Disabled.
• Click Save to apply the changes.

This stops the source server from automatically forwarding requests, but that’s just part of the process. There’s more to clean up.

Step 3: Remove Service Proxying Manually

Disabling proxy subdomains in WHM isn’t always enough, so you will need to dig a little deeper and manually clean things up. And be ready this part might feel a little technical, but just take it one step at a time. Or, connect the experts, i.e., SupportFly.

Remove Proxy Entries in Apache

cPanel manages proxying through Apache configurations, so you need to remove any remaining proxy rules.

Open the Apache configuration file:

bash
nano /etc/apache2/conf.d/includes/pre_virtualhost_global.conf

Look for any lines that mention ProxyPass or ProxyPassReverse and remove them.

Save the file and restart Apache:

bash
systemctl restart httpd

That clears up any lingering proxy redirects.

Clean Up DNS Configurations

Sometimes, old DNS records can still point users to the source server instead of the new one. You obviously don’t want that.

• Check the DNS Zone Editor in WHM for the source server.
• Look for CNAME records pointing to the old server and delete or update them.
• Run this command to clear cached DNS entries:

bash
rndc flush

This will make sure that all traffic now goes straight to the new server.

Step 4: Restart Services and Verify

You are almost done, but don’t forget to restart services and check if everything works properly.

Restart cPanel and related services to apply all changes:

bash
systemctl restart cpanel
systemctl restart httpd
systemctl restart named

Now, test everything:

Try logging into webmail, WHM, and cPanel using the old server’s hostname. If everything is set up correctly, it shouldn’t work anymore.
Run a DNS lookup for your domain to make sure it resolves to the new server.
If all looks good, congrats, you have successfully removed service proxying from the source server. Party time!

Bottom Line

See – it’s not too complicated, but it does require attention to detail. If you are managing multiple cPanel accounts, it’s always a good idea to double-check every step before considering the job done. But let’s be real – server migrations and configurations can be tricky. If you ever feel stuck or too busy to do this by yourself, SupportFly offers expert & quick server support services. It includes everything related to servers – from migration, troubleshooting, and setup, to security fixes. Connect with SupportFly today for quotes and queries! Custom plans and offers are available for a limited period only!!

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