Available for new projects
bash — alana@syseng:~
$ ./migrate --type website --source oldhost.com --dest newhost.com
→ Scanning source environment...
→ Backing up files & databases [████████████] 100%
→ Configuring Nginx vhosts on target...
→ Updating DNS A records → TTL 300
→ Propagation check: ✓ All nameservers updated
→ SSL via Let's Encrypt: ✓ Certificate issued
$ Migration complete. Zero downtime.

Alana Mariam Thampy.
Linux Systems
Engineer.

10+ years managing Linux servers, cloud platforms, and hosting infrastructure. I specialise in website transfers, server migrations, DNS, and email — done right, zero downtime.

Start a project → See what I do
10+ Years Linux experience
6+ Years freelancing on Upwork
0 Data loss incidents
PCI Security & compliance
// whoami

About me

I'm Alana Mariam Thampy — a Systems Engineer based in Kerala, India, with over a decade of hands-on Linux experience. I've worked across data centres, managed hosting environments, cloud platforms, and support desks for web hosting companies around the world.

Since 2020, I've been freelancing full-time via Upwork — helping businesses with server migrations, website transfers, DNS management, and email moves. 

I'm driven by quality and trust. Whether it's a single site move or a full data centre migration, I bring the same rigour: thorough audit, staged execution, zero data loss, and complete documentation handed over to you.

Location
Kochi, Kerala, India
Education
Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology Engineering
MG University, Kerala
Specialisations
Server Migrations DNS Management Email Migrations PCI Compliance Cloud Platforms Security Hardening
Contact
[email protected]

// work_history

Experience

Over a decade across hosting companies, data centres, and cloud platforms — in person and remote.

2020 – Present
Freelance
Remote · Upwork
Freelance Systems Engineer

Providing independent system administration via Upwork. Clients include PazHosting, Racknerd LLC, and iBrave Hosting. Responsible for server monitoring, backup management via custom Bash scripts and R1Soft, RAID configurations, and Apache/PHP/MySQL upgrades on live shared hosting servers.

Handled large-scale cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, and Virtualmin server migrations as part of data centre moves. Data recovery from broken servers via IPMI/KVM and SSH recovery mode. Cloud deployments and migrations on AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, and Linode.

cPanelPleskDirectAdminR1SoftAWSGCPDigitalOceanIPMI/KVM
2015 – 2016
Wiztelsys Server Technologies
Onsite
Software Engineer

Developed and maintained internal applications and front-end websites using PHP, CodeIgniter, Zend Framework, and MySQL. Handled WordPress installations, plugin/theme issues, and CMS support for clients.

PHPCodeIgniterZendMySQLWordPress
2013 – 2015
Aumento Performers Solutions
Onsite
Jr. System Administrator

Managed internal servers and desktops — security, software updates, OS upgrades, and backups for client application servers.

Linux AdminServer BackupsSecurity

What I handle

Every engagement is hands-on — I do the work myself, not a team of contractors.

[ website_transfer ]
Website Transfers

Full site moves between hosts — WordPress, static, Laravel, custom stacks. I handle file sync, database export/import, config rewrites, and cutover. You stay live throughout.

rsync MySQL WordPress PHP Nginx
[ dns_management ]
DNS Management

Zone file migrations, registrar transfers, TTL planning, split-horizon DNS, reverse DNS setup, and propagation monitoring. I don't cut over until every resolver agrees.

BIND9 Cloudflare Route 53 dig DNSSEC
[ server_migration ]
Server Migrations

Bare metal to VPS, VPS to cloud, OS upgrades, data centre moves. I audit your stack first, plan the migration window, and execute with a tested rollback path in place.

Ubuntu Debian CentOS AWS Hetzner
[ email_migration ]
Email Migrations

cPanel to Google Workspace, Postfix to Microsoft 365, IMAP-to-IMAP full folder sync. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configured correctly from day one — no mail ending up in spam.

Postfix Dovecot imapsync SPF/DKIM G Workspace
[ ssl_tls ]
SSL / TLS Setup

Let's Encrypt automation, wildcard certificates, certificate chain verification, and HTTPS redirect configuration. I also audit existing setups for weak ciphers and outdated protocols.

Certbot Let's Encrypt HSTS OpenSSL
[ web_server_config ]
Web Server Config

Nginx and Apache configuration, virtual host setup, reverse proxy chains, load balancer config, and caching layers. Clean configs, not copy-paste from Stack Overflow.

Nginx Apache HAProxy Varnish
// process

How a migration works

01
Audit & scope

I access your current environment and document what's running: software versions, database sizes, DNS records, mail accounts, SSL certs, cron jobs. No surprises mid-migration.

02
Staging run

The entire migration is performed on the target server first, while the source stays live. I test everything, fix issues, and confirm the destination environment is clean.

03
Cutover window

We schedule a low-traffic window. I lower DNS TTLs 24h ahead, run a final sync, and flip DNS. The old server stays live as a fallback until propagation confirms.

04
Verification & handover

I verify every URL, mail flow, and SSL cert on the new server. You get a full migration report — what was moved, config diffs, and instructions for your team.

migration_log.txt
[AUDIT] WordPress 6.4 · PHP 8.1 · MySQL 8.0
[AUDIT] DB size: 2.3 GB · Files: 18 GB
[AUDIT] DNS: 14 records found
[BACKUP] mysqldump ✓ rsync ✓
[STAGING] Deploy to target...
[STAGING] All tests passed ✓
[DNS] TTL → 300s (lowered)
[SYNC] Final rsync delta...
[CUTOVER] Updating A records...
[CUTOVER] Propagated: 8/8 resolvers ✓
[SSL] Certificate issued ✓
[DONE] Migration complete. 0 errors.

Tools & technologies

I work across the full Linux server stack — not just one distro or one control panel. If it runs on Linux, I can migrate it.

UbuntuOS
DebianOS
AlmaLinuxOS
NginxWeb Server
ApacheWeb Server
MySQLDatabase
PostgreSQLDatabase
PostfixMail MTA
DovecotMail IMAP
imapsyncMail Migration
BIND9DNS
CloudflareDNS / CDN
Route 53DNS
Let's EncryptSSL
cPanelControl Panel
PleskControl Panel
rsyncFile Sync
AWS EC2Cloud
HetznerCloud
DigitalOceanCloud
DockerContainers
AnsibleAutomation
BashScripting
WordPressCMS
// clients

What people say

"Couldn't be happier. I was looking for someone who could help with the migration of a couple WHM VPS servers from 2 different hosts to one host. She handled everything professionally and provided a high-level of quality. She communicates well and clearly knows what she's doing. Migration is done and I have no doubt I'll be starting another project with her shortly as I plan to keep working with her on demand as needed."

Sasha
Upwork · WHM/cPanel product specialist - Server migration and config - Long term

"I can't thank Alana enough for her outstanding work in migrating my website from Plesk to cPanel. She handled the entire process seamlessly, ensuring zero downtime and preserving all data perfectly. Her expertise, attention to detail, and professionalism made the transition smooth and stress-free. She was also incredibly responsive and took the time to answer all my questions. If you need someone who truly knows what they're doing, Alana is the one to trust! Highly recommended!"

Robert
Upwork · Website Migration

"Alana has done exceptional work across three contracts, demonstrating her expertise in server administration and her ability to handle complex tasks with professionalism and efficiency. She helped optimise my websites, ensuring backups, staging environments, and domain configurations were set up correctly. Her clear documentation and proactive communication made the process seamless. Alana's attention to detail and solutions-oriented approach provided valuable insights, simplifying my workflow. I highly recommend her for any server-related or technical website tasks."

Will
Upwork · WP website optimisation

"Excellent service throughout the migration of my three websites. She recommended a more cost-effective hosting platform, kept me updated at every stage, and completed the entire job efficiently. I would use Alana again — highly recommended."

Avtar
Upwork · End-to-End Hosting Migration for Existing Websites to New Hosting Platform

"Alana was very easy to work with. The provider did accurate work and was online most of the time so communication was excellent! Will gladly work with Alana again."

Ron
Upwork · Need Help Setting Up VPS — AlmaLinux 9 with cPanel/WHM
View my Upwork profile & reviews ↗ All reviews are verified by Upwork
// contact

Start a project

Response time Usually within 4 hours
Timezone IST (UTC+5:30) — flexible for global clients
Availability Open to new projects now
Rates Fixed-price per project