# Move your Openship instance
URL: https://openship.io/docs/guides/migrate-control-plane.md

Move control between Desktop and a server while keeping your projects, credentials and deployment ownership.

Moving an instance changes **where Openship manages your infrastructure**. Your apps and
volumes keep running on their existing servers. All workspaces, users, server connections,
projects, credentials, deployment history and backup settings travel together.

Use **Settings → Instance → Instance location**. Moving requires an instance administrator;
being the owner of an organization alone does not grant access to other organizations' data.
Openship Cloud's shared SaaS control plane cannot be moved this way.

## Desktop to a server

1. Choose **Move to a server**.
2. Select a connected server with the normal server picker. A managed Openship Cloud server
   is also a destination, using its existing subscription and execution connection.
3. Choose **Use through Desktop** to install only the API, or **Desktop + browser** to install
   the API and dashboard. Both need a reachable HTTPS address for webhooks and remote clients.
4. Choose a custom or free address. A custom domain must point to the destination server;
   a free address uses that server's Cloud routing connection.
5. On a fresh Desktop, choose **Continue** to set your account email and password. Your selected
   server, access mode and address stay in the same dialog. Account creation does not start the move.
6. Review and confirm. Openship deploys its normal API service with persistent database storage,
   verifies the receiving API and version, then transfers the instance.

The interface remains on your Desktop and connects to the new API. Work continues on the
server when Desktop closes. Team invitations, jobs and webhooks use the active server.

Team settings and a disabled push-to-deploy switch offer **Move to a server** when the
instance needs a reachable address. These shortcuts open the same destination setup.
An instance that already has a public address does not need to move; if its Openship app
only needs a domain, Team settings links directly to that domain setup.

Both ends must run the **same compatible Openship release**. The destination must be able to
pull its API/dashboard images. An older image is rejected before the source is paused.

## Use an existing instance

These are different actions:

- **Connect to an existing instance** is visible beside **Move to a server** on Desktop and uses a remote instance without copying its data. Enter its
  public URL or a team invitation link, then sign in with your account. A separate **Use a connection code**
  option accepts a code from your own signed-in account. Your separate local instance pauses;
  **Return to local instance** resumes it.
- **Move to a server → Existing instance** replaces the destination's data.
  On the destination, open **More instance options → Move an instance here → Create receive code**.
  Confirm replacement and create the code, then paste it into **Receive code from the destination** on the source.
  Confirm the move there too. A recovery snapshot is saved before replacement.

An active server shows **Connect a Desktop**, **Move to another server**, and **Move to Desktop**
as direct buttons. Connecting and moving use different codes: a connection code signs in as
the user who generated it; move and receive codes authorize an instance transfer. Creating
a transfer code reserves the handoff but does not copy or replace data by itself.

For either an API-only installation or one with a dashboard, enter `https://ops.example.com`.
Desktop locates the API on that same host. Existing `/api/proxy` addresses still work.
Codes expire after ten minutes and must only be shared with the intended instance/device.

Connecting Desktop does not remove a server's dashboard. **Use through Desktop** installs an
API-only destination when moving to a connected server; there is currently no in-place switch
that converts an existing API + dashboard installation to API-only. An existing API-only
installation can be connected to or receive a move using the same flow above.

Email/password and two-factor sign-in work inside Desktop. For a passkey or social sign-in,
sign in on the remote dashboard and choose **Settings → Instance → Connect a Desktop**. A paired
Desktop receives that user's permissions, not an instance administrator role. API-only
and full-dashboard invitation pages offer **Open in Desktop**. Confirm the instance address
in Desktop, then sign in and review the inviter, workspace and role before accepting.
Opening a link alone changes no membership. If Desktop does not open, copy the invitation
URL into the visible **Connect to an existing instance** button. A connection code is optional.
**Connect a Desktop** is available on hosted or connected instances. The code is for your
own device; invite another person through **Team** so they use their own account and permissions.

In **Settings → Team**, choose the recipient's email, role and resource access, then **Email**
or **Copy link**. Email uses the instance's configured mail service. Copy link also works
without a mail service, and always points to the remote instance when used from Desktop.
The recipient signs in or creates an invited account, accepts the invitation and enters that
organization. Other memberships on that instance remain available in the organization switcher. Links retain
their expiry, recipient binding and revocation controls in **Pending invitations**.

## Move back to Desktop

On a connected Desktop, choose **Move back to Desktop**. Openship transfers the **latest remote
data**, including work created since you moved. It does not reactivate an old local snapshot.
The source server retires before Desktop starts managing jobs and deployments.
If that instance manages apps on its own host, select its saved SSH connection in the
return dialog. The source verifies that it reaches the same host before any data moves.

You can also choose the visible **Move to Desktop** button on the server, confirm and choose **Create move code**,
then paste it into Desktop's **More instance options → Move an instance here → Paste move code** screen and confirm the move.
Desktop initiates the connection, so it does not need an
inbound public port.
This also works for an instance that started on a server and has never been connected to
Desktop, with or without a dashboard. The receiving Desktop's prior data is replaced only
after saving its recovery snapshot.

After returning, jobs depend on this computer being online. Update externally registered
webhook/callback addresses if the public address changes; a loopback Desktop cannot receive
public webhooks. The former API service and its storage remain until you remove them.
Choose **More instance options → Move to previous server** to send your latest data back there using the same
handoff. It reuses the API installation; it does not create another server or subscription.

## Local connections and credentials

Before moving, Openship checks for connections that cannot work from the destination:

- A source-local or loopback host needs a saved SSH connection to that **same host**. Openship
  verifies its host identity and preserves server ids, container ids, routes and volumes.
- SSH-agent credentials need a saved private key or password. File-backed private keys are
  carried using the existing credential export process.
- Local source folders need a Git repository. Local-folder backup destinations need a
  reachable SFTP destination. Existing deployments with no server binding must be assigned
  to a connected server first.

Credentials are encrypted in transit and resealed with the destination's encryption key.
SMTP, GitHub and Google integration configuration travels with the instance. Database URLs,
host paths, instance encryption keys and Cloud reseller authority do not replace the receiver's
own configuration. Browser sessions are invalidated; Desktop gets a new device session.
Passkeys remain tied to their original hostname, and external OAuth applications may need
updated callback URLs when that hostname changes.

## Interrupted moves

Openship pauses new control-plane changes and waits for running operations before taking the
snapshot. Your already-running app containers are not stopped. Requests arriving during the
handoff receive a retryable response; externally delivered webhooks may need redelivery.

Use **Resume move** after a network interruption or API restart. The saved journal prevents a
retry from importing over a newly active instance. Once the source has retired, it stays
inactive even if the activation reply was lost; there is no automatic fallback to stale data.

Before activation, **Cancel move** restores the receiver's saved recovery archive. Cancellation
needs the source's confirmation, so an unreachable peer may need to come back online first.
Recovery snapshots and the handoff capability are retained for thirty days. Resolve an
interrupted move within that window; older recovery requires operator assistance.

## Updating a hosted API

The active API project is protected from stopping or deleting itself. For an instance
installed by this flow, move control to Desktop, update the former API project's service
images through the normal deployment flow, and then choose **Move to previous server**.
CLI-installed instances continue to use `openship update` on their host.

## Backup and recovery files

**Settings → Instance → Backup & recovery** retains export/import for offline recovery and
selective project transfer. Current JSON exports include credentials in plaintext: protect the
file. Older encrypted archives still require their original password. A file import does not
retire another controller, so it is not a substitute for the live handoff above.

The CLI uses the same archive endpoints:

```bash
openship system data-transfer export --out openship-export.osx
openship system data-transfer import --file openship-export.osx --mode merge --yes
```

The export is written with private file permissions. `merge` retains destination records on
conflict; `wipe` replaces the destination's data and requires signing in as the imported owner.
Use these options for reviewed recovery or selective transfer. The earlier
`openship system migration start` command remains disabled; it does not run the handoff above.

See [Settings](/docs/dashboard/settings) for archive options and
[server-to-server migration](/docs/guides/server-to-server-migration) to move an application's
runtime and volumes instead of its control plane.