Certified Jenkins Engineer
Jenkins Administration and Monitoring Part 2
Demo Migrating Jenkins to Another Node
In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to migrate your Jenkins controller—including all configurations, plugins, and jobs—from one VM to another. We’ll walk through creating a backup on the source node, transferring it to the target node, and restoring everything so Jenkins comes up with zero data loss.
Environment Overview
| VM Name | IP Address | Role |
|---|---|---|
| jenkins-controller-1 | 64.227.x.x | Source node |
| ubuntu-docker-jdk17-node20 | 165.232.191.207 | Target node |
Prerequisites
- Jenkins versions must match on both VMs.
- JDK versions must be identical.
- You need
root(or sudo) access on both machines.
Warning
If the Jenkins or JDK versions differ, you risk plugin incompatibilities or startup failures.
Always verify versions before proceeding.
1. Archive Jenkins on the Source Node
1.1 Connect via SSH
ssh [email protected]
1.2 Verify the Jenkins Home Directory
cd /var/lib
ls -ld jenkins
Note
You should see jenkins owned by the jenkins user with proper read/write permissions.
1.3 Stop and Disable Jenkins
systemctl stop jenkins
systemctl disable jenkins
1.4 Create a Compressed Backup
cd /var/lib
tar -czf jenkins-backup.tar.gz jenkins
1.5 Confirm the Backup
ls -lh jenkins-backup.tar.gz
2. Copy the Backup to the Target Node
Use scp to securely transfer the backup file:
scp /var/lib/jenkins-backup.tar.gz [email protected]:/tmp/
3. Prepare the Target Node
3.1 SSH into the Target
ssh [email protected]
3.2 Inspect Current Jenkins Status
systemctl status jenkins
Note
On fresh installs, Jenkins displays a “Getting Started” page and prompts for an initial admin password. Retrieve it from:
/var/lib/jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPassword
3.3 Stop and Disable Jenkins
systemctl stop jenkins
systemctl disable jenkins
3.4 Deploy the Backup
# Move the tarball into Jenkins home
mv /tmp/jenkins-backup.tar.gz /var/lib/
cd /var/lib
3.5 (Optional) Backup Existing Jenkins Directory
tar -czf jenkins.bak.tar.gz jenkins
rm -rf jenkins
3.6 Extract and Set Permissions
tar -xzf jenkins-backup.tar.gz
chown -R jenkins:jenkins jenkins
4. Start Jenkins on the Target Node
4.1 Enable and Launch the Service
systemctl enable jenkins
systemctl start jenkins
4.2 Verify the Service
systemctl status jenkins
Finally, open your browser to http://165.232.191.207:8080. You should see your familiar Jenkins dashboard with all jobs, credentials, and plugins intact. Congratulations, your Jenkins controller has been successfully migrated!
Links and References
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