Migrate

Migrate brings files onto one of your VPS from somewhere else:

• Import ("Migrate to Helipod"): a Linux server outside Helipod runs a one-time command that uploads it, encrypted. Helipod checks the upload (operating system, size, file count), then you restore folders or the whole server onto the VPS.
• Copy: a restore point of one of your VPS (see Backups) is restored onto another of your VPS.

Migrations are free. An import is kept for 7 days, so it can be restored more than once, then it is deleted. The same features are in the dashboard's Migrate tab.

How an import worksCopy Anchor Link

1. Start an import on the target VPS. The answer has a one-time command: curl -fsSL https://api.helipod.io/migrate/… | sudo bash.
2. Run it as root on the old server. It works once and expires in 1 hour. With sourceIp it only works from that IP. It uploads in the background, so the terminal can be closed.
3. Follow the status: waiting → uploading → inspecting → uploaded. While it uploads you can pause, resume or stop it.
4. Check fetchedIp (who ran the command), then restore it with confirmSource: true the first time.

The command is shown once, in the answer that creates it. Lost or expired: get a new command.

List migrationsCopy Anchor Link

curl https://api.helipod.io/api/vps/1f757fd5-98d1-490a-81a0-58b5798a5815/migrations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer hel_your_key"

{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "2746f3c3-ae6f-4944-9d46-a8fb5e34221a",
      "kind": "import",
      "status": "uploaded",
      "targetVpsId": "1f757fd5-98d1-490a-81a0-58b5798a5815",
      "sourcePointId": null,
      "sourceOs": "ubuntu-24.04",
      "sourceBytes": 3308296246,
      "mode": null,
      "paths": null,
      "restoreTarget": null,
      "commandExpiresAt": null,
      "sourceIp": "203.0.113.10",
      "fetchedIp": "203.0.113.10",
      "fetchedAt": "2026-10-21T00:03:31.000Z",
      "fetchedAgent": "curl/8.5.0",
      "sourceConfirmedAt": null,
      "result": { "hostname": "old-server", "files": 25238 },
      "error": null,
      "expiresAt": "2026-10-28T00:02:11.000Z",
      "createdAt": "2026-10-21T00:02:11.000Z",
      "updatedAt": "2026-10-21T00:09:02.000Z"
    }
  ]
}

While an upload or a command-run restore runs, result also has:

Get a migrationCopy Anchor Link

Poll it every 15 to 30 seconds while it runs.

Start an importCopy Anchor Link

curl -X POST https://api.helipod.io/api/vps/1f757fd5-98d1-490a-81a0-58b5798a5815/migrations/import \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer hel_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "sourceIp": "203.0.113.10" }'

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "migration": { "id": "2746f3c3-ae6f-4944-9d46-a8fb5e34221a", "kind": "import", "status": "waiting", "commandExpiresAt": "2026-10-21T01:02:11.000Z", "sourceIp": "203.0.113.10" },
    "command": "curl -fsSL https://api.helipod.io/migrate/Xr3…kQ | sudo bash"
  }
}

Run command as root on the old server. It needs bash and curl (it installs curl and bzip2 itself when missing), uploads the main disk (/) except system, temporary and cache folders, and dumps running MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL databases into /var/backups/helipod-db first. Nothing stays installed on the server afterwards.

New commandCopy Anchor Link

The previous command stops working, and a job still running with it is told to stop. The answer has the same shape as Start an import.

Pause, resume or stopCopy Anchor Link

curl -X POST https://api.helipod.io/api/vps/1f757fd5-98d1-490a-81a0-58b5798a5815/migrations/2746f3c3-ae6f-4944-9d46-a8fb5e34221a/control \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer hel_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "action": "pause" }'

action is pause, resume or stop. The job follows within a few seconds; result.control.state shows when it has. Stop is final: the migration becomes failed, and a new command starts the upload again, reusing what was already uploaded where possible. On the server itself the same works with sudo helipod-migrate pause | resume | stop (and helipod-restore for a restore), and both stay in sync.

Restore an importCopy Anchor Link

curl -X POST https://api.helipod.io/api/vps/1f757fd5-98d1-490a-81a0-58b5798a5815/migrations/2746f3c3-ae6f-4944-9d46-a8fb5e34221a/restore \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer hel_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "mode": "files", "paths": ["/var/www", "/home", "/var/backups/helipod-db"], "target": "folder", "confirmSource": true }'

full needs a VPS of the full-VM kind (providerCode 2) running the same OS and version as the upload (sourceOs); otherwise restore folders. The restore runs in the background; follow it with Get a migration. An import can be restored again until it expires.

Copy to another VPSCopy Anchor Link

curl -X POST https://api.helipod.io/api/vps/1f757fd5-98d1-490a-81a0-58b5798a5815/backup/points/5d0e…/copy \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer hel_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "targetVpsId": "9a8b7c6d-…", "mode": "files", "paths": ["/var/www"], "target": "folder" }'

The copy is listed on the target VPS (List migrations with the target's id). If the answer has a command, the target's management agent could not be reached: run that one-time command as root on the target instead.

Delete a migrationCopy Anchor Link

A running upload is told to stop. Not possible while a restore or the upload check runs (BUSY).

ErrorsCopy Anchor Link

Migrate answers like the rest of the VPS API (Errors): a VPS or migration that does not exist or is outside your key's scope is 404; a business rule is 400 with one of these codes: