WHMCS & Blesta - Migration from HEXONET to CentralNic Reseller

Introduction

This article provides a brief overview of the necessary steps to replace your Domain Registrar from "HEXONET" (HX) to "CentralNic Reseller" (CNR) in WHMCS and Blesta.

NOTE: Also double check our guide on How to Get Started as a CentralNic Reseller for some manual steps that might be required for getting your account correctly configured.

WHMCS Migration from HEXONET to CentralNic Reseller

Note: This guide addresses two HEXONET Modules:

• The one included with WHMCS (registrar identifier: hexonet) and
• the one available in our Software Bundle (registrar identifier: ispapi).

When referring to "HEXONET" as the Domain Provider, please consider "ISPAPI" as well.

Software Installation

1. Install our Software Bundle from WHMCS Marketplace. You can find the installation and upgrade instructions here.
2. Review our guides, "WHMCS - Module Installation & Upgrade" and "WHMCS - Registrar Module", for detailed instructions. If you plan to use additional addons, consult the relevant articles as well.

Once installed, activated, and configured, our CNR Registrar Module for WHMCS should look like this:

Lookup Provider and TLDs

1. Navigate to "System Settings" > "Domain Pricing"
2. Change the "Auto Registration" settings to switch all TLDs from HEXONET to CentralNic Reseller. This may take some time, but you can use the following SQL Statement to assist with the process:

   UPDATE tbldomainpricing SET autoreg = 'cnic'
    WHERE autoreg = 'hexonet' OR autoreg = 'ispapi';

3. Manually update the Lookup Provider to the CentralNic Reseller Module (ensure it displays a version number in label/logo).

Your Domains

1. Go to the WHMCS Admin Area, navigate to "Clients" > "Domain Registrations"
2. For each migrated domain update the registrar from HEXONET (or ISPAPI) to CentralNic Reseller (version number inluded in the label). If all your domains are already technically migrated, use this SQL Statement:

   UPDATE tbldomains SET registrar = 'cnic'
    WHERE registrar = 'hexonet' OR registrar = 'ispapi';

WHMCS' built-in CentralNic Reseller Module

• Note that the built-in module is less stable and not compatible with all additional addons we offer.  If you started with this module, follow the steps above to migrate to our version. Use these SQL statements:

  UPDATE tbldomainpricing SET autoreg = 'cnic'
   WHERE autoreg = 'centralnic';
  
  UPDATE tbldomains SET registrar = 'cnic'
   WHERE registrar = 'centralnic';

Synchronizing Activated TLDs from a Hexonet Account to a CentralNic Reseller Account

Additional potential Steps

• Ensure that your account's renewal mode for CentralNic Reseller is configured to "Auto Expire". Find this documented here under section "Domain Renewal Mode"
• Check the Registrar Module Settings of our CentralNic Reseller Registrar Module and activate/configure them to fit your needs.
• If you have custom cron scripts, hook subscriptions, or other custom developments, and need assistance with migration, please reach out for support.

Potential Problems

• Premium Domain Names: WHMCS keeps the renewal pricing of the domain for reuse in its database (see table tbldomains_extra). Whenever the renewal pricing changes, which may happen if you switch to another Provider or whenever the underlying TLD Provider announced an price increase, WHMCS will be ending in an Renewal Error because of that pricing mismatch. This is basically a barrier that we introduced to protect our customers from losing money. Sadly, WHMCS Core does not offer some tooling or a process for automatically or manually updating the premium domain renewal price - we had a session often enough with them and a pricing change isn't expected for premium domains to happen at all in their opinion. The reality looks different ...
  If you need help with such cases, please reach out to us.
• SSL Certificates won't be migrated at all. Ensure to create new SSL Certificates at CentralNic Reseller to get them replaced right at time.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Blesta Migration from HEXONET (ispapi) to CentralNic Reseller (cnr)

This guide explains how to migrate your domains from Hexonet (ispapi) to CentralNic Reseller (CNR). The process has been streamlined and you will need to extract and install the CentralNic Reseller module, configure your credentials, and use Blesta’s interface to complete the migration. This guide will walk you through the necessary steps.

Prerequisites

Before starting the migration, ensure you have the following:

• The CentralNic Reseller module downloaded and extracted.
• The correct username and password for your CentralNic Reseller account.
• A full backup of your Blesta database.

Option 1: Use the UI (Recommended for Simpler Cases)

1. Extract the CentralNic Reseller Module

Extract the module into the components/modules folder within your Blesta installation directory.

2. Install and Configure the CentralNic Reseller Module

1. Log in to your Blesta admin panel.
2. Navigate to: Settings > Modules > Available.
3. Find the CentralNic Reseller module.
4. Click Activate for the CentralNic Reseller module.
5. Navigate to: Settings > Modules > Installed.
6. Click Manage next to the CentralNic Reseller module.
7. Add your CentralNic Reseller credentials and save the configuration.

3. Migrate Domains from Hexonet to CentralNic Reseller

Now that the CentralNic Reseller module is configured, follow these steps to migrate your domains:

1. Navigate to: Billing > Domains.
2. Select the domains you wish to migrate or use the bulk selection option.
3. Click the action list and select Change Registrar.
4. Choose CentralNic Reseller as the new registrar.
5. Submit to apply the change.

4. Migrate TLDs from Hexonet to CentralNic Reseller

After migrating the domains, you need to update the TLD settings:

1. Navigate to: Packages > Domain Options > TLD Pricing.
2. Click the toggle filters and select Hexonet (Ispapi) as the current registrar module.
3. Update the relevant TLDs by selecting CentralNic Reseller as their registrar module.

Option 2: Use SQL for Full Control (Advanced)

If you want more control or need to change specific rows in bulk (e.g. across multiple module row IDs), use SQL:

Step 1: Identify Relevant Module Row IDs

-- HEXONET (ispapi)
SELECT mr.id AS module_row_id
FROM module_rows mr
JOIN modules m ON m.id = mr.module_id
WHERE m.class = 'ispapi';

-- CentralNic Reseller (cnr)
SELECT mr.id AS module_row_id
FROM module_rows mr
JOIN modules m ON m.id = mr.module_id
WHERE m.class = 'cnr';

Example output:

• ispapi row IDs: 10, 11
• cnr row ID: 25 (your target)

Step 2 (optional): Backup Affected Service Records

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS services_module_backup AS
SELECT id AS service_id, module_row_id
FROM services
WHERE module_row_id IN (
  SELECT mr.id
  FROM module_rows mr
  JOIN modules m ON m.id = mr.module_id
  WHERE m.class = 'ispapi'
);

Step 3: Perform the Update

UPDATE services
SET module_row_id = 25
WHERE module_row_id IN (
  SELECT mr.id
  FROM module_rows mr
  JOIN modules m ON m.id = mr.module_id
  WHERE m.class = 'ispapi'
);

Replace 25 with your actual CNR module row ID.

Post-Migration

Once the migration is complete, test the following domain-related functions to ensure everything is working properly:

1. Navigate to Domains: Go to Clients > [Client] > Domains and review some domains to ensure they’re now under the CentralNic Reseller module.
2. Test Domain Operations: For a few domains:
   • Perform WHOIS lookups to confirm they’re managed by the CentralNic Reseller.
   • Test domain renewals.
   • Test nameserver updates to ensure they are applied successfully.
3. Monitor Domain Activity: Check that all expected registrar operations are functioning properly in the CentralNic Reseller module after the switch.
4. Review if Domain registration, Domain renewal and Domain management (e.g., updating DNS records) functionality is working correctly.
5. Review Daily Sync/Cron Jobs:
   • Ensure your daily cron jobs or sync processes are running correctly.
   • Verify that the data (e.g., domain expiry dates, status, nameservers) is being updated properly.

Notes

• Domain Ownership: This migration only changes which registrar module Blesta is using to manage your domains. Ownership of the domains remains with your CentralNic Reseller account.
• Cron Jobs & Custom Hooks: If you have cron jobs, custom modules, or any hooks referencing ispapi, ensure they are updated to work with cnr.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have successfully migrated your domains and TLDs from Hexonet (ispapi) to CentralNic Reseller (CNR). The process involves installing and configuring the module, migrating domains and TLDs through Blesta’s interface, and testing the system to ensure everything functions correctly.

For more detailed guidance, you can refer to the official migration guide here.

If you need additional assistance with the migration, please contact Blesta support. They are well-equipped to help with more advanced cases.