Often a Unifi site will be configured using the Unifi controller software installed on the customer's server, workstation or the technician's laptop. Using a Unifi Cloud Key or a central cloud hosted Unifi controller is often a more manageable long term solution. Multiple Cloud Keys can be managed and accessed via https://unifi.ui.com.
These are the steps one should take to move a site from one controller to another. We will assume the scenario of a customer's site having been configured on a field technician's laptop which has multiple sites configured and just this one is being moved to a Cloud Key that will stay on the customer's site. The Unifi controller hosted on the technician's laptop may have multiple customer's sites configured on it.
Before you start.
Make a Full Unifi Full Backup
Start by making a FULL settings backup of the technician's laptop Unifi controller. Keep this backup safe in case you need to roll back any changes made during this process.
Prepare the Destination Cloud Key.
Run through the usual initialisation steps on the Cloud Key and allow it to create a default site with no Unifi devices in it.
Ensure that the Cloud Key has the same or newer version of the Unifi controller compared to that on the technicians laptop and is reachable from the site where the Unifi hardware is installed. If the Cloud Key is installed locally then check that it has a pingable IP address on the LAN. If it's installed off-site then ensure that it has a reachable IP address or FQDN and that the appropriate ports are open for access from the site where the Unifi hardware is installed. The Unifi Ports Used guide lists the ports required to have open.
Use the Unifi Controller Site Migration Tool
1. Start the export tool.
Using the Unifi controller installed on the technician's laptop Go to the Settings > Site page and click the grey Export Site button at the bottom right. This will start the site migration tool.
2. Download the Site Configuration Backup file.
Click the blue Download backup file button and save the .UNF file somewhere safe where you can retrieve it again easily.
Once the backup is done the site migration tool will prompt with the next step.
3. Import the site.
In the Cloud Key Unifi controller click on the current site name at the top right and select Import Site from the bottom of that list.
Enter the name of the site that you're migrating first then click Choose file and select the .UNF backup file you made in the previous step from the technician's laptop Unifi controller. Once the file is selected the import process will be actioned.
4. Set destination and select devices.
Back on the Technician's Laptop Unifi controller click the Confirm button to confirm that the site has been imported on the new controller.
You will then be prompted for the URL for the Cloud Key. This can be either its IP address or FQDN. If you are using a non-standard control port you can set that here. The default port number is 8080 and it is recommended not to change that unless absolutely necessary.
Below that you can select which devices are to be moved to the new controller. Usually this will be all of the listed devices. Select the devices to migrate then click the Migrate devices button. This will set the inform URL on those selected devices pointing them to the new controller.
5. Check the new Controller.
After a few minutes the devices should start to show connected in the Cloud Key Unifi Controller's list of devices.