How to cancel or transfer a contract?

[thorvald]

Currently I have a number of contracts, but due to the problems with the software and my router I would like to cancel all contracts. But instead of just stopping the server I would like to transfer the contract to another host, thus making sure the renter still has the file stored. By concept I could use some of my collateral if it was more expensive, so it would not cost the renter anything.

How can I do that ?

And what I really want is the SIA-network to stop calling me so we can get back a stable internet connection, but I think the use case is an interesting part in SIA

[Taek]

So, there's no way to cancel a contract, and this is by design. It falls into the same category as reversing a Bitcoin payment - you're agreeing to keep the data so that the renter can have a greater certainty that their file will be there when they come back.

Right now, the best you can do is copy the whole host folder over onto the new machine. After copying, the host will be looking in the same directories for the storage folders that you added to it. So, if on the current machine you have storage in /storage/folder1, you'll need to copy your storage data to /storage/folder1 on your new machine as well. Then, while siad is running, you can add a new folder and delete the old folder and the data will be safely transferred by the host from one to the other.

It seems like moving host data from one machine to another is a common use case. I'll look into ways we can improve the process, though I'm not sure there's a better way to do if you are migrating TBs of data.

[thorvald]

I might not have been clear about the mening of another host. What I was thinking about was to pay another host (Not my host) to overtake the obligation of storing the file.
As I understand the current functionality I will lose my collateral if I do not provide the file upon request

[Taek]

oh, there is no way to pay another host. Sia is designed to have hosts go offline, you will not get inbetween people and their files by leaving, as long as at least half of the network sticks around for longer. There is high redundancy.