[support] changing host: dealing with mails

[Nicolas Tostin]

My 2 cts:
Regarding migrating emails, I think the best way to go is using imapsync,
I've used some help from the zimbra folks
http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=User_Migration#imapsync_over_SSL

Good luck

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Victor Trac" <victor.trac at gmail.com>
To: <support at drupal.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 3:56 AM
Subject: Re: [support] changing host: dealing with mails


> On Wed, Mar 12, 2008 at 10:09 AM, Augustin (Beginner)
> <drupal.beginner at wechange.org> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> >
> >  One of my web sites is changing host. I have prepared the Drupal
> >  files, and used /etc/hosts to test the Drupal site at its new
> >  location. Now, I only need to shut down the site, make a last sql
> >  dump, import it and then, lastly, change the DNS.
> >
> >  But it only now occurred to me that migrating a web server is only
> >  half of changing hosts.
> >
> >  What about mails?
> >
> >
> >  What is a good procedure to migrate all the mails on the server, and
> >  also to make sure that no mail is lost during the DNS change (during
> >  the propagation of the new DNS)?
> >
> >  I have not found a page on the web about a best practice about
> >  changing hosts, what data to migrate, what not, and how to be
> >  prepared to avoid troubles.
> >
> >  Any hints?
> >
> >  Thanks.
> >
> >  Augustin.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  --
> >
> >  --
> >  [ Drupal support list | http://lists.drupal.org/ ]
> >
>
> This is not really Drupal related, but it kinds of depends on how the
> mail is stored on the server.  On many hosts this could be ~/.Maildir,
> ~/.maildir, or depending on how the system is configured, a completely
> different format altogether (mbox).  If you are running the same POP
> or IMAP server with the same settings on both servers, you could
> simply just copy these files.  With IMAP, I've found a simpler, and
> often more reliable, solution is to use a mail client like Thunderbird
> to create an account on both servers (connect via IP address if you
> must), then just drag the mail folders from one account to the other.
>
> As for MX DNS, you can lower your domain's TTL to 10 minutes or so a
> day or two before you migrate so that when you make the MX change, the
> old record won't be cached by other DNS servers for more than 10
> minutes.  After migration, bring the TTL back up to some thing
> reasonable, e.g. 12hrs.  You probably don't have to worry though, as
> most mail transfer agents will try to find a mail server for a day or
> two before giving up.
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> --Victor
>
> -- 
> http://www.victortrac.com
> -- 
> [ Drupal support list | http://lists.drupal.org/ ]