Linux

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Migrate users to new server - Process?

0 helpful
7 replies

by trule

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Background: This is a high school. I do
(part-time) tech support - I have to teach
most of the day, though, so I don't get a lot
of sit-and-think-this-through time.

We have an old server running linux 2.0.x (on
a Pentium 90 box) Just received a new Penguin
machine (PIII @ 850 - should be a tad
faster).
First question - it came with Red Hat 6.2
installed, but with RedHat 7 box set. Should
we stick with 6.2, or go ahead and install 7?

Second question: What is the best process for
migrating my 600+ users (with home
directories and email accounts) to the new
server? Howzabout the web sites as well?

General info: we use this one box for NFS,
Samba, atalk, web, email, and dns services.

The new one will be a replacement for the old
one - we'll be using the same IP
address/serv

7 replies

by landlord

Don't worry too much about it,Buddy.
Just go ahead to install 7.0, then
find latest update from update.redhat.com
for your 7.0 and do update.
To migrate, you can transfer the old shadow
file to have the encryped password store in /etc/passwd first. then copy this file
to your 7.0 box, and reverse
into /etc/shadow .
On your web server, it is simple, if the two Apache have the same dir layout. Just copy.
If different, copy the old httpd.conf
into 7.0 Box, then edit those related path.
such as DocumentRoot/ServerRoot etc.

assign the new server a different ip first,
then have all the old files copied into the new one through LAN.
If you have tape drives on both server,
cpio or tar will make your life easier.

by rob wolfe

My only hesitation with the above suggestion is that you go ahead and upgrade to 7.0. If you have a working 6.2 installation everything I have seen so far tells me not to mess with it. There are a fair number of little "gotcha's" in 7.0 (directory structure changes ...etc) that would scare me off it (if I were you) until after I had time to "sit and think".

Note that I am not saying that 7.0 is a piece of crap or will break your system just that there are a few things that are moved aroundand thus you might not go immediately to the right place when you have a problem.

Just my ramblings on the topic.

by bulch

Remember to copy /var/spool/mail (or /var/mail) to new server - it is default place for email inbox.
And many users can still have mail there, especialy in case of IMAP.

This discussion is closed to new replies.