Re: [cobalt-users] A Dedicated mail server

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bruce Timberlake wrote:

> > And, last question, how many times should our customers let the old
> > www. xyz mail domain in the mail software? 24 hours after the DNS
> > changes, + 24 hours more, to be sure ?
> 
> That depends on how long it takes for the DNS to propogate around the
> internet... I'm sure some of the DNS gurus (Jeff?) can comment much
> more authoritatively on the sequencing of DNS moves from one server
> to another.

Some of the Internet will keep trying to send email to the old system
for as long as a week, as many mailservers don't recognize TTL in MX DNS
<frown>.

I'd change the client servers to the new box immediately, and use a
formail (note spelling) command to send mail already in the mailboxes on
the old box to the new box immediately.  Then I'd turn off email aliases
on the old box in the gui... then I'd manually set up forwarding like
this in /etc/mail/virtusertable on the old box:

@example.com	%1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

where mail.example.com is pointed to the new box by a DNS MX record. 
(If mail.example.com was on the old box, use a new name instead, and be
sure to set up the new RaQ to accept mail for it.)

> Moving the mail receipts from one server to another without
> interrupting mail service to the customers, especially if they have
> to change their mail software, is not a 'simple' task.  Again I
> question why you are considering this for all your domains in the
> first place.

I agree.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman, nobaloney.net, P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517 US
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