[BALUG-Admin] list migrations, etc.

[Michael Paoli]

So, ... first list migration seemed go quite smoothly enough.
All looks good in logs, etc.  (mail generally making it out
fine, not seeing any problems with mail coming in, etc.).

General plan for the remaining lists is to do a migration
about every 2 or 3 days (we go up significantly in magnitude of
members on each successive list) - giving a reasonable bit
of time between in case any issues are detected at all.

After that, proceeding with the further steps to
get us off of DreamHost.com - notably requesting the raw
email archives (I figure they're more likely to do it, and less
likely to screw it up, if we just ask 'em for all 3 lists archive
files at the same time - and once each of those lists has effectively
transitioned to "read-only" mode on ye olde DreamHost.com hosting).
That and some other quite small bits to check and be sure are finally
and fully sucked out'a DreamHost ... then we're nearly done (then
come major DNS changes, etc. - but that becomes fully independent of
DreamHost.com).

Anyway, hoping/expecting it'll all be wrapped up within this month.
Optimistically, maybe even by about mid-month or so or possibly even
bit before that.  We'll see.  Biggest variable timing bit is how
fast can we get DreamHost.Com to respond once we put in our request
(and will they get it correct and not screw it up the first time
around).

Also, temp.balug.org and robots.txt - I've got that set presently
to deny all bots.  Will adjust that after archives are merge and
brought over, and after lists.balug.org moves off of DreamHost.com
and to the new host.  In the meantime, I think bots not finding archive
contents for a modest while - and especially at a temporary domain
location anyway - isn't a particularly big deal.  Let me know if
you think otherwise.  :-)  (certainly a debatable point).

> From: "Michael Paoli" <Michael.Paoli@cal.berkeley.edu>
> Subject: (BALUG) list migration procedure - high-level
> Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2017 05:21:34 -0700

> "Of course" this is just the "high-level", but basic outline of
> execution of list migration procedure (per list) goes about like
> this (this is actual outline I used to walk myself through it to
> be reasonably sure I didn't miss a step or do significantly
> sub-optimal ordering of steps, the
> ... dump subscribers and options ... and
> set member options
> steps are the ones using the written perl WWW::Mechanize programs):
>
> old list:
>     save old descriptions:
>         description
>         info
>         subject_prefix
>     save start time and dump subscrbers and options (and end time is mtime)
>     update BALUG web page (migrating)
>     send out "last" posting
>     to "read-only": "emergency" moderation
>     update description on list (read-only, etc.)
> new list/host:
>     create new list:
>         add aliases before notifying list admin(s)
>         set description: short text
>         set tag (from initial cap)
>         set description: web page
>         check/set options (notably DMARC)
>     stop exim (MTA)
>         mass subscribe
>         set member options
>     start exim (MTA)
>     update BALUG web page (new link(s))
>     first posting to new list