Moving data from one server to another

Paul Lussier p.lussier at comcast.net
Fri Dec 1 21:30:24 EST 2006


"David Hardy" <belovedbold357 at gmail.com> writes:

> The PHBs want to move the whole shebang over to the new server and then
> worry about other stuff later.  We've told them a dozen times that this
> won't necessarily work,

s/won't necessarily/definitely won't/.

> but they think it's a simple copy/mapping/renaming operation.

Who's the most technically qualified person to make this call?  Ask
them to explain in precise and excruciating detail how they recommend
this operation be done.

> We were thinking that we'd like to back up the old server's data to tape

Do *NOT* ignore this instinct!!!

> and then move it to the new server, but one PHB called that notion
> "half-baked."

It sounds like he's whole-baked.  Ask him who his supplier is, I'd
like some of whatever he's smoking.

> We also thought about using Amanda but it would be a
> bit more complex and a learning process all the way through.

I'm not sure what amanda would buy you here.  Amanda is a network
backup system.  It's point is to centralize the management of backing
up numerous systems scattered around the network and bring the data to
a single host with a single backup device connected rather than attach
backup devices to each system you want backed up.  Think of amanda as
a print-server for backups :)

My advice is to figure out where everything is on the old system, take
copious and detailed notes and attempt to copy it manually over to the
new system and keep trying to get the stuff to work.  It sounds like,
based on your description, that this piece-meal, trial-and-error
method is the best and safest bet.  The downside is it's slow and
tedious.  The upside is, by the end, you'll a) have it all over there,
b) have it completely documented it, c) know how this stuff works
inside and out, and d) know where you need/can make improvements.

b) is the most important ;)

-- 
Seeya,
Paul
--
Key fingerprint = 1660 FECC 5D21 D286 F853  E808 BB07 9239 53F1 28EE

A: Yes.                                                               
> Q: Are you sure?                                                    
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