Timeline

This page documents the order (and possibly dates/times) in which the build process should/will/has proceed(ed). We should use it as a check-list, to ensure that we get everything done. Documentation of the process is not included, as it is assumed that documentation will proceed in parallel with all steps. This time-line also covers much of the migration of services and accounts from the AIX boxes to the new Linux servers.

• Purchase new hardware (done, early July)
• Install OS (Debian 3.1) on both new servers (July 30)
  • Determine partitioning scheme
  • Determine initial package selection
  • Get temp IPs for new servers
  • Run script -t as early as possible
  • Make sure we document everything we do (especially WHY we choose various options)
• Install and configure basic services (July 30, 31)
  • Firewall
  • Security updates
  • SSH
  • sudo
  • Initial user accounts (for those working on server build)
  • DNS caching
  • Logging
  • NTP
  • Misc additional software (per user requests)
  • Backups
    • Determine how to create the backups
    • Determine where to send them
    • Determine what to back up
      • /etc
      • /home
      • /var (portions, like the email queues, IMAP stores, web [if not in /home])
      • /usr/local
      • MySQL, PostgreSQL databases
      • Web sites, Wiki site
    • Schedule the backups to run periodically
  • Other maintenance tasks
    • Regular security updates (cron?)
    • Cron jobs
    • Reminders
    • Log rotation
    • Log analysis
    • Reports, stats
    • Documentation of various tasks
      • User creation, including what groups exist, and what each is for
• Find co-location for servers (mid-December)
  • Install servers in co-location facility (January 16)
  • Configure servers to reside in co-location facility (January 16)
    • IP address changes
    • Configuration items that depend on the IP address
• Web site(s) (February)
  • Apache virtual hosts
  • Install/configure DokuWiki (at wiki.sluug.org) (December 30)
  • Install/configure CMS
    • MySQL
    • PostgreSQL
    • Replicate accounts/passwords/groups from system
  • Move/replicate/replace existing pages from old site(s)
    • Probably start with sites that don't currently have their own domain name and have little content
      • HazLUG
      • StCLUG
  • Search function
  • Change DNS record to point to new site
  • Monitor logs for 404 errors that users get, fix them
• User accounts (not needed until we move users' web pages or email to new servers)
  • Copy over accounts (including passwords)
    • Possibly fix any issues regarding user IDs
    • Where do home directories reside?
  • Document process of creating new accounts on old and new servers, and keeping them synced
• Email (March)
  • SMTP (Postfix)
  • Spam filter (SpamAssassin)
  • User-defined server-side filtering/sorting/processing (sieve/procmail)
  • IMAP (Cyrus)
  • Webmail (Horde IMP)
  • Mailing lists (including web page to manage subscriptions)
• Move production SMTP record to new server (March)
  • Test everything using SLUUG.INFO domain
  • Change MX record in SLUUG.ORG DNS record
  • Point michelob/dark users at new IMAP server
• Move all authentication/authorization to LDAP (May)
  • Install OpenLDAP
    • Determine and configure schema
    • Set ACLs on database
    • Replicate accounts/passwords/groups from system
  • Implement some form of replication
  • Configure apps to point at LDAP server(s)
    • SSH/system login
    • Webmail
    • CMS
    • Wiki
    • RADIUS?
    • AIX systems?
• Full LDAP multi-master replication (August)
• More web services?
  • Calendar
  • Web Forum
  • Blogs

Should we possibly consider implimenting LDAP earlier in the build process? Principally as it may ease the integration of additional/existing machines and moving accounts? - Carl Fitch