As previously mentioned, the VAX cluster is scheduled to be decommissioned starting the end of this year. In order to establish a smooth transition, I am publishing the phase out schedule and migration information in order to help you plan your activities and not be adversely affected. Reminders will start going out 2 weeks prior to an event.

There is much work to be done and I believe that I have covered all the bases. However if you see something missing or have concerns as to the timeline or procedures, please contact me directly at x2830.

The dates

During the week of January 18, 1999, the VAX mail server WILL be terminated. This means that any mail you normally receive on the VAX will not be accepted by the VAX. In order to minimize the inconveniences I am planning on the following:

• On January 18, 1999, the Domain Name Servers will be updated informing the Internet community that the node Nevis with the IP address 192.12.82.2 will now be known as the address 192.12.82.3. This is the same address as the SGI so all mail will be ACCEPTED by the SGI. The SGI will then STILL be known as NEVIS1.

• On or around January 18, 1999 - The entire VAX cluster will be shutdown for an extended period (2-3 days) for the purpose of totally rebuilding the cluster. At that time, the dual boot node operation will be removed and Nevis6 will be decommissioned. Files currently on Nevis6 will be moved over to Nevis0. NevisM and one of the Alpha machines, either Nevis4 or NevisO, will be decommissioned as well.

• On or around January 30, 1999, normal backup operations will cease on the cluster. A final image backup will be made and all other backups will be done at the request of specific users - for example Matt Moulson who is completing his work on the system.

The migration

ALIASING

On the SGI, aliases in the postmaster account will be created to handle certain incoming mail messages and forward them accordingly. For example: if your user name on the SGI is not the same on the VAX, a postmaster alias will be used to make sure that mail being sent to your VAX address will be received by your SGI account.

LISTSERVER

Listserver mailing will be initially sent to the postmaster account to be reviewed. If the person is still active with the lab, the mail will be forwarded to the appropriate account on the SGI and an alias will be made in the postmaster account.

MISSING ACCOUNTS

For those persons who don't have an account on the SGI, an account will be created for you and your mail will automatically be sent to the new account.

TRAINING

For those persons not familiar using UNIX mail, Bill Seligman and I are available upon request to provide detailed training. Please contact us directly.

MAIL FOLDERS / DISTRIBUTION LISTS

A real concern for everyone is existing mail folders and distribution lists. A procedure has been created that automatically duplicates the mail folders and distribution lists from the VAX over to the UNIX system. In order to provide a more personalized service to you, I ask you to please contact Bill Seligman or myself prior to November 15 and setup a schedule where we can spend the necessary time with you to ensure that the conversion goes smoothly.

PRIORITY

My resources and time will mostly be devoted to the smooth and orderly phaseout of the VAX cluster during the months of December and January. This means that while I will always be available to help you and take care of installation/integration issues, I might not be able to work with you in a timely fashion. If you know of an upcoming issue regarding your system, please see me directly so we can schedule a mutually agreeable time.

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