Backend Email Server Upgrade

 

Mei Ling Lee

Everyday when you check your email using Eudora, have you ever thought of what is behind the user-friendly graphical interface? The answer is the hard-working Mail Servers. At the moment, the mail servers are implemented and integrated into the existing VAX/Alpha Cluster and associated disks. As more and more staff rely heavily on email for day-to-day communications, CSC has anticipated that there will be an increase in demand on the backend server. To provide quality service to our users, the mail servers will be shifted to a new Alpha Cluster consisting of more powerful AlphaServer 4100 machines and faster and more reliable RAID disks. The new Alpha Cluster will be dedicated for email services, thus releasing resources and reducing job loadings from the existing VAX/Alpha Cluster for other services. To put the new machines and disks in production, migration of all staff's primary email accounts will be necessary. The move will be done on a departmental basis to minimize interruptions. Starting from last month, we have been contacting departments in turn to fix on a date to carry out the move. During the move, staff accounts involved will be de-activated to avoid loss of data, and depending on the number of accounts involved and their sizes, the time required may range from one hour to one day.

Computing Services Centre City University of Hong Kong ccnetcom@cityu.edu.hk