Status report:
After trying to do too many things at once (hey--how many times a year do
you get an opportunity to work on a server when it's down?), we backed up
and tried a more modest approach. This isn't a recommendation, but rather a
history...
Backed up the failing server. Upgraded it to 5.04 (couldn't find the 4.07
disks to just reinstall). Moved to a different box, per the KB article,
upgraded to 5.09. Got the "file not found, however a different file of the
same name" error, so called tech support and got the 5.08 install, instead
of the upgrade. Worked, and TS responded pretty promptly for so soon to
quitting time on a Friday afternoon!
Switched to the IMail user database from the NT database, importing the NT
users (the box is also a domain controller). Was resigned to losing the
passwords, but the Given Name, which appears on the page in web messaging,
was copied from the first user through the whole database--they all appeared
to be "Mark Abell!" This was deemed unacceptable, so went back and edited
the whole user database, correcting the names and adding back the passwords
which we'd gotten from l0phtcrack (5 days work got 95% of them). Did I
mention I came down with the flu about this time?
Then Ron said the Macintosh Netscape problem was fixed with his templates,
so we continued on to version 6.02--went very sweetly. Installed the HKSI
templates, am in the process of making our modifications to "Reserve Green"
and so on. Interesting omission--aliases vanished in the transfer, and the
lists were broken. The lists didn't immediately appear in IMail
Administrator, but while we were examining Ron's templates' administration
menu, we found list administration, and several lists appeared there. Final
result is list subscriber lists, trailers, etc. were preserved, after a
fashion, but the settings (posters, digest mode, etc) had to be redone. For
our situation, not a bad problem to do by hand, and an opportunity to check
out new features and double-check the settings were as we wanted them.
Final result--we're up to current version, downtime was about a day (not
IMail's fault, I don't think. DNS was first to go on this box). The new
server screams. It's overkill at a dual 500MHz box with 512MB RAM and IMail
on its own 9GB drive. We have only about 650 users, two dozen lists.
Students mainly use web messaging, and with the new features, we expect many
faculty to abandon OE and use WM instead. When we figure out how badly it is
underutilized, we'll find something else for it to do, I'm sure.
Thanks to all those who offered help and moral support to our cry for help.
Ron--thanks again for a dynamite set of templates for web messaging!
--Cal Frye, Western Reserve Academy, Hudson, Ohio
"Given a conflict, Murphy's law trumps Newton's."
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