[Box Backup] Account migration (was: BoxBackup Server Side Management Specs (Draft 0.01))

[Ben Summers]

On 24 Sep 2004, at 00:07, Chris Wilson wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> One more feature request on these lines: how about the ability to 
> "port"
> clients from one server to another?

Yes, a rather handy thing to have. (I've been calling this "account 
migration".)

At the moment, it can be accomplished by simply moving the data from 
one server to the other, and then adjusting the account databases and 
client configuration. So it's possible, just not neat. But nothing a 
script couldn't handle with ease.


>
> For example, it would be useful to be able to copy the user's data 
> between
> backup servers, and when the copy is complete, start sending "redirect"
> packets to the client whenever they contact their old server, so that 
> they
> will connect to the new one instead.
>
> This would make load balancing and fault tolerance much easier, 
> reducing
> the need for a customised load balancing proxy between client and 
> server
> (which currently does not exist?)

You've just preempted my posting of some design notes about precisely 
this. With only slight modifications, it could also do account 
migration.

Ben