The mailing list for listmasters using Sympa

[Johann Spies <address@concealed>]

I would appreciate some advice on the way forward.

My present setup: Sympa 3.3.3 (Debian Woody) running on one (mail3) of
three mailservers (Exim4).  I am in the process of upgrading to Debian
Sarge which has Sympa 4.1.5-2.  I want to create a Sympa server on mail2
that will be able to take over the function of the one on mail3 while
mail3 gets updated to Sarge.  It must in the future also be available
as a backup Sympa server.

Unfortunately when I created the Sympa setup on mail3 I did not choose a
virtual name for the service.  So the addresses for all the mailing
list refers to <listname@mail3....>.  To change that will cause a lot of
confusion amongst users.

What I am planning to do is the following:

1.  Install Sympa on Mail2.
2.  When mail3 is down, let mail2 take over the IP address of mail3 as a
    virtual IP an handle the traffic.
3.  Upgrade mail3 and put it back into production disabling sympa on
    mail2.
4.  Keep the database on mail2 in sync with the one on mail3 on a
    regular basis.

 
Now my questions:

1. Can I setup Sympa on mail2 to serve sympa under the hostname "mail3"?
2. Is there somewhere a script which will help me to transfer a dump of
   the postgresql-data of version 3.3.3 to version 4.1.5?  Where is the
   differences between the data structure of the two versions
   documented?
3. Will creating a "virtual domain" and/or "virtual robot" help to
   smoothen the transition from one server to another and if so how do I
   set it up in a way that will be hidden from users?

Comments, answers and advice are welcome.

Regards
Johann
-- 
Johann Spies          Telefoon: 021-808 4036
Informasietegnologie, Universiteit van Stellenbosch

     "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give
      thee the desires of thine heart."                
                                  Psalms 37:4