rsync mail directory after migration?

[room9]

We're planning a migration from one hosting provider to another, both using cPanel. We're going to backup each account, copy across to the new server and restore. After restoration we'll change the MX records on the old server to point to the new server.

The only problem is what happens with email arriving while backup, copy and restore are happening.

Can I simply use rsync to update the new server with any late arriving emails after making the MX record change? E.g.

rsync [email protected]:~/mail/ [email protected]:~/mail/

Are there requirements here? E.g. both servers need to run courier or both dovecot? Same versions? How do I tell? Are there any permissions issues I need to deal with?

 

[ruzbehraja]

I had made a post on this earlier:
http://forums.cpanel.net/f5/upgrading-migrating-new-cpanel-server-293282.html#post1234792

You would however need to keep the whole account in sync not just the mail folders.

rsync is not supported or recommended by cpanel. But if you know what you are doing it works.

Note: In my case the DNS was not on the cpanel server.

Do leave your feedback.

 

[room9]

You would however need to keep the whole account in sync not just the mail folders.

Is there a reason for this? I've seen other posts mentioning that rsyncing just ~/mail will work.

 

[ruzbehraja]

You would want to keep the whole account in sync and not just the mail folder, to ensure that any changes to the email settings / quotas etc are not affected and remain consistent.

Else, it will def. work, just how copying email files will work. But I do not recommend it.

 

[Jeff Shotnik]

I highly recommend that you use imapsysnc. Imapsync the two mailboxes post migration to sync up the target inbox - /http://linux.die.net/man/1/imapsync