TO: All GCN Sites, Especially the Socket-sites RE: GCN Notices Computer switch-over (THIS WEDNESDAY) DT: 19 Apr 2010 REMINDER: GCN will be switching over to the new computer (capella2.gsfc.nasa.gov = 128.183.96.236) this coming Wednesday, 21 Apr 2010, 14:00 UT. RECALL: That I attempted this back in the end of January, but there was a problem (the Goddard IT Security people had removed my waiver for email service on the machine) and I had to revert back to the original "capella" machine. CONTINUING THE OLD MACHINE: In case there might are problems with a small(?) number of sites, I will operate the old machine in parallel. (If there is a problem with a site, I will move that site back to the original machine.) How long this parallel operation can continue will depend (a) on the number of sites, (b) the types of their problems, and (c) on several unpredictable aspects within the Goddard Network. But it will certainly be at least a week. QUESTIONS WELCOMED: If you are unsure what this switch-over really means (or does not mean) to your specific operation, please do not hesitate to contact me (email or phone). NOT FOR CIRCULARS: Please understand that this switchover is only for the Notice portion of GCN. The Circulars portion is staying on 'capella' for a while. So for your circular submissions, keep sending them to vxw@capella.gsfc.nasa.gov. Sincerely, Scott Scott Barthelmy NASA-GSFC, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 PHONE: 301-286-3106 (office) CELL: 301-346-3733 FAX: 301-286-0677 EMAIL: scott@lheamail.gsfc.nasa.gov PAGER: 3013463733@cingularme.com WEB: http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn The previous announcements are appended below for background information. //////////////////// SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT 15 Jan 2010 ////////////////////// SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT REMINDER: GCN will be switching over to a new computer on 25 January 2010 (10 days from now). Socket sites that have firewalls at their local institutions may need to revise their "access rules" to allow the new GCN IP number access. Email recipients may have filtering/allowance/access rules (SPAM, whitelisting, etc) that need changing. (GCN Emails will be coming 'from' vxw@capella2.gsfc.nasa.gov ) ACTION ITEMS: 1) Make your firewall rules changes (if you have not already done so). (See the IP Numbers/details in the First Announcement appended below) 2a) Send me an explicit statement (from each socket site) that you are ready to accept connections from the new GCN machine (ie you have the new firewall rule in place, or it does not matter to your operation). 2b) It would be nice to hear back from the email-based sites as well that they are OK with this From-address change. (Check with your local SysAdmin or Service_providor -- you may have forgotten about a filter/blockage/etc that you set up with them years ago.) 3) Let me know if you can NOT make this 25 January 2010 deadline. (I will operate the old capella GCN system in parallel for a while, but this parallel activity will be not be possible for a long period of time.) QUESTIONS WELCOMED: If you are unsure what this really means (or does not mean) to your specific operation, please do not hesitate to contact me (email or phone). Sincerely, Scott Scott Barthelmy NASA-GSFC, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 PHONE: 301-286-3106 (office) CELL: 301-346-3733 FAX: 301-286-0677 EMAIL: scott@lheamail.gsfc.nasa.gov PAGER: 3013463733@cingularme.com WEB: http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn //////////////////// FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT 04 Dec 2009 ////////////////////// INTRODUCTION: This is being sent only to socket sites. Heads up for socket sites with firewalls. In the near future (1 or 2 months), the IP Number for the GCN capella computer will be changing. If you have a firewall at your end, then you will need to add a rule to allow this new IP Number through your firewall. MOTIVATION: The Astrophysics Division here at Goddard Space Flight Center is moving to a new building. So the GCN computer will be moving to the new building. As such, the Goddard network people require that the IP number must change for this new subnet within Goddard's IP address space. THE NEW NUMBERS: Actually because of details in the logistics of the transition from the old machines at the old location to the new machines in the new building, there are two (not 1) new IP Numbers you should add to your firewall allowed-access list: 128.183.96.236 capella2.gsfc.nasa.gov PRIMARY 128.183.96.237 capella.gsfc.nasa.gov NEW BACKUP (And for reference, the current capella IPNum is 128.183.16.187) WHEN: The exact date of the move and transition of the computer to the new building is not yet determined. However, it will happen no sooner than 02 Jan 2010, and maybe as late as 15 Feb 2010. (These dates correspond to steps 2 and 5 in the sequence below.) NOMINAL SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: 1) Get the new GCN computer running in the new building (get valid IP number, install GCN software, test operations). 2) Announce that the new GCN computer is available for socket connections. 3) As each socket-site requests, move them over to the new machine. (Sending out reminders of the transition.) Both GCN machines will be running simultanously for a while. 4) Move the email-based sites distributions over to the new machine. 5) Discontinue socket-site operations on the old GCN machine. Deal with any stragglers who have not yet connected to the new machine. 6) After everything has been transitioned and proven stable, another announcement will be made that you can delete the old firewall rule (ie the one you are currently using as of today). ACTION ITEM: 1) If you have firewall(s) at your end, then you need to add to the firewall rules to allow incoming connections these two new IP Numbers. 2) When the new rules are in place, please tell me so I can do a test to prove that the new access is correct (prior to the real switchover). DO NOT REMOVE THE OLD FIREWALL RULE: If you have a firewall rule for the current GCN capella computer, do NOT remove it (when you add the two new rules). There will be an interval of time when both machines are running. This will allow for an easier transition at your end, and allow for easier operations at the GCN end as well. EMAIL SITES: For those of you socket-sites that also have email-based entries, you probably do not need to do anything for the email entry. Email just goes from an english-string-based machine.domain to an english-based machine.domain; ie it does not use the numerical form of the machine addresses (the DNSs take care of the translation from english to numeric address). However, if you use black/gray/white-listing, then you might need to add an entry to allow the "capella2" machine in (ie whitelist capella2). Sincerely, Scott Scott Barthelmy NASA-GSFC, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 PHONE: 301-286-3106 (office) CELL: 301-346-3733 FAX: 301-286-0677 EMAIL: scott@lheamail.gsfc.nasa.gov PAGER: 3013463733@cingularme.com WEB: http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn