Move EZproxy to a New Server

The following is a set of general guidelines to follow when moving EZproxy to a new server. There are several variations of ways in which you might move an EZproxy server. Review the following to develop your own blueprint of how you plan to move your server, and if you have any questions regarding the best sequence to follow for your migration, please contact support@oclc.org.

When this document refers to "changing the operating system," it refers to a change between Linux, Solaris, and/or Windows, and not to a change to a version level of the same operating system (e.g., Windows 2000 to Windows 2003).

EZproxy license

You can move your license from one server to another at any time, and the move may include upgrading the operating system and/or changing the operating system. During a move, you can use your existing license on the old server and the new server concurrently. To move your license from the old server to the new server, copy the file ezproxy.key from the old server to the new server.

If you are setting up an additional EZproxy server for your institution, please contact ezproxy@oclc.org to request an additional, no-cost license to use on the additional server.

Copying the files

All of the files used by EZproxy are normally contained in a single directory that has a few subdirectories. The standard locations for these files are /usr/local/ezproxy for Linux and Solaris, and C:\ezproxy for Windows.

When moving EZproxy to a new server, you should start by copying most if not all of the files from the existing server to the installation point on the new server. If you are changing operating systems in the move, you do not copy the binary file ezproxy or ezproxy.exe. If you are moving between operating systems, a safe way to move the files is to use an ASCII FTP file transfer.

Check config.txt/ezproxy.cfg

Once you have copied the files to the new server, you should check config.txt/ezproxy.cfg to look for lines that start with:

FirstPort (or just F)
Interface
LoginPort
LoginPortSSL
Name (or just N)
RunAs

Depending on the configuration of your new server, any or all of these statements may need to be altered to meet the needs of your new server. If you are unclear how these statements may need to be altered, contact support@oclc.org.

Reinstalling EZproxy

Once you have copied the files to the new server, you should follow the installation steps for the operating system of the new server, even if you did not change platforms. Among other things, the installation instructions contains information on how to make EZproxy start automatically when your server is rebooted.

The installation instructions can be found at:

Download

Verify file ownership

If you use EZproxy on Linux or Solaris under a username other than root, you should verify that the ezproxy directory and all files contained within it are owned by the correct user.

Establish temporary name for testing

If possible, have your DNS administrator set up a testing name for the new server. If you are using proxy by hostname, make sure that the wildcard entry is setup as well.

To configure EZproxy to use the temporary name, edit config.txt/ezproxy.cfg and look for a line that starts with either Name or just N. You will then either change this existing line, or if none exists, add a new line that looks similar to:

Name testproxy.yourlib.org

CGI authentication

If you are using CGI authentication, you will likely want to disable this during testing. You can disable this by editing user.txt/ezproxy.usr and commenting out the line that contains :cgi=.

Testing

You can now start your EZproxy server and test.

Important proxy by hostname detail

If you are changing your server's address in the move and if you are using proxy by hostname, make certain that you change both your main DNS entry (e.g., ezproxy.yourlib.org) and the wildcard DNS entry (e.g., *.ezproxy.yourlib.org). You should run the hostname verification script at:

Check DNS

to verify that both entries have been changed successfully.

Moving to production

Once you are ready to move to production, you will need to edit config.txt/ezproxy.cfg and set EZproxy to operate under the old server's name, then restart EZproxy.

You may need to have your DNS administrator point your EZproxy server DNS entry to point to the new server's IP address, or you may be shifting the new server to take over the IP address of the old server.