WMUK wiki migration/strategy

This is technical migration proposal for WMUK wiki. most of this text focus on the user account migration, which is the main challenge.

Approach

The migration of the wiki could be done like following:

• Setup a Mediawiki instance similar to current one
• Migrate the data from the XML/SQL dump
• Keep data up2date (until the final switch) with a synchronisation script
• Invite users to reconfigure their account

Problem

Assuming that the WMF won't share any information about the users, the biggest problem is how to make this migration feels smooth for our users (in particular regarding their passwords). Have a look to the stats to know more about the wiki users.

Solution

• Recreate all users on the wiki with new random generated passwords
• Email the new passwords to all emailable users and invite them to login to the new instance and change their password.
• Users not emailable should be invited to add their email into the old

wiki instance, we would then send them the new account password per email (cronjob or on demand)

• The old WMUK instance should be put in readonly (except USER_TALK) and be kept available at least X months (one year?) under a special domain name like wmukold.wikimedia.org for example.

Schedule

• J-4: Create an email address where users can write to regarding this migration. Communicate about the migration.
• J-3: Create uknew.wikimedia.org DNS entry (@wmuk)
• J-3: Create the new WMUK Mediawiki instance (@wmuk)
• J-3: Re-create user accounts on the new wiki (@wmuk)
• J-3: Contact users per emails (old wiki) or on the talk page to invite them to reconfigure their account (@wmuk)
• J-2: Put old wiki in read-only except NS_USER_TALK (@wmf)
• J-2: Recreate a backup of the old wiki (@wmf)
• J-2: Put on the old wiki a global notice to warn users (@wmuk)
• J-2: Redump new wiki with data (@wmuk)
• J-2: Modify DNS entry www.wikimedia.org.uk to point to the new wiki (@wmuk)
• J+10: Write a last email to users who don't have change their password (@wmuk)
• J+365: Shutdown the old wiki (@wmf)

Development work

• Write a script to keep data synchronized between the two wikis
• Write a script which will send invitation to login the new wiki to (newly) emailable users.

Stats

• 2674 registered users
• 809 have edits
• 2175 are global users
• 1772 are emailable (179 with at least 1 edit, 81 with at least 2)

See also

• IT Development/Progress meetings/18 April 2013/WMUK Migration Report