...

• Point the prod URL in your etc/hosts file locally to the web server.

• Spin up the downtime server

• Point the elastic IP for the prod web server to the downtime server

• Spin down the existing prod servers

• Copy the old database over to the new DB server.

• Index
  bundle exec cap staging invoke:rake TASK="scihist:solr:reindex"

• Point elastic IP to the new web server:

  • Select "Elastic IPs"

  • Select "digicoll-production"

  • Actions -> Associate address

  • Under the "Resource type", Choose "Instance".

  • Fill in the appropriate instance (the prod web server)

  • Check "Allow this Elastic IP address to be reassociated if already attached"

  • Click "Associate".

• Remove the etc/hosts entry and check that traffic is indeed routed to the new server

• Announce the switch is complete

3. Wrap up

• Wait a couple days

• Delete the old servers in AWS console

• Delete the old disks left orphaned by the old servers