We'd like to inform users before we take a production site over to the test server for maintenance or development work in case the timing is wrong and to prevent loss of content. These modules and configuration allow us to send a standard informative message before the site move and another message when content editing can resume.

Modules

• Mass Contact - sends an email to all users in selected roles
• Reroute Email - redirects ALL system generated email to a test mail domain or address
• Token - put useful text into emails

Configuration

• Setup
  • enable all modules
  • set permissions for all
  • go to /admin/config/development/reroute_email and check off 'Enable rerouting'
    • enter the email address of the person to receive the test emails
    • check off 'Show rerouting description in mail body'
    • click Save configuration
  • go to /admin/config/system/mass_contact/add to add a mass email category
    • Category: Site Maintenance
    • check off all the roles under 'User roles to include'
    • set Selected to Yes so this is the default message category
    • click Save
  • go to /admin/config/system/mass_contact/add to add a mass email category
    • Category: For Admins
    • check off just the administrator role under 'User roles to include'
    • set Selected to No so this is not the default message category
    • click Save
  • add the permission to send to each of the above groups to your role
  • go to /admin/config/system/mass_contact/settings
    • select Yes under 'Allow users to opt-out of mass email messages'
    • check off 'Archive messages by saving a copy as a node'
    • click Save configuration
  • go to Message Header at /admin/config/system/mass_contact/settings/header
    • check off Include the name for the sender
    • check off Send as BCC (hide recipients) by default
    • check off Include category in subject line
    • click Save configuration
  • go to Message Body at /admin/config/system/mass_contact/settings/body
    • add this for 'Text to be prepended to all messages'

      [current-date:custom:l, F j, Y g:i a e] [current-user:name] sent you this group email since you have and account on [site:url] ( [site:name] ) .

    •  add this for 'Text to be appended to all messages'

      You may opt out of these group emails. Log in here [site:url]user and click Edit, then find Mass Contact Settings. Production Site: https:// [~jgr25:your production site domain here] on [~jgr25:victoria01 or victoria03] Test Site: https:// [~jgr25:your test site domain here] on victoria02

    • click Save configuration

Usage

• Testing Mode
  • go to /admin/config/development/reroute_email and check off 'Enable rerouting'
    • click Save configuration
  • this prevents emails from going to all the site's users while you're getting the message correct
  • you will need to run cron for the message to be sent to the test user 
    • got to /admin/config/system/cron and click on Run cron

• Production Mode
  • go to /admin/config/development/reroute_email and uncheck 'Enable rerouting'
    • click Save configuration
  • now composed emails will be sent to all site users!

• To compose a message go here /mass_contact and fill out the form
  • messages will be saved as nodes of type 'Mass contact message', visible here /admin/content

Message

• when the site is about to go from production to test

  In about an hour Cornell Library IT staff will be migrating this web site to the test server for maintenance and/or development work. Please postpone updates to this site while we are working with it on the test server. Any changes you make to the production server will be lost when we migrate the updated site back from the test server. If this is a bad time for us to do the work please let us know immediately. We can almost always postpone our work to accommodate special conditions. Simple updates can take an hour or so, more complex development can take several days. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you will need to update the site soon. Thank you for your patience.

• when the site is returned to production

  Cornell Library IT staff has completed work on this web site. Please resume updating the web site content. Thank you for your patience.