What's the best way to minimise e-mail downtime during a domain move to a new server?

Do you have everything else set up with google apps? If you have everything but the MX records set up then pointing them over there now would be the fasted way to do the switchover. It should only take 30 minutes for the server to update.

you will have a window of limbo, anywhere from 15-minutes to 24 hours depending on the new server set-up and ability of the Domain Name Registry to update the www db

@jackm – No, though obviously it’s not too difficult a process to go through – however there will still be a point, as @njnyjobs says, where the control of the records will cease being in the hands of Hosting Provider A but will not yet have arrived at Hosting Provider B in order to be set up again there… I can minimise some of the time on the gApps end by verifying the domain ownership before the move, but I’m not 100% sure if disturbing the existing mail system is worthwhile given whichever solution I use will stop working halfway through the switchover…

Thanks for your replies!

The best way to minize undeliverable mail is to schedule the move at a time when mail traffic is less likely to be present, like on a Friday or Saturday late night, granting that the following day is traditionally a non-working day.

Also a good call, thanks!

I did something similar a year ago. I set everything up with Google by temporarily switching their servers to be primary for our domain’s MX records (late on a Sat night to minimize loss). Then, Google’s end was satisfied with everything which allowed for a much faster switch once we pulled the trigger.

Specifically to answer your question, you can add the domain to Google pre-move but it won’t be recognized by Google as an official domain until its mail servers are the primary entry on your MX records.

Also—make sure you have a catchall address set up for Google to grab any emails that weren’t set up correctly in the migration (aliases, etc.)

Good luck!