Consider removing unencrypted rsync server

[ryanaslett]

I have established a new server to replace the final remaining server running on equinix, the 'unencrypted' server. (#3597)

This server is in the OpenJS Azure account where we have a substantial usage credit.

This server is still offering an rsync endpoint, which it rsync's from the www server daily.

The current rsync services have been advertised as "going away" on 2022-01-01, but that clearly hasn't happened yet.

ryan@DESKTOP-P5AM10H:~$ rsync rsync://unencrypted.nodejs.org
nodejs          Node.js releases. This service expires 2022-01-01.
iojs            io.js releases. This service expires 2022-01-01.

Additionally, unencrypted.nodejs.org is listed as a member of two Cloudflare load balancer pools, one of which (nodejs.org) is disabled, and the other "origin.nodejs.org" is still enabled.

I'm ready to switch the DNS for unencrypted so the rsync service continues until we can figure out whether its actually needed anymore and whether or not we have a communication plan to disable that service (if we can).

I'm wondering if the load balancer is even necessary at this point, as I'm pretty sure that's not even being used anymore with the R2/worker based delivery of dist.

Im not going to deploy on a friday before a Holiday weekend, but would like to do this ASAP next week.

[flakey5]

The origin.nodejs.org pool is being used by the release worker as a failover, but the unencrypted server being taken out of it during the migration should be fine.

In my opinion, the nodejs.org pool could be removed since it's not being used. If the unencrypted server is to be decommissioned, it won't effect the release worker at all and we could probably remove the origin.nodejs.org pool with it (note this will require a change in the worker to point towards direct.nodejs.org instead of origin.nodejs.org).

[ryanaslett]

This has been deployed to azure, and the load balancers have been changed to use it, as well as the dns for unencrypted.nodejs.org now points at the new server.

That being said, It would be good to remove this service entirely. The rsync endpoint isnt encrypted (thus vulnerable to MITM attacks), and is not well maintained (thus vulnerable to eventual future CVE's).

The services have always been advertised as "going away 01-01-2022". So theres been plenty of warning.

We should flag any previously interested community members about this potential service removal, and schedule some brown outs where we shut it off for a week to see who comes out of the woodwork to complain.

[ryanaslett]

Establishing Thread: #55

[ryanaslett]

This is the issue where support is declared as being dropped Jan 1 2022: #484