MyADSL/MyBroadband moving to a dedicated server

rpm

rpm

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Hi folks

The site will move to a dedicated server on Monday 23 May 2005. There might be a short down time where some posts are lost, but we will do our best to ensure that the move is as seamless as possible. We have tested the forum and main page (front end) on the new server and it works well and while we are having problems with the ad server and CMS admin area it should not influence your use of the site.

This dedicated hosting is obviously far more expensive than what we have paid Afrihost previously, but we should be able to cover our costs fairly easily through advertising. We have also had a few generous offers of sponsoring a server and even full dedicated hosting, but I think it is best if we pay for the service and cover our costs the conventional way. In this way we ensure impartiality and freedom. In all of this our aim is to provide you with a better website experience and ensure that there are no problems with future growth. The new cost of BW is also very low and guys like IC can now stop holding back :D

Your comments are welcome as usual.

Regards,

RPM
 
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Great stuff, RPM! Now I am not feeling guilty anymore for posting in the "I am the thread killer" thread! :D
 
Integrated Circruitry (sp?) running MyADSL more likely ? Only way we will ever catch up with him and rpm is if they stop posting, but then most likely so will most of us.

:)
 
rpm, just some advice about the server move. This is more directed at the Afrihost admin or whoever will be doing it.

Please try to make sure that no posts get lost. Its frustrating and unnecessary. What you do is schedule a time for the final migration and post it for all to know. This is important so myadsl'ers are aware the site will be going down and won't try any posting around that time. The less suprises for everyone the better. Obviously prior to this time your new server is up and fully working with a copy of the myadsl database for testing only. At the scheduled time the live site goes offline and a migration notice comes up in its place. The latest snapshot of the database with all the posts is dumped and imported onto the new server (shouldn't take that long - mysql is plenty fast) and as soon as thats done the traffic gets redirected and the new server goes live. I think this way (a down time of a few minutes at a scheduled time while the latest db is copied) is preferable to using an older copy of the db and having a seamless transition but losing half a day or mores posts. Losing posts should be avoided at all costs. Thanks.
 
Hi Fergus

Thanks a bunch for the advice. To the best of my knowledge everything is in place. Testing has been done and the latest DB will be used for the move. Let’s hope the move goes as smoothly as planned...

Regards,

RPM

fergus said:
rpm, just some advice about the server move. This is more directed at the Afrihost admin or whoever will be doing it.

Please try to make sure that no posts get lost. Its frustrating and unnecessary. What you do is schedule a time for the final migration and post it for all to know. This is important so myadsl'ers are aware the site will be going down and won't try any posting around that time. The less suprises for everyone the better. Obviously prior to this time your new server is up and fully working with a copy of the myadsl database for testing only. At the scheduled time the live site goes offline and a migration notice comes up in its place. The latest snapshot of the database with all the posts is dumped and imported onto the new server (shouldn't take that long - mysql is plenty fast) and as soon as thats done the traffic gets redirected and the new server goes live. I think this way (a down time of a few minutes at a scheduled time while the latest db is copied) is preferable to using an older copy of the db and having a seamless transition but losing half a day or mores posts. Losing posts should be avoided at all costs. Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
rpm said:
Thanks a bunch for the advice. To the best of my knowledge everything is in place. Testing has been done and the latest DB will be used for the move. Let’s hope the move goes as smoothly as planned...
Click to expand...
Excellent! I'm very glad to hear about the new server. It sounds like a very good move and I'm sure everything will go as planned.
 
Hi again folks

Just a note to inform you that the move might only take place on Monday...we are still struggling a bit with the admin areas and ad server.

Regards,

RPM
 
Hey RPM- question *cheeky grin* - r u planning to stop the myadsl website for the duration of the migration, or are you going to restore the bulletin board from a previous backup and roll logs?
I think it may be prudent to stop the service all together and migrate data from the "close" of the old system to the new one. that way nothing gets lost.
I almost get the impression that you are battling a bit with afrihost?? Migration of servers shouldnt be a biggy - with proper planning downtime should be minutes and no data should be lost. Are there any major changes at the OS/DB/APP level associated with the migration? Iow, are you changing Operating System? Why the requirement to do it during the day? I did alot of migrations during my sys engineering days, and I still do a lot of high level planning to this day - so thats where the questions are coming from :D Biggest migration I ever did - Changed hardware platform on a SAP R/3 landscape with 1TB database - downtime to the business 28 minutes... Happened at 0330am and nobody even noticed. Its all about planning...
 
Me three. Considering that I don't have a life and still seem to be online at 3am in the mornings :P

I hate insomnia.
 
Debbie2 said:
/me sighs.... me and Perdition are likely to be the only losers that notice should myadsl go down at 3:30am.... :D
Click to expand...

:D

Well at least it would give me an excuse to do something constructive... like sleeping
 
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