Downtime for July 16th

H Tower · July 16, 2003, 23:21

Quote:

Originally posted by DanQ
DOWNTIME REPORT: JULY 16TH, 2003 (15-07-2003 until 27-07-2003)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At around 3:30PM Apolyton Time (EST) this afternoon `Settler II`, the name assigned to Apolyton CS` server, became completely unresponsive to all Internet service requests (e.g. HTTP (World Wide Web), POP3 (email) etc.). Host RackShack (RS) restored affected services around 8:50PM Apolyton Time (EST) to `Settler II` in its entirety. Given the said timeline, total server downtime was about 5 1/4 hours. The exact reason for the service interruption has not yet been determined although so far it appears that it was an issue directly related to `Settler II` as RS did not indicate similar problems elsewhere on their network. That said, and again, all site services are again in working order. In light of extended downtime in recent days, please note that avatars in the site forums have been disabled until further notice.
On behalf of the Apolyton staff and administration, we apologize for any inconvenience. The primary reason for the extended downtime, and not the downtime in the first place, was due to involvement in "offline" matters.

Begging your pardon, but not all site services have been restored, the IRC channel is still down.

I wouldn't have mentioned it since I figured you would be working on it except that you said that all services have been restored.

Good luck finding the answer to SettlerII's downtime

geeslaka · July 16, 2003, 23:35

So apparently Settler II only crashes when the admins/mods are asleep.

Frozzy · July 17, 2003, 01:39

Also, it appears POP3 accounts do not work for staff members... msyelf at least.

Lorizael · July 17, 2003, 02:11

I hope these server crashes eventually stop being a regular thing. My heart skips a beat whenever I get that Cannot Find Server screen.

Master Zen · July 17, 2003, 03:06

I have a solution! Read my sig!

Gatekeeper · July 17, 2003, 03:28

Hardly, Master Zen. I think some forums could be trimmed, though. I use the Macintosh forums, for starters, but do we really need four forums for Macintosh? No, IMO. We could go with a Macintosh General forum and a Macintosh Civilizations forum, and cut the other two.

The same paring technique could be easily applied to other forums at 'Poly. I admit I don't know just how much it might lighten the load on the server, but surely it would lighten it somewhat.

Gatekeeper

DrSpike · July 17, 2003, 05:19

Glad to see the site back.

Panag · July 17, 2003, 06:54

Quote:

Originally posted by H Tower

Begging your pardon, but not all site services have been restored, the IRC channel is still down.

I wouldn't have mentioned it since I figured you would be working on it except that you said that all services have been restored.

Good luck finding the answer to SettlerII's downtime

hi ,

Dan did bring the chat up again , ...... and then it gave up again , .....

have a nice day

Rasbelin · July 17, 2003, 09:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Master Zen
I have a solution! Read my sig!

Quite hard to read it with all the neon colours in it. But I assume it's not supposed to be read then.

HT,

IRCd (i.e. IRC server), not IRC channel.

Also I have to bring up again HT's idea of closing all Civ III forums, as that should at least decrease the load.

Rasbelin · July 17, 2003, 09:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Gatekeeper

The same paring technique could be easily applied to other forums at 'Poly. I admit I don't know just how much it might lighten the load on the server, but surely it would lighten it somewhat.

That's just a virtual server load decrease as it's not the issue. I reiterate my previous arguements regarding what would actually help to improve the QoS, but I assume it's all wasted to bring up all theories again. Right now none of the viable ones are possible, as ACS has a limited funding. I have seen pretty much pointless whining on other sites such as CGN and MZO Central (quite harsh there), but that's just empty rumbling. Currently I can't come up with many quick fixes. Limiting the number of functions is of course one, which has been done with avatars and the search, but the search is suffering as right now finding anything quite recent is simply not possible via vBulletin or Google. As the vBulletin setup on ACS is rigged like a Palestinian suicide bomber, you can't modify it without blowing it off. The old change from UBB to vBulletin, many changes in PHP and HTML coding (also SQL, of course), plus a old server software (maybe not the best options or not configured for high performance (read: straight-out-of-the-box configurations) have made the system very complicated and also not that 100% compatible. Not to critise the site owners, but to bring up the facts. The most effective method would be to start working out the system again from almost scratch, dumping all changes, but that would mean so much work, which means it's virtually impossible. Now the more robust options left are splitting up the system onto two servers using either the mirror model I suggested or having a separate MySQL database server. Also doing changes to the server software would be a good option. None the less, the robust solutions aren't too far flung at all for a site as large as ACS, but with the current finances and no new income sources intoduced (I'm refering to donations and sponsored memberships, which are indeed two different things, so don't bundle them), it's not possible, AFAIK and as far as my business know-how says. So right now I at least expect the same fluctuating QoS as before.

Immortal Wombat · July 17, 2003, 10:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Master Zen
I have a solution! Read my sig!

Of course closing the DG forums would be a lot more effective, and make fewer people upset.

mrmitchell · July 17, 2003, 23:05

Quote:

Also I have to bring up again HT's idea of closing all Civ III forums, as that should at least decrease the load.

The new load comes from a horrendous combination of summer, RoN, GalCiv, and (eek) Moo3.

Frozzy · July 17, 2003, 23:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Asuka

That's just a virtual server load decrease as it's not the issue. I reiterate my previous arguements regarding what would actually help to improve the QoS, but I assume it's all wasted to bring up all theories again. Right now none of the viable ones are possible, as ACS has a limited funding. I have seen pretty much pointless whining on other sites such as CGN and MZO Central (quite harsh there), but that's just empty rumbling. Currently I can't come up with many quick fixes. Limiting the number of functions is of course one, which has been done with avatars and the search, but the search is suffering as right now finding anything quite recent is simply not possible via vBulletin or Google. As the vBulletin setup on ACS is rigged like a Palestinian suicide bomber, you can't modify it without blowing it off. The old change from UBB to vBulletin, many changes in PHP and HTML coding (also SQL, of course), plus a old server software (maybe not the best options or not configured for high performance (read: straight-out-of-the-box configurations) have made the system very complicated and also not that 100% compatible. Not to critise the site owners, but to bring up the facts. The most effective method would be to start working out the system again from almost scratch, dumping all changes, but that would mean so much work, which means it's virtually impossible. Now the more robust options left are splitting up the system onto two servers using either the mirror model I suggested or having a separate MySQL database server. Also doing changes to the server software would be a good option. None the less, the robust solutions aren't too far flung at all for a site as large as ACS, but with the current finances and no new income sources intoduced (I'm refering to donations and sponsored memberships, which are indeed two different things, so don't bundle them), it's not possible, AFAIK and as far as my business know-how says. So right now I at least expect the same fluctuating QoS as before.

Learn to use paragraphs, Asuka

Skanky Burns · July 17, 2003, 23:26

Is this daily crashing of the server being planned for the rest of the week?

Nubclear · July 17, 2003, 23:38

Quote:

Originally posted by Asuka

That's just a virtual server load decrease as it's not the issue. I reiterate my previous arguements regarding what would actually help to improve the QoS, but I assume it's all wasted to bring up all theories again. Right now none of the viable ones are possible, as ACS has a limited funding. I have seen pretty much pointless whining on other sites such as CGN and MZO Central (quite harsh there), but that's just empty rumbling. Currently I can't come up with many quick fixes. Limiting the number of functions is of course one, which has been done with avatars and the search, but the search is suffering as right now finding anything quite recent is simply not possible via vBulletin or Google. As the vBulletin setup on ACS is rigged like a Palestinian suicide bomber, you can't modify it without blowing it off. The old change from UBB to vBulletin, many changes in PHP and HTML coding (also SQL, of course), plus a old server software (maybe not the best options or not configured for high performance (read: straight-out-of-the-box configurations) have made the system very complicated and also not that 100% compatible. Not to critise the site owners, but to bring up the facts. The most effective method would be to start working out the system again from almost scratch, dumping all changes, but that would mean so much work, which means it's virtually impossible. Now the more robust options left are splitting up the system onto two servers using either the mirror model I suggested or having a separate MySQL database server. Also doing changes to the server software would be a good option. None the less, the robust solutions aren't too far flung at all for a site as large as ACS, but with the current finances and no new income sources intoduced (I'm refering to donations and sponsored memberships, which are indeed two different things, so don't bundle them), it's not possible, AFAIK and as far as my business know-how says. So right now I at least expect the same fluctuating QoS as before.

There was once a little boy who lived in Palestine until one day the evil israelis burnt his house down. So he decided to go live in Israel but then the evil terroists blew themselves up in his house. so then he decided to go live in china and was happy until he was nerve stapled a thousand times for saying "Do you want M AH W-o with that? hahaha" so then he was kicked out of china and so he went to live in russia where he bought a bunch of games for 70 rubles or 3 united states dollars each. well, after he had bought all the games in the world he decided to go to france but he couldnt speak the language so france kicked him out and he was forced to live in spain. well he was living in spain until fez came over and began accusing him of lacking rational so he decided to move to portugal where he met this girl named takikikala. takikikala wanted to move to brazil because she liked brazil so they all decided to go move to brazil. well one day in brasilia the government collapsed and the nation went into anarchy, so they hijacked a plane and took it to mexico. well, takikikala didnt like mexico because she wasnt very pretty compared to the other girls so they all decided to swim across the ocean to the united states. they got to florida along with a few cubans but the united states said "nonono, only cubans can escape dictatorships. sorry." and so they were deported back to palestine. well, they didnt like paleestine so they moved to greece. suddenly paiktis showed up at their door ranting about how turkey sucks and they didnt like that so they all decided to live in the land down under australia. so they move to tazmania and the boy gets a job as a chef. he makes a lot of palestinian and israeli food. well one day he got really angry at americans so he poisoned an american dogpigs food. he didnt get caught. yay! well takikikala learned of this and was outraged so she divorced him. he got really sad, so he moved to a place called seyda neen. he got hired as an assasin and decided he wanted to go kill president jeergo ushba, the president of palestine. so he goes and he kills him. he didn't get caught. yay! anyway, so hes done doing that and he decides to move to rome. he likes calling it roma, cause he like to "roma" around. hahahahaha. he thinks thats a funny joke, but it makes his friends angry. well one day he tells his friend Ezfay this joke, and ezfay says **** off and leaves. he gets really sad. so he decides to commit sucide in a nice spectacular way. so he moves to pakistan and then to afghanistan and begins training for al qaeda. omg, he has to eat bugs! he hates bugs. anyway, so then once hes done he goes to cuba, obtains ciitzenship, and swims to florida. he lives in a rich mansion and has girls all over him. he ****s them daily. anyway, so then one day he decides why not make ameirca collapse? he proposes to ram planes into the wtc and bin laden goes yes , you ar every good. allah praises you. he doesnt really care about allah. bin laden knows htis, and thats why he approved the plan. anyway, so this guy goes through the airport which is headed to palestine, and he flashes his nice boxcutters and goes through. he pretends hes a pilot. so he gets to sit in the cockpit. ****. pit. hahahaha. he thinks that joke is funny, and he tells it to the pilots. the pilots get angry at him. so he gets his box cutter and slits their thraots. yay! so then he decides to go ram into the wtc. so he does it. and then he dies. but thats not it. he goes up to heaven and he gets a message: u suxors. so then he gets sent down to hell and he meets that guy. whats his face. well, he gets sent to hell. while in hell, he plans a revolution. he gathers all the citizens of hell and they revolt against satan. satan is hung forever. yay! suddenly he sees takikikala in hell. what are you doing here he asks. well after i left you, i killed myself. awwww he says. i love you. i love you to. they kiss. suddenly all of hell turns into heaven, and anybody who comes to hell goes to heaven. this story makes two points. one that we should help all those whom live in aplestine and then get their houses demolished and then go to israel and get their houses blown up and two, now george bush is going to heaven.

Kassiopeia · July 17, 2003, 23:42

I suppose the only hope we'll have is that RoN/GC/MOO3 traffic will calm down. Not an impossible thought since new people might get tired of not being able to access the forums for several hours a day and simply stop trying.

Tass: at least Asuka used capital letters. Edit - Wow, the story is actually coherent. Well, rambling, but coherent nonetheless. Full sentences and a story, if you can call it that... impressive.

TCO · July 18, 2003, 00:07

Dan needs to cut the pedantic wording. He sounds like he is getting a degree in noncommunication. Impress me with clarity, not verbosity. Dan. and don't get me started on those MOO3 reports. Jeez.

badams52 · July 18, 2003, 00:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Asuka
...I have seen pretty much pointless whining on other sites such as CGN and MZO Central (quite harsh there), but that's just empty rumbling. ...

We whine because we care! Besides, we need some place to vent out our poly frustrations when poly doesn't accept us.

Master Zen · July 18, 2003, 00:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Asuka

Quite hard to read it with all the neon colours in it. But I assume it's not supposed to be read then.

oh you read it alright...

Rasbelin · July 18, 2003, 08:20

Frozzy,

sorry, but didn't see a need for paragraphs and didn't want to edit it afterwards.

Tass,

that's basically the same as to copy & paste lorem ipsum 1000 times into a post, so that was 100% pointless for this thread.

Badadams,

any form of public cussing about other websites without any valid arguements is frowned upon in webmaster communities. Shows bad taste and gives a bad reputation.

MZ,

actually yes, because I tried to make a sense of those very bright colours, but they're simply too bright.

Harry Seldon · July 18, 2003, 09:04

Quote:

he new load comes from a horrendous combination of summer, RoN, GalCiv, and (eek) Moo3.

Has anyone been to GalCiv or Moo3 lately? There's maybe twenty posts a day in both forums combined. That damned RoN has about twenty posts every fifteen minutes. Can the RoN forums!

Immortal Wombat · July 18, 2003, 09:08

The front pages of each of the 4 RoN forums goes back two weeks. There really isn't that much traffic. It's the DemoGames I tells ya.

Asher · July 18, 2003, 10:02

Quote:

Originally posted by Skanky Burns
Is this daily crashing of the server being planned for the rest of the week?

Yes, how much longer do we need to deal with Linux?

Rasbelin · July 18, 2003, 10:43

We would have to drop off several features, if we would go with IIS+PHP+MySQL or start all over again with IIS+ASP+MS-SQL. No thanks.

However Apache+PHP+MySQL could be okay, but then we could just as well go with a BSD system.

Snowflake · July 18, 2003, 12:16

Oh gosh

badams52 · July 18, 2003, 19:29

Asuka,

if you say so

Nubclear · July 18, 2003, 19:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Asuka
Tass,

that's basically the same as to copy & paste lorem ipsum 1000 times into a post, so that was 100% pointless for this thread.

Someone didn't have their morning coffee today

Rasbelin · July 18, 2003, 19:42

No respectable site allows public cussing about other websites. Just widen your horizon and try pulling a few flaming, cussing anf trolling parties about e.g. ACS on CFC. I'm sure your thread and you will get the same treatment as e.g. Marie Antionette. Or say how AA.com sucks on TMT. You get nailed like a Waffen-SS soldier by a BAR. Well, I assume MZO has to be an exception then, but that doesn't increase the value of it shares.

Rasbelin · July 18, 2003, 19:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Tassadar5000

Someone didn't have their morning coffee today

Sorry, I don't drink coffee.

But I think I may have something else that interests you... I'll talk to you soon.

badams52 · July 18, 2003, 20:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Asuka
No respectable site allows public cussing about other websites. Just widen your horizon and try pulling a few flaming, cussing anf trolling parties about e.g. ACS on CFC. I'm sure your thread and you will get the same treatment as e.g. Marie Antionette. Or say how AA.com sucks on TMT. You get nailed like a Waffen-SS soldier by a BAR. Well, I assume MZO has to be an exception then, but that doesn't increase the value of it shares.

I see your point.

While I can't speak for everyone at MZO, my personal (and many others) poly whining fest exists because we've put so much into poly, that we hate to see it go down.

Personally, I enjoy poly very much and am very appreciative of the owners and all they do for the Civ playing community, which includes the forums, posters etc. So when it goes down, I am naturally frustrated and like to have a place to vent said frustrations with other Poly members who understand.

I am very happy that the owners have put up a wonderful site, and it's a shame that poly goes down as often as it does for as long as it does.