IMPORTANT - Server down time over w/end ** DONE **

Post by **sp3ctre** » Thu May 12, 2011 9:16 pm

There will be some downtime over the coming weekend. I am not sure quite how long the site will be offline, but hopefully not too long.

Jim

Taz · Post by **Taz** » Fri May 13, 2011 11:39 am

this is just no good

Post by **sp3ctre** » Fri May 13, 2011 3:12 pm

Just a reminder that this will be happening tonight, around 9-10pm GMT+1

The site is being migrated to a new server (we have outgrown this one!). The migration is actually a fairly quick process but as with all website migrations the DNS takes a while to get itself in check.

I have made some changes to try and speed up this process, but it is reliant on other DNS servers obeying the rules (which they often don't). This means that it could be anything from a few minutes to several hours before you can view the site on the new server. In the mean time you will see a "server offline" message on the site.

There are a couple of things you can do to attempt to see the site sooner. Firstly you can clear the DNS cache on your computer:

Windows users open a command prompt (cmd) and type : ipconfig /flushdns

Mac users open a terminal window and type : dscacheutil -flushcache

This will clear the DNS cache on your computer, but you are still reliant on your ISP not holding onto the old DNS records for too long.

Unfortunately there is not a lot we can do to prevent the down time... as always, some users will find they get almost immediately onto the new site, others will take longer.

I will begin the migration around 9-10pm tonight, so consider this permission to go out and drink beer, hopefully the forum will be moved before the hangover kicks in

PS apologies if this post was too geeky for some

Z4 Beemer · Post by **Z4 Beemer** » Fri May 13, 2011 3:18 pm

Good luck!

Can you not just give us the new IP of the server (or does it run several virtual hosts?) - just in case anyone gets withdrawal symptoms?

DNS can be a right PITA at times.

Post by **sp3ctre** » Fri May 13, 2011 3:22 pm

Z4 Beemer wrote:Good luck!

Can you not just give us the new IP of the server (or does it run several virtual hosts?) - just in case anyone gets withdrawal symptoms?

DNS can be a right PITA at times.

Spot on with the virtual hosts, so that won't work. I was tempted proxy forward with IPtables but that's a bit over engineered for just a small amount of downtime.

Know what you mean about DNS being a PITA though.... you give a TTL of 15 mins and yet hours later you still have people being pointed at the wrong IP... sometimes wonder what the use of TTL is when so many DNS servers cache far too long!

imp75 · Post by **imp75** » Fri May 13, 2011 3:52 pm

Erm, Yeah, I agree.pesky motherboards and modem cables! Actually as you prob guessed I've no idea what on earth you're saying. I'll just check back in tomorrow lol

Z4 Beemer · Post by **Z4 Beemer** » Fri May 13, 2011 4:09 pm

sp3ctre, In a similar situation I previously suggested we try something like that... forwarding on all port 80 traffic to the new box, (at the network level though), but things somehow ended up in a right mess!

As you say for small amount of downtime not worth trying to be too clever!

a11y · Post by **a11y** » Fri May 13, 2011 5:56 pm

Looks like we picked the perfect time to get off the forum and hold the Skye meet this weekend then

Good luck with the move.

Animal · Post by **Animal** » Fri May 13, 2011 6:28 pm

We could all go back 15 years and get a life

well for at least a hour

Bandit007 · Post by **Bandit007** » Fri May 13, 2011 7:10 pm

I think I had this problem before but the wheels fell off...............

Post by **sp3ctre** » Fri May 13, 2011 8:34 pm

Forum will be going offline in 25 mins

Post by **sp3ctre** » Fri May 13, 2011 9:19 pm

Migration complete... if you can read this then the forum is open for business again

Geeman · Post by **Geeman** » Fri May 13, 2011 9:22 pm

Post by **sp3ctre** » Fri May 13, 2011 9:24 pm

Bloody hell, that was quick!

Taz · Post by **Taz** » Sat May 14, 2011 8:39 am

out of all days to do this, friday 13th would have been the last i would have picked lol

Z4-forum.com

Z4-forum.com

IMPORTANT - Server down time over w/end DONE

IMPORTANT - Server down time over w/end DONE

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