Server Down

[Becky Rose]

Yes the UKCT server is having problems, they do know about it. :( For STCC public server drivers it's been compounded by an update going out at the same time, but the last crash was before it had even been relaunched so i'm sure it's nothing to do with the SRA system. The server itself appears to have a fault, until then i'm sorry to say racing on STCC is ... well, probably best left for another night.

Sorry

EDIT:
Advance Notice
Maintenance work will be done on the SRA system early on Saturday Morning. To attempt to put in place new features and fixes.

[Becky Rose]

Apparently it was running. We've gone back to an earlier version temporarily. More testing will be done on the update to identify and fix any flaws, if any. In the meentime hopefully the server will work fine.

[GruntOfAction]

Yeah all the other STCC servers went Private or something...

Must be part of the stuff happening.

[Becky Rose]

Advance Notice
Maintenance work will be done on the SRA system early on Saturday Morning. To attempt to put in place new features and fixes.

[FOGlegsy]

cant wait :)

[mcintyrej]

So does this mean all the new servers are on Saturday? Or just some of the new features on the existing servers?

As Legsy said, can't wait.

[GruntOfAction]

Becky, i'd PM you about this but you have PMs turned off so....


A certain guy named "Nouking" has been spinning and crashing me lastnight and still today, All he says after he does it is "I love you"..

Didn't want to have to make a giant topic about it so i put it here.

[Linsen]

That's what STCC's handy little reporting thingy is for, Grunt ;): http://licence.ukct.net/report.asp

[SamH]

There are some critical updates to Windows Server that need installing, so we're planning to do a restart or two this evening, when/if things have quietened down a bit. Unfortunately these things aren't an option, and it does look like a fairly critical set of updates. We completed some earlier but there are more to go.

Forewarned, etc.. if the server disappears later, it WILL be back within 5 or 10 minutes. I'll try to let everyone know ahead of time :)

[GruntOfAction]

That's what STCC's handy little reporting thingy is for, Grunt ;): http://licence.ukct.net/report.asp


Yes but thats so u have a replay. I didn't have one (got pissed and left).

[mcintyrej]

Nothing can be done about it then AFAIK

[SamH]

Jack's right, we can't take action on word of mouth. Always have a replay to back up your complaint, and we'll take action accordingly. We have to see it for ourselves, though.. hence the need for the replay. :)

[GruntOfAction]

Jack's right, we can't take action on word of mouth. Always have a replay to back up your complaint, and we'll take action accordingly. We have to see it for ourselves, though.. hence the need for the replay. :)

Owell i'll just avoid the wrecker as much as I can then.

[Becky Rose]

So does this mean all the new servers are on Saturday? Or just some of the new features on the existing servers?
Sadly it's the latter. I'm still waiting on the co-locator to install a new rack before the new server can go live. I'm hoping for Saturday 21st April as the launch day of the new server box (as i'm busy this weekend anyway).

There's a full list of changes coming this Saturday (hopefully) and the next stage of expansions planned for the SRA in this announcement: http://www.simtouringcarcup.com/talk/viewtopic.php?id=548

[the_angry_angel]

Sadly it's the latter. I'm still waiting on the co-locator to install a new rack before the new server can go live.Just out of interest, who did you colocate with if you don't mind me asking?

[Becky Rose]

I'm going with http://www.l33t-hosting.co.uk/ after experiencing their service on another server I was only to happy to go with them. The service is of a high standard. However on this case, I do appear to be in a position that I have to wait.

They felt that installing into an existing rack (they have 2) could cause the power thingy to overload.

Going elsewhere would be awkward, as the case is per their specification. By using MiniATX they get 6 computers onto a 4U shelf, which reduces the monthly rack space rental cost to me.

[harjun]

I see the silver and gold server is up...but where do i get my copper liscense from...because the server isnt up...

Excuse myself if im an idiot
Cheers, Harjun

[GruntOfAction]

I see the silver and gold server is up...but where do i get my copper liscense from...because the server isnt up...

Excuse myself if im an idiot
Cheers, Harjun


The points stuff hasn't been working all too well lately so they might be down for matinance.

[Becky Rose]

I see the silver and gold server is up...but where do i get my copper liscense from...because the server isnt up...

Excuse myself if im an idiot
Cheers, Harjun
Not quite an idiot ... and not exactly blind. The new servers you can find on the STD filter rather than TBO - they use XFG+XRG for the 1a (S1+S2) server and UF1 (S2 only) for the 1b server.

[SamH]

Just out of interest, who did you colocate with if you don't mind me asking?
I'm going with http://www.l33t-hosting.co.uk/
[tumbleweed]
Does he know something we don't?? :scratchch

[Becky Rose]

or he's busy organising a petition to them to get them to setup their rack faster because the world of simulated motor sports is waiting for some guy to figure out the Ikea instruction manual...

[SamH]

Would be good! Someone should, for sure!

[Becky Rose]

As a rough indication of the server setup, my current thinking is for the entry level server to be the FOX.

The second tier server I am thinking of making spend half it's time running FOX and half it's time running the FO8 with car changes probably syncronised with track changes (seems like the most convenient time to do the change).

The top server I will take a view on when people get nearer to it, but probably will alternate between FO8 and BF1.

[GruntOfAction]

As a rough indication of the server setup, my current thinking is for the entry level server to be the FOX.

The second tier server I am thinking of making spend half it's time running FOX and half it's time running the FO8 with car changes probably syncronised with track changes (seems like the most convenient time to do the change).

The top server I will take a view on when people get nearer to it, but probably will alternate between FO8 and BF1.


Just FYI if u didn't see my attatchment in the other topic....

[the_angry_angel]

or he's busy organising a petition to them to get them to setup their rack faster because the world of simulated motor sports is waiting for some guy to figure out the Ikea instruction manual...I'm honestly just trying to figure out whether they actually have racks (as in racks with measurements in U's) or whether it's actually custom sized shelving with measurements based roughly around U's.

I've seen both in DC's, and I've seen what happens on custom sized shelving all too often.

My thought was along the lines of;
if its a rackmount then it doesn't take long to order and build. Even less time to order pre-built, and often cheaper these days, they should be freaking out with their suppliers.

On the other hand, all I've heard is good things from Sam with regards to them, and the BS DC.. so :shrug:

The only reason I asked was because I'm considering deploying a spare, albeit low powered 1u box I'd obtained via work, in the uk as backup for my rented boxes :( Something local would be nice, but since I'm a bit of a distance from London, its a bit expensive as the small DCs here have to get transit from docklands, etc. :(

Everyone I know either seems to be moving their boxes out of the UK to .de or .us, or using various companies at Blue Square atm though... :tilt: Suppose they must be doing something right...

[Becky Rose]

if its a rackmount then it doesn't take long to order and build. Even less time to order pre-built, and often cheaper these days, they should be freaking out with their suppliers.
I originally went to them discussing a 4U server i'd picked up, but as you probably know (I didnt then) it just didn't make financial sense. They offer U racks, but they also put a rack of shelves on them that can take the servers they build for leasing using mini-ATX cases (6 in the space of 4U). I just happened to ask them what box to use and rented that space instead of 1U.

[SamH]

The best and only advice I can offer, Karl, is to NOT buy anything connecting through RapidSwitch. I'm beginning to conclude (and so is Jay, our ISP) that they are, to datacentres, what PlusNet are to end-users.

[Becky Rose]

I just spoke to l33t hosting again and it seems the reason the new rack is not built isn't a problem with the Ikea manual (although I did ask :D), but because they want to move to a new transit provider and are holding off until they have switched.

[the_angry_angel]

The best and only advice I can offer, Karl, is to NOT buy anything connecting through RapidSwitch. I'm beginning to conclude (and so is Jay, our ISP) that they are, to datacentres, what PlusNet are to end-users.Meh, I've discovered that to my detriment, despite warnings.

Quite frankly I'm getting fed up with coloc issues in the UK. Either its cheap and its crap, or its ridiculously expensive for a decent speed. I can honestly recommend ValueServer.de for bargain basement rented boxes, or Staminus.net for good quality, DDoS-protected, sensibly priced, with provision for physical private networking. I cant seem to find much in between, or in the UK, though :( I'm just coming to the conclusion rented ftw; at least the hardware isn't my worry at least.

[animal1313]

I just spoke to l33t hosting again and it seems the reason the new rack is not built isn't a problem with the Ikea manual (although I did ask :D), but because they want to move to a new transit provider and are holding off until they have switched.

That doesn't make much sense and I think that yanking your chain. Unless I am mis-defining what a transit provider is. (I wish you Brits would speak English. :) )

If a transit provider is the entity which is providing the hosting company with a data line to the Internet, then why should a change in that cause a rack not to be deployed? The rack (and your equipment) would not be directly connected to that up-stream ISP. Your stuff is connected to the Hoster's internal network. An ISP change would be done at the Hoster's MPOE (Main point of entry).

[SamH]

The current transit provider occupies 2 floors of the datacentre where Becky's new server will be (and the existing server already is). Changing provider will involve moving away from those two floors to another floor in the same building.

[animal1313]

What in the heck is a transit provider, then? The people that provide the rack space and 'Net connection? An ISP is, to us colonials, an Internet Service Provider who just provides one or my IP addresses. Sometimes an ISP also offers a physical connection to the Internet via telephone, Cable, satellite, or commercial DS/OC lines.

On the other hand, what we call a CoLo is a "co-location" provider. Also known as a "hoster". These are the people we call up if we don't want to have a server in our house/company and/or need more bandwidth than we could otherwise get since a CoLo will generally have a massive connection to one of the Internet backbones.

So what's a "transit provider'? Its true that we are a group of people separated by common language.

[Swiss_Tony]

So what's a "transit provider'? Its true that we are a group of people separated by common language

The guy they leased the van from, which is obviously a Ford Transit.

Next question please, I'm good tonight :)

[SamH]

So what's a "transit provider'? Its true that we are a group of people separated by common language.
hehe.. yep, basically the ISP at the server end. The cost of connecting directly to a backbone to the Internet is high, and so the cost is distributed among many transit providers, or ISPs, who themselves often resell portions of their "pipes".. and so it filters down to many companies/people like us, who just use a few terabytes per month, and just want one uncontested 100mbit connection to the internet for our server. We don't need more than that so we just find someone who will sell us the bandwidth and rent us the shelf space at the datacentre to stick our server on. :)

[CELTIC100]

Have ALL Servers Just Gone Down 12 midnight - Got Disconnected From 1B and now non are showing on Master server :shrug:

[Becky Rose]

I'm told that the computer was restarted. They should be running again already.

[CELTIC100]

:thumb: Cheers there back :)