SDMB Server Migration/Upgrade Plan

[askeptic]

@TubaDiva

We expect to moderate as we always have regardless of what might happen to the content. That also means all rules will be enforced and people should behave accordingly. If misbehavior ends up in banning or suspension, we keep notes on that and those notes will survive migration.

@Czarcasm

All rules still apply to “Amnesia Weekend”-the Board may be having an attack of amnesia, but the memories of the Mods and Admins will still be functioning.
'Nuff said?

Damn! Can I get a refund on all this NoDoze and Booze?

[nd_n8]

@Czarcasm

All rules still apply to “Amnesia Weekend”-the Board may be having an attack of amnesia, but the memories of the Mods and Admins will still be functioning.
'Nuff said?

I see, so we still have to follow the rules or be faced with an administrative hangover Tuesday, but otherwise if we say something dumb or embarassing it goes away forever for all but those who remember it.

Cool, this is going to be fun.

Also great news about the migration and the free to post dealie. I’m looking forward to the new performance. Thanks again for the update, and for assuring us that if all goes wrong, blame Ed not Jerry.

[Czarcasm]

@nd_n8

I see, so we still have to follow the rules or be faced with an administrative hangover Tuesday, but otherwise if we say something dumb or embarassing it goes away forever for all but those who remember it.

Cool, this is going to be fun.

And how would this effect the way you post normally?

[jdavis]

@nd_n8

Thanks again for the update, and for assuring us that if all goes wrong, blame Ed not Jerry.

No, I’m to blame for problems with the upgrade. Ed is stuck in the same situation as all the other Administrators, Moderators, and membership. If I screw up send the blame my way.

Jerry

[Fear_Itself]

Great news! Thanks for all your diligence and hard work, Jerry.

One question; do we have to be nice to all the naysayers who said this would never happen, and who will probably not be satisfied with the new server and software anyway?

[jdavis]

@ultrafilter

Fair enough. Just wanted to verify it was being considered as an option.

We’ll be on a cluster of at least one web front end and one database backend after the upgrade. The cluster is designed for future expansion and is multi-machine from the start so it’s not only been considered but it’s soon to be accomplished.

Jerry

[Scarlett67]

@jdavis

D) The complete contents of the SDMB will be opened up to all Web search engine spiders.

Umm, hey, what? I’d always understood that not being indexed on search engines was considered rather a benefit and upside to the boards. Now it will be open to all and sundry?

[Starving_Artist]

@jdavis

If I screw up send the blame my way.

Well, here’s hoping all will go well and there’ll be no blame to send your way, and thanks from me too for all your hard work.

[ultrafilter]

@jdavis

We’ll be on a cluster of at least one web front end and one database backend after the upgrade. The cluster is designed for future expansion and is multi-machine from the start so it’s not only been considered but it’s soon to be accomplished.

Jerry

Cool.

[jdavis]

@Scarlett67

Umm, hey, what? I’d always understood that not being indexed on search engines was considered rather a benefit and upside to the boards. Now it will be open to all and sundry?

I believe it’s important that the content of the message board be easily found if we want to grow membership. Search engines were restricted in the past because we offered the internal search engine as a benefit of subscribing. The internal search engine is about to be turned on for everybody and so with it we’d like the content to be available to all and sundry search engine users as well.

Jerry

[Marley23]

I’m not much for the technical side of this stuff, but the board was already searchable with BoardReader and some other engines, right - just not by all of them, including Google?

[jdavis]

@Marley23

I’m not much for the technical side of this stuff, but the board was already searchable with BoardReader and some other engines, right - just not by all of them, including Google?

The board wasn’t searched by any search engine provider that decided they would abide by our request not to be searched. Google, Yahoo!, MSN, etc. abide by the voluntary protocol. Lots of search engines will ignore your request not to be indexed and index you any way. BoardReader was one of them. I could have blocked them using other means but I saw it as a never ending and basically pointless exercise of trying to police organizations that are actively trying to subvert your intent.

Jerry

[Marley23]

Thanks Jerry.

[Noone_Special]

Great news! Hopefully maybe some of the lost membership will come back as Members

Thank you for the update, and for working the Holiday weekend, Jerry!

One question though… Starting Friday, when Amnesia weekend commences, will goatees once again be de rigeur for everyone?

I better get working on shaving off the sideburns, then…

[What_Exit]

Thank you for providing the plan **Jerry ** and good luck. It sounds like a rotten way to spend most of your long weekend. Can you give us details on the search improvement, is it the one listed on the vB boards?

I am glad I always try to check the ATMB.

@Marley23

I’m not much for the technical side of this stuff, but the board was already searchable with BoardReader and some other engines, right - just not by all of them, including Google?

It was only searchable and poorly by a few engines including BoardReader. Jerry is absolutely correct that to grow the board, the dope needs to be visible and visable pretty much means Google and the other major search engines.

I am happy this decision was made, though I feel sympathies for those that have always been against it. This is overall the correct decision for growth.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

This is all a conspiracy to get my wife to stick around, isn’t it? I KNEW you guys would like her better than me. Just because she’s got nice boobies!

[Risha]

@jdavis

No, I’m to blame for problems with the upgrade. Ed is stuck in the same situation as all the other Administrators, Moderators, and membership. If I screw up send the blame my way.

As someone who has spent many long weekends making sure upgrades and special processing go as expected (which it never does), I’m hereby offering to send you a pizza for dinner if you’re stuck at work the whole time.

(If, err, I can figure out how to do it, as I suspect you’ll be nowhere near New Jersey. But the offer is completely genuine if I can find an online place. Just let me know while you’re waiting for some job or another to run. I’ll probably be spending most of the weekend playing WoW.)

[Marley23]

@What Exit?

It was only searchable and poorly by a few engines including BoardReader. Jerry is absolutely correct that to grow the board, the dope needs to be visible and visable pretty much means Google and the other major search engines.

I am happy this decision was made, though I feel sympathies for those that have always been against it. This is overall the correct decision for growth.

That’s how I felt about it. We’ve got a great crowd here, but we need more people, and it’s much harder for them to find us if we’re off the beaten path. I know my approval is probably assumed, but I’m glad this is happening.

[choie]

Holy cow, congratulations! This is truly great news. Can’t wait to see the result of your hard work, Jerry!

BTW, vBulletin’s up to 3.7.3 as of yesterday. Will you be running that version rather than sticking with 3.7.2. pl 2?

[fachverwirrt]

@Skald the Rhymer

This is all a conspiracy to get my wife to stick around, isn’t it? I KNEW you guys would like her better than me. Just because she’s got nice boobies!

Cite?

(I know, I know. But somebody had to say it.)