From: Darcy Buskermolen <darcy@wavefire.com>
Organization: Wavefire Technologies Corp.
To: Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>,
	pgsql-advocacy@postgresql.org, pgsql-www@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: [pgsql-advocacy] Server unreliability
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 10:41:30 -0700
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On September 29, 2004 10:13 am, you wrote:
> It is my opinion that we have to make major changes in the way we
> provide hosting for our servers.  There are several problems:
>
> o  Location of servers
>
> The location of our servers in Panama is a problem.  They are too far
> for any PostgreSQL maintainers to access.  Changing hardware or
> diagnosing problems has been too hard.  I have had like 2 days of
> downtime on my home machine in the past 12 years.  We have had more than
> 2 days of downtime in the past 6 months.  My wife would not accept such
> a reliability level.

Yes location is a bit of a concern, but I think it's muchless of a concern 
than the rest of the issues. I think with hardware/jail issues sorted out 
this one will for the most part take careof it's self, or at least be far 
less apparent.

>
> o  FreeBSD
>
> The use of FreeBSD jails can cause servers to take +8 hours to fsck on a
> server crash or power failure.  Again, I would never accept such
> problems on my home server so it is hard to fathom how a project with
> thousands of users can accept that.  Either we need to find a fix, stop
> using jails, or get another operating system, but continuing to use a
> setup with a known problem is just asking for trouble.

The over use of jails I think is complicating things, what are the odds that 
someone could find it in their heart to raid the old hardware pile in their 
serverback room, and come up with a PIII 800MHz + system with a gig of ram 
that they could donate to the cause, and we move some of the more critical 
services (www/ftp/anoncvs) to that box without jails.

Yahoo, Pair, Fugtisu, Affilias , Somebody, Anybody???

>
> o  Web site
>
> We have been talking about a new web page layout for years at this
> point.  I almost don't care if they just put a dancing bear up on the
> web site.  Let's do something!

One thing I know we can do here to help at least the availability of the 
website itself, is to use a round-robin DNS based setup.  I know Marc 
adjusted DNS records to point the main website at www3.ca a while back during 
a time that www was stuck in fsck hell.  As for the website redesign, I agree 
fully, it's been talked about for at least 3 full releases now and from my 
understanding it's no closer now than it was before.
Can anybody comment on the hold up here?


>
> o  Archives
>
> The archives situation is a continual problem.  Again, maybe a dancing
> bear can help.  :-)

What about combining the efforts od pgsql.ru and command prompt to do this, or 
maybe even monarc or google groups ?


>
> Basically, with no money and no one offering servers, I don't see a good
> solution to any of these problems, but I think we need to recognize
> these are problems and that we will continue to suffer until they are
> addressed.
Ok i know how much we all hate banner adds and the like, but what about using 
Google ads especially on the archives to help generate income to fund these 
requirements?


>
> Are there any proposals, no matter how radical, to correct these?

-- 
Darcy Buskermolen
Wavefire Technologies Corp.
ph: 250.717.0200
fx:  250.763.1759
http://www.wavefire.com