From: Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>
Message-Id: <200409291713.i8THDLn14086@candle.pha.pa.us>
Subject: Server unreliability
To: PostgreSQL www <pgsql-www@postgresql.org>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 13:13:21 -0400 (EDT)
Cc: PostgreSQL advocacy <pgsql-advocacy@postgresql.org>
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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.

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.

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!

o  Archives

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

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.  

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

-- 
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
  pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610) 359-1001
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073