Moving Time! Important!

[Pete]

This time, I get to steal the thunder :).

I've been told, about a half hour ago, that we now have webspace on a new provider, www.asmallorange.com

I've heard some fairly good things about this provider and several people from the forum at vbulletin.com (the forum software we're moving to) have recommended them.

WHEN is the official move date?: I dunno. Very soon. Harri will post here.
WHEN are we getting vBulletin?: I dunno. Fairly soon.

As far as vBulletin is concerned, here's the order:
* We get the software and install it on the new provider.
* I transfer over this Forum's data.
* I fix the search engine (this will take *at least* a day).
* I configure vBulletin to make it look nice.

... then it's ready for prime time. I will post an announcement about the actual move to vBulletin when it's close, because posts after that announcement will be lost.

When we move to the new provider, no more than a day's worth of posts should be lost, provided that there isn't any problem transferring the Forum and website data (which the new provider will do for us).

[Jbroad572]

WOOHOO No more downtime...

[Pete]

Well, less downtime, hopefully.


Again, the explanations:

For a new host ...
Our current host, Siteground has been having problems with their SQL servers (the things that make this Forum work) since January. I have recommended some fixes for them, but their response has almost always been, "Hey, we never had a problem until YOU came around and when we took your Forum offline, everything started working again."

Yeah, right. I also suppose the reason that all your backups that you made of our Forum were corrupt was our fault, too, hmmm? The fact that your SQL servers went down a dozen times while our Forum was offline was our fault too, eh?

Additionally, Siteground has taken away several backup and restore features for large Forums and they have other problems with phpBB (chronicled in the Forum Problem Reports area), so it's very iffy to stay with Siteground for any length of time.

=======

For New Forum Software ...
We've been having some inconsistent problems with our current Forum software, phpBB, and there is the possibility that one of the outages in the past couple of months has corrupted one or more tables that make up our Forum (it's essentially a really big database) -- or one or more of the records therein -- and it's my hope that a new piece of software will fix these problems.

However, the MAIN reason I want vBulletin, other than the above, is that THEY support the product. phpBB is free and their support is "you get what you pay for". It's sometimes great, sometimes not. And it's all filtered through me. Hey, I want to work on MY projects for awhile.

Additionally, vBulletin has a look and feel very similar to phpBB, but it's allegedly designed specifically for larger forums. This might mean "little learning curve for current members" and "better speed and fewer outages".

[Pete]

THAT didn't take long.

I just got an e-mail from Harri that we're transferring data, like, NOW.

Please note this because your posts after this one MAY NOT BE SAVED ON THE NEW PROVIDER.

[gary]

I think it's time for me to Panic!!

:binky: :yikes!: :yikes!: :yikes!: :violent1: :yikes!: :yikes!: :yikes!: :binky:

[Pete]

I think someone might be bucking for a custom title, like "Tim Price, Jr." or something like that :).

I'm still awaiting some confirmation that the "transfer of files" is taking/has taken place.

[Razzy]

Wow, that sure was quick. All of yesterday's posts are lost. Hah, this'll be the 4th time writing my post about tenor mouthpieces :) (the forum kept logging me out in the process yesterday)

[Pete]

Now I get to repost, too.

As mentioned on the Siteground-hosted Forum, all data has been xferred as of 3:13pm on Wednesday, local Arizona time (which I think is something like 8:53pm GMT) -- yes, this is later than the time I posted above (hey. It's a good thing).

I noticed I didn't xfer all the smilies (thank you, Tim Price, Jr.) and did that this AM.

Report any difficulties here or via e-mail.

========

Also as mentioned on the Siteground-hosted Forum, the vBulletin Forum has been installed. I am working on xferring data. Gimme some time.

Again note that there will be a cutoff-time for posts that won't be xferred to vBulletin. I'll give you more information when I'm ready.

[goodsax]

Wow! That was a relatively smooth transfer. I am noticing a minor delay between selecting the "reply" button and when the reply text box is ready to accept input. But, that could be my computer since I just downloaded all the latest Microsoft Windows and Explorer updates.

Great job, Pete. Your efforts are appreciated as I consider this the most important forum for my sax-related information and pure enjoyment.

Thanks,

[AMASAX]

well, if the posts stand a good chance of being lost, why the hell doesn't someone lock down THIS bboard?

dunno if it's worth messing with trying to recreate posts if there's no clear cutover date/time

[Pete]

Umm. Because I'm not ready to do the transfer yet?

Not sure I understand the problem:

1. I get vBulletin running.
2. I put a note here that further posts won't be backed up.
3. I back up everything.
4. I import everything into vBulletin.
5. I open the vBulletin Forum and close this one.

[JMac]

Count me among the grateful, Pete!!

[DaveKessler]

Hey, I want to work on MY projects for awhile.


Jeez! Sellfish much?!?!? :lol:

[shmuelyosef]

Pete,
We lived for >1 week before without the forum...if it makes your life easier, just take this offline for a few days, transfer the info at your schedule's pace, and then bring it back up. We're captive 'customers', you should 'do it your way'!!!

...and by the way, thanx...are there going to be additional costs associated with the new service? Are you going to call for donations like before, or should we just 'send money' as we see fit...

[newking70]

Well we're movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe provider in the sky.
Movin on up
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.

Fish don't fry in the kitchen;
Beans don't burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin'
Just to get up that hill.
Now we're up in the big leagues
Gettin' our turn at bat.
As long as we live, it's you and me baby
There ain't nothin wrong with that.

[Harri Rautiainen]

..................
...and by the way, thanx...are there going to be additional costs associated with the new service? Are you going to call for donations like before, or should we just 'send money' as we see fit...
A significant new cost is the vBulletin license: US$160.
Also, for a period of time we will be paying two ISP charges, just to be safe.
I made a contribution to Pete's Computer Equipment Upgrade Fund, and will send more if we get more donations to SOTW.

This way, when Pete finally can take his hiatus, he will enjoy a decent facility at home which he would have needed, when doing all the work during couple past months. :wink:

Following SOTW members donated since the beginng of this year. (David Dolson receives the special mention. Obviously all donations are welcome and needed.)

David Dolson http://www.saxontheweb.net/Store/stars40.gif
Glenn Good
Fred Patterson
Ian McCutcheon
Jim Warshauer
Clifford Kane
Glenn Worthey http://www.saxontheweb.net/Store/stars30.gif
Peter Nixon
Justin Bayne
Robert Shumard
Gary Sapp
Polomski Klaus http://www.saxontheweb.net/Store/stars30.gif
Michael Ward
James Metcalf
Larry Gelberg
:flower:
Commercial sponsors:
David Kessler
Curt Altarac

[Sigmund451]

How bout an IOU. I will donate when I get a job. I got downsized. Maybe that will help my interview Karma 8-)

[Pete]

As mentioned in a dozen different places, we're going to move to the vBulletin Forum software fairly soon. Let me give you some updates.

1. vBulletin has been installed in a different area (it's locked to everyone but me. Sorry).
2. I've been able to import posts, threads, categories and users from phpBB. Not a big deal, but takes awhile. NOTE this isn't the final, end-all-be-all transfer. I'm just testing! About 14 polls didn't transfer. I don't consider this a big deal as 90% of the polls here are in the form of, "Do you think Kenny G sucks? Yes/No." :) (well, kidding only a little ...)

What I'm currently working on is trying to make everything look similar to what we've got here. So far it doesn't and I've been corresponding with the vBulletin folks to make it better. No joy, yet. If I don't get any answers that work by tomorrow, I'm going to start asking the folks that have PM'd or e-mailed me and said that they have or know some one who has experience setting up vBulletin forums.

Yes, I believe we're one of the very few phpBB forums to have this look and feel, and that's part of the problem. Isn't it nice to feel special?

I still have to:

1. Fix everyone's permissions (vBulletin doesn't import these)
2. Fix the search engine.

So, it's progressing. Further updates as they come available!

[swapsax]

in the form of, "Do you think Kenny G sucks? Yes/No." :) (well, kidding only a little ...)


But be sure to save all that great stuff like

"No bites on that $3000 Martin Indiana so I'm reluctantly lowering it to $2975..."

[dragonelf]

haha. that would be like 90% of the posts in the marketplace forum

[Pete]

haha. that would be like 90% of the posts in the marketplace forum
Mmmm. That's a different issue. I believe it's called, "Obeying the letter of the law, not the spirit."

Hurling's more our "For Sale" patrol guy, tho.

If y'all haven't noticed, pruning has been temporarily turned off. I've done this because I've been moving things around too much and didn't want to see some category accidentially get deleted.

[Pete]

I finally got the kinks worked out that I wanted to work out.

I will be making the final phpBB backup today and transferring that to vBulletin. All posts after that will not be transferred.

Please continue posting here. Just don't assume that the vBulletin Forum will have your data.

AFTER I xfer over the posts, I have a considerable amount of clean up to do. I guesstimate and anticipate that all this will be done by this weekend. After that, I'll play with some themes 'n' stuff, but that's about it.

[Pete]

.. and so we've moved to vBulletin. Time to close this thread!