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Introducing Aries
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Introducing Aries |
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Ron
Administrator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-05-19
Posts 8669Michigan, US 
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November and December, 2005, weren't quite the busiest months we've ever seen for the main site, but it sure was close. November, for example, saw 2,389,000 million visitors, which is getting a bit close to our record of 2,423,000 set earlier in 2005. December dropped to 2,325,000 visitors, but that's only because the last week of the year, from Christmas to New Years Day, was extremely slow. During the first two weeks of December our daily averages projected out to well over three million visits. We're up almost 140 percent over the same period in 2004. That's the good news. The bad news is that Apollo, the main site web server since July 2002, is only just barely keeping up with the demand. By way of comparison, our other server, the twin Artemis (also on-line since 2002), is running right now with an average server load of .12 over the last fifteen minutes. Essentially, that means the forums, 100-poems.com, a bunch of subdomains on netpoets.net, and a handful of other domains, are using about 12 percent of the server's CPU. In the evenings, that'll spike some, but very rarely exceed fifty percent. The load average on Apollo as I write these words is running 3.98, or nearly 400 percent of capacity. That's on a Friday, our second slowest day of the week. And before noon. During the evenings on Monday through Thursday, our busiest days, that server load will nearly double. Apollo only crashed once during November and December, but honestly, that's more miracle than anything else. January started out slow, but is quickly picking up speed and will likely beat the numbers for both November and December. As we draw nearer to Valentine's Day, the Mecca for all thing poetic, traffic will only continue to climb. Sadly, poor Apollo simply isn't going to make it. On January 6, I ordered a new web server, and have spent almost every minute of every day since trying to get it ready. I've now moved over two of our smaller, less active domains and, while the jury is still out, it looks like we finally have a solid green light. Since this server, as you'll soon see, has been designed to kick some serious butt, it has been named after the Greek god of war, brother to our other three servers, Apollo, Artemis and Athena. Aries lives.  Here's some numbers for comparison. * Apollo is a Pentium III running at 1Ghz. * Aries is a Dual Xeon (essentially 4 CPUs) running at 2.8Ghz * Apollo has 1Gig of Ram * Aries has 2Gig of Ram * Apollo has one 18.2 GB SCSI hard disk * Aries has two 73 GB SCSI hard disks Additionally, Apollo comes with 130 GB of bandwidth (how much data we can send out to our visitors), a number we exceed even during our slowest months. Aries comes with 2,000 GB of bandwidth, though the way it's measured is different enough to make comparisons difficult until we get some history behind us. Indeed, as much as I like to compare old to new, and as powerful as Aries sounds in comparison to a three and half year old PIII web server, new computers inevitably also come with new software and huge increases in overhead. It's the difference between running Windows95 and Win2003, and the increased complexity accounts in large part for the reason it's taken me several weeks to configure the machine. I have high hopes Aries will solve all our problems, but my optimism will remain tempered until the battle is actually joined. The next few days, I'm going to be moving a LOT of live data as a first-line test. Nan has agreed to help coordinate that move since it will involve other people here. I'm also going to move over a few smaller sites, including our recently upgraded 100-poems.com (which has been getting a lot more traffic, btw, since the redesign), again to put Aries under a bit of a load. I hope by the middle of next week, which will almost surely start our steep climb into the Valentine's Day rush, that I'll be ready to move the entire main site over to our new server. I'm cautiously optimistic we'll be ready in time. If everything goes well, the second half of February will probably see a similar move for the forums. Aries is going to make poor Apollo obsolete. However, Apollo and Artemis, the forum server, are twins in every sense of the word, including the contract under which they're leased. They're a package deal, and as long as the forums continue to sit on one, I have to continue to pay for both, even though Apollo will have nothing to do. I'm probably going to do exactly that for a while (if only to catch my breath), but clearly that's only a short term solution. I don't know if the forums will be moved to Aries (can even the god of war handle two busy sites?) or to a second more modern server, but a move is pretty much inevitable. I've been able to spend very little time in the forums since 2006 reared her head and that little time is going to dwindle to less for at least the rest of January. Many of you know I had a trip out west planned for February, but that, I fear, is going to depend on the whims of a war god. My plans for this year didn't include a huge spike in traffic (we've done absolutely NOTHING to promote these sites in over a year), so I'm forced to pretty much just wing it until my projections catch up to our realities. There's going to be a lot of changes, and as we all know, change doesn't always go smoothly. There is a bright side, though. If Aries lives up to expectations, we're going to once again have a little breathing room for growth, both at the main site and in the forums. I've been avoiding growth because we haven't been ready for it. Frankly, though, it's not in my nature to leave two 76G hard disks sit mostly empty for very long. |
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| © Copyright 2006 Ron Carnell - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Ron...most of the geek stuff I don't understand, but I do understand that you've been busy, and for that I say thank you. I look forward to experiencing the changes. |
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Ringo 
since 2003-02-20
Posts 3684Saluting with misty eyes |
Thanks for the upgrade and the update, Ron. Once again you prove why you are, indeed, the Lord of the Files.  "...and as we drift along, I never fail to be astounded by the things we'll do for promises..." |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
Pleased to make your acquaintance, Aries...  |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
I really don't understand much of what you said,  but I do however get one thing - I should probably stand up and cheer, "Thanks Ron!" |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
That's some awesome news ... pleased to make the acquaintance of Sir Aires~ Onward into the battlefield~ And LOL @ Ringo's little funny punny~  ~*The sound of a kiss is not as strong as that of a cannon, but it's echo endures much longer*~ |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
It's just so sad that PiP is so popular...sigh!! (Next year we'll make the Writers Digest list!) Thanks for the info, Ron. It must be difficult keeping up with all this - and weren't you retired a few years ago? Hmm. Wonder what happened to THAT idea?  |
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Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
WELCOME ARIES!! Way to go Ron!! |
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iliana Member Patricius
since 2003-12-05
Posts 13434USA |
I'm just like Marti on this topic, Ron. You sure deserve a hug for all you do to support this family!  ....jo |
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icebox Member Elite
since 2003-05-03
Posts 4383in the shadows |
Ahhh...I love the smell of over heated boards in the morning, it smells like...victory! I have always been grateful for what you have made possible here. I don't know how it is for other people, but for me when the muse has me by the...uh...keyboard...it is difficult for me to remember all it takes to run a place like this. It becomes easy to take it for granted, especially in the throes of creativity or response to others' poetry or while deep in discussion and/or debate. I am really glad you posted this and glad also that by chance I saw it. (I had the time only because the main telephone trunk cable to my building was cut a few hours ago and it is quiet here right now.) While there still is no way I will remember it when I am struggling with word retrieval or syntax, or rhyme, or spelling, postings like this one really help me to recall the cost and value of this gift. Thank you from the bottom of my selfish, twisted, blackend soul! |
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Kit McCallum
Administrator
Member Laureate
since 2000-04-30
Posts 14774Ontario, Canada |
Welcome Aries!!! Boy, he's got some big shoes to fill, but it sounds like he's up to the challenge!  Good luck with the transfer Ron ... I hope all goes smoothly. Thank you for ALL the hidden things you do, Not only to run the hardware and software, But the many, many challenges you face in the background.  |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
WOW! a full 2 gigs of RAM? ARIES will kick serious booty ( )Hopefully H(SHE) won't be birthing headaches in March. Thank you for sharing your spaceship. |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
quote: Wanna bet? I talk this place up ALL the time, and I can only imagine that my the size of my smile, you KNOW my rambling can be that big, too!  On a more serious note? Thank you with all sincerity, Ron...for giving us such a place, in space, to befriend so many, through what once was known as a "dying art". Long Live PiP!!! |
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Titia Geertman Member Ascendant
since 2001-05-07
Posts 5182Netherlands |
To me you're the Wizard of Oz, creating a beautiful home for many.  Thanks Ron. Titia Like scattered leaves...my words will flow |
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tracie66 Member Elite
since 2000-01-18
Posts 4713Australia |
thanks and ~hugs~  RonYou do an awesome job Tracie Love is the life of the soul... |
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Susan Caldwell Member Rara Avis
since 2002-12-27
Posts 8348Florida |
I feel like Ron just announced the birth of a child... Now, I really need to go back up a few things.. Thank you Ron. "too bad ignorance isn't painful" |
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Larry C
since 2001-09-10
Posts 10286United States |
Is it just me or does this seem expensive. Better you than me I know. But wish I could afford to add my financial support. Instead you'll have to settle for my cheering from the sideline. You ROCK. If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, |
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Fee Member
since 2000-08-07
Posts 381Melbourne, Australia |
Ron, Thank you for caring enough to invest in Aries, we promise to make sure we fill its drive with words worth while. Hugs, Fee Expressions, |
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Trillium
since 2001-03-09
Posts 12098Idaho, USA |
Like Larry C. I too, am wondering at the cost of all this? That you do this Ron, without asking for any financial assistance is a small measure of who you are! Thank you! Betty Lou Betty Lou Hebert |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Long [as long as is allowed, computer time] may Aries live! |
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sandgrain Member Elite
since 1999-09-21
Posts 3662Sycamore, IL, USA |
Ron, your work and generousity are like a heavenly voice singing, that I can neither understand or join. I do know how it makes me feel, extremely happy and grateful. Thank you and may God richly bless you. Rae |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Rae, you joined shortly after I did...you knew...but possibly didn't know, of the gastronomic unsettlings of seeing our PiP go "down" now and then. Now, even though I back up all of my poetry to my own hard drive, set them into disc, etc., etc., it still makes me want to believe in a wonderful Santa Claus of poetry... Someone who has such a heart, to give all that he can, and not ask a pittance for all of his efforts... yes, that's our Ron. So many people join... so many people don't realize what it is he really does for this Family of poetic, prose-writing, discussion driven, argumentative, combative, spiritual, corner pub, enlightened community... and that's my story, and I'm sticking to it! May Aries have a long and healthy computer-life span... and may all of Ron's moves to updating PiP be as merciful as the last move! |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
You hard drive a bargain, Ron  |
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