Brief downtime 5 August: data drive installation


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On Monday 5 August at around 10am (EDT), 3pm GMT (4pm BST) we will need to power down the database server to install two SATA hard disks.

 

The downtime should be brief, but it could take up to an hour to complete all of the necessary work, which will also include repurposing of current resources.

 

Thanks!

With the extra capacity our new servers give us, and the new configuration we have both in terms of the software we're using, and the setup of the networking etc, we can do work like that with essentially no visible downtime.

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why sata 2 over sata 3? and no offense but there are a lot better ssds available than intel's

TIL theres alreadey a sata 3  :laugh: but intel is most trusted  :huh:

Um. Servers tend not to use desktop-class hardware. One would assume the drives installed in the Neowin servers are connected via SCSI and of server grade quality.

Isnt a server just a bunch of desktops connected to each other for more power/storage? But yeah, I think these servers use special HW not bought in stores.

TIL theres alreadey a sata 3  :laugh: but intel is most trusted  :huh:

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/sata_3.html

also intel ssd aren't as trusted as you believe. the samsung 840 pros are the popular ones right now with the OCZ Vertex 4s right behind them

No, good servers use dedicated server hardware. Read and learn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_(computing)

 

At work I have the pleasure of maintaining a bunch of this kind of server: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_PowerEdge

No, good servers use dedicated server hardware. Read and learn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server_(computing)

 

At work I have the pleasure of maintaining a bunch of this kind of server: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_PowerEdge

How hard is it to maintain a server? Is it similar to maintaining a home desktop?

How hard is it to maintain a server? Is it similar to maintaining a home desktop?

 

There are many more things to consider than with a home desktop. Uptime for once - users will react badly if you reboot a file server or mail server at the wrong time. 

There are many more things to consider than with a home desktop. Uptime for once - users will react badly if you reboot a file server or mail server at the wrong time. 

Is reboooting a server like rebooting a desktop?

Is reboooting a server like rebooting a desktop?

 

Reading up on the difference between desktop operating systems and server operating systems like Windows Server or Linux or commercial UNIX variants is left as an exercise to the reader.

Is reboooting a server like rebooting a desktop?

Probably better for another topic... but yes and no. Same procedure (Start > Reboot in Windows for example), but you have to provide a reason for the reboot, and physical servers can take 15-20 minutes to reboot because the BIOS has to check all of the hardware, then the RAID controller has to check all of the drives, then the server can boot the OS, which depending on the number of roles can take forever.

Probably better for another topic... but yes and no. Same procedure (Start > Reboot in Windows for example), but you have to provide a reason for the reboot, and physical servers can take 15-20 minutes to reboot because the BIOS has to check all of the hardware, then the RAID controller has to check all of the drives, then the server can boot the OS, which depending on the number of roles can take forever.

Takes less than 10 seconds for our new db server to reboot :)

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