We're planning on doing maintenance on our hardware/server setup which has a large impact on our services availability, everything will be down while performing it

We're not exactly sure on the time and date of the maintenance, but we're planning on doing it this weekend.

We'll be taking a trip down to the datacenter and perform the following tasks;

MrWhite:
- Apply BIOS updates
-- Reconfigure BIOS settings
- Remove RAID setup
-- Remove 3rd SAS disk from machine
-- Re-install/update VMware ESXi
-- Restore guest OS backups
-- Reconfigure backup facilities

The main reasons for the maintenance is because we are experiencing some performance issues in regard to the hard drive setup on that machine. If one guest OS uses a lot of disk activity, the other OS gets to perform real slow. By removing the RAID setup and assigning the guest OS each to their own disk this behavior will be prevented. Both MrWhite(Linux) and MrGreen(Windows) will run of their own 15.000RPM SAS drive. By removing the RAID setup we can use the 3rd disk to be placed in the other machine to provide extra backup storage. Due to the large backup and restore operations we expect the servers to be down the majority of the day.

Services effected: Websites (frontpage, forums, HLstatsX, wiki etc etc), IRC bouncers, Mumble, HLstatsX(log catcher), SpA points, Minecraft, mail environment etc.

MrBlonde:
- Troubleshoot memory problems
- Update BIOS
-- Reconfigure BIOS if required
- Place spare SAS drive MrWhite in machine

The main reasons for MrBlonde's maintenance is the placing of the SAS drive, and the troubleshooting the memory issues. At this moment we're missing 4GB memory in that machine. This is caused by either memory lane 0 to be defective, or dimmslot 0 to be defective. We'll be running diagnostic tests etc while waiting for MrWhite to complete its backups etc.

Services effected: TF2 servers, L4D2 servers

Expected downtime: 8-12 hours.

We'll post announcements on Twitter to report on the start, status and end of the maintenance. You can follow us at http://www.twitter.com/specialattack

Hey! Why no mr pink! sadface
Mr pink is poon, wait for it, tang!

MrPink actually exists. It's stored at my house, we can use it as backup machine or expansion when we require

Aha! So he is the hero when all else fails. Im pleased.

Looking forward to this!

No, not the BIOS updates, those kill computers!

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Only if you don't know what you're doing. :B

Or if you're high. *gives saint a cautioning look*

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It was used to emphasize the point, and is generally accepted by the grammar nazi community.

Well, I remember once when my dad totally bricked a computer doing a "foolproof" BIOS update, and he's a software engineer. Of course, that said, it was one of the low-end Intel chips.

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Good motherboards have a backup bios as a failsafe against that.

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[SpA]cardboard: what you do with your sister is your business

Low-end Intel chip. My current Intel motherboard had its drivers for disk drives on a CD. I'm not sure why I keep punishing myself.

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The most important question; will this improve performance for the (minecraft) server?

Yes.

We're going to make a few small changes first to our VM setup before we do this change.

This will be done after the weekend. MrWhite has been re-installed and everything has been prepared. Seeing I have 2 weeks of holiday next week I can do this during normal weekdays/working hours instead of the weekend.

Everything is done

n1 mate

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-"You've really worked out your banter, haven't you?"
-"No, not really. This is a different thing, it's spontaneous and it's called wit."

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SaintK: I'm completely lost