Server Downtime
 

Undoubtably, as most of you are aware, the Oddworld Forums along with Oddworld Universe and Oddworld-Web were unreachable for quite a few days. The reason, as displayed on all of our websites was a bandwidth error. Unfortunately, and error in the system caused our bandwidth "counter" to be pushed up an extra 10 GB than what it actually was, meaning, when we came to 12 GB, our account was suspended.

I'd like to make you all aware of the consequences, just so you know what we mean when we say we need to conserve our bandwidth.

This is also an announcement, but I think this'll get more views, however unfortunate that is.

Alcar...

I sure do understand what you mean when you say we must conserve bandwidth! Now nobody can whine when you turn down 1000x1000 avatar size! :D

-oddguy

*hugs forum*

If this forum can manage 10 gig transfer and still take a further 2 gig to push it over the top then I most certainly doubt that bandwidth will ever be a problem in the future unless such an error occurs again.

I must say it sounds an awful lot like a DoS attack, but that's just me, and it could well be a harmless error like you said. But I'd still be wary if I were you.

Oh, sorry for the confusion. When I said 10 GB, I meant bandwidth per month, as in what we are allocated. I wasn't talking about the amount of requests at one time! 10 GB at once, christ!

Alcar...

I know how bandwidth works you dunce. Per month was what I was referring to. :rolleyes:

Sorry, it sounded like you were talking about transfers at one period in time, especially with the DoS statement. If it was DoS, I'm sure the Server Admin would be angry at me, rather than the other way around :p

Let me clarify what I meant earlier. We had already used 2 GB of our monthly bandwidth, however, owing to an error in the server, we somehow had 10 GB added to our total, even though we didn't use it. So, because it "looked" as if we'd used 12 GB of our 12 GB a month, our account was suspended.

I was trying to say, that when we say we need to conserve bandwidth on this server, we mean it. Otherwise the entire network goes down.

Alcar...

So, if I have this right, Bandwidth limit is how much space in GB the total of every page (run by some person, or a group of people on one "account") is allowed.
Do I have this right?

I don't care what you say Peter I blame you.


*stabs*

Quiet you, Hobo! :p

Seargentbig, yes, that's the gist of it.

Alcar...

*ahem*... Psst... What the hell is "bandwidth"?

I know... I'm crap! :(

OH my precious forums!! I missed you all so much :D
Now i'm happy again

Bandwidth is the amount of data transferred per month.

When you look at a website, you effectively download the page you can see into your "cache". Items such as background music and images go into your temporary folder.

Here is what happens when you enter a website address in your browser:

Browser: "Hello www.website.com, please send the main page to me"
Website: "OK, here"
Browser: "Got it, now please send the content for this page."
Website: "Right, here you go"

This action takes up space in the connection between your computer and the computer that the website is on. If the computer allows users to constantly transfer loads of stuff, then alot of the space in the connection will be taken up. This will be a drain on resources, and other websites hosted on that computer will not work very fast.

And there you have it. One haphazard course on what the **** bandwidth is. :p

Riiight! I get it now!... a bit... kind of... em...like.. yeah... em...no!

*CB blushes and decides to reread the post*

Thanks Death! :p

Think of bandwidth like a tollbridge. Each month, you pay the tollbridge for 100 cars to go through. Once your 100 cars are up, no more cars go through that month. This covers the maintenance of a bridge that's used 100 times per month.

Get it? :)

Riiight! I do get it now... so someone forgot to pay the bills! :p

This must be a problem with popular sites / forums then... if too many people try toaccess or am I still....way way way off track... infact... through the tires... into the bleachers... probably!

I'd give up while you're ahead Death... I'm about as technologically advanced as a quill pen!!! :p

You've got the right idea. Except in this case, someone told the toll bridge that 100 cars had already gone through, even though they hadn't.

Popular sites do experience problems with bandwidth, and they usually move to a hosting package that allows them more bandwidth because of it. But OWF is not heavy on bandwidth or visitors.

Cool!

Me and the rest ot the IT numpties (em... idiots/fools) out there thank you!

You're a scholar and a gent my man! :D

Scholar? No. Gent? Well... no. :D

Buuuut, I am at least a Scholar and a Gent. (Well, I'm not really but... ok fine I'm just lying!) :p

Modest as well! Be still my beating heart... you're gonna make me spam!

i was very depressed when the forums were down.
had nothing to do, cuz i was ill.
i started knitting.
yeah really.

Edit: I think I may have caught Max-itis... is the above "interpretable" or is it just me? If so pass the soap... to wash my filthy brain!

Ooops! Wasn't looking and hit reply not edit! Bear.. brain.. you get it now don't ya! :p

Yay its back up an running again!

I wounder why there even was an error. Before it seemed everything was stable I guess not. Hmm thinking sabatage. But that is so far fetched seemingly this is a small online community in comparison to others.

Paramiteabe... :fuzblink:

Its my bedazzling forum personality... the forum just couldn't handle it! ;)

am just glad it is back up and running

hmmmmm ok i see

Thanks for that Hobo :fuzgrin:

The Edit Button is your friend!

Hey look! The forums work!

I'm so glad the forums are back, now I have an outle for my insanity!

As for conserving band-width, how old are threads archived for?
I know Necrum holds some, and the open forums keep them for YEARS. If you remove older threads (I'm taking about no posting in MONTHS) then there will be less data that can be accessed which should lower usage