What happens during server maintenance?

[DuncanMcDermott]

Just curious what the techs do to the servers when they pull maintenance?

[Sapience]

A lot. For starters when we do a major maintenance like this it's not just the games. Nearly every system is touched. From Billing to databases to the game servers to accounts and systems. What exactly gets done depends a great deal on what our operations team needs to do. It may be patches to various back-end systems, or upgrades to the billing tools, or firmware updates in networking hardware, maybe even replacement of older or failing hardware. Really any number or combination of things.

[Ceejay90]

"What happens during server maintenance?"

Generally I think it means they carry out some maintenance on the servers. Just occasionally something is found that takes a bit longer than anticipated. Ever had your car serviced and it has not quite been finished when you were told it would be?

[Alex53]

The techs restart the servers in the first 15 minutes but keep the ethernet cable pulled out for 4 hours and then tell management they did everything Sapience just said.

[maartena]

A lot. For starters when we do a major maintenance like this it's not just the games. Nearly every system is touched. From Billing to databases to the game servers to accounts and systems. What exactly gets done depends a great deal on what our operations team needs to do. It may be patches to various back-end systems, or upgrades to the billing tools, or firmware updates in networking hardware, maybe even replacement of older or failing hardware. Really any number or combination of things.

Think of it of maintenance to your car. You will replace the oil, perhaps put in new air conditioning fluid, check the pressure in the tires, make sure the battery is still taking a charge, check all the lights and replace bulbs if needed, check the fuse box, make sure the belts in the engine aren't worn, check the transmission fluid, etc, etc, etc..... it won't give you a better, faster car, but it will ensure your car will still run in the morning.

Server maintenance is what sapience says above, and can really include a lot more. Simply rebooting the servers, clearing the logs, and give the OS a fresh boot can help a lot with keeping all the systems run smoothly.

[Feraxks]

The techs restart the servers in the first 15 minutes but keep the ethernet cable pulled out for 4 hours and then tell management they did everything Sapience just said.

I knew it!

[SouthernBelle0927]

Also--each "world" is a collection of servers and other equipment, not a single cabinet. Multiple that by 29 (total number of live worlds), and it's not difficult to understand why maintenance often takes longer than estimated. If they find a problem in one of the last servers to be serviced then it's understandable that the downtime would have to be extended.

[Pyroburn]

They fixed the calendar.... At least it's showing events for me now....

[Mar-Evayave]

What happens during server maintenance?

Withdrawal, of course. xD

Members who feel they are suffering from this condition may notice several side-effects, including a diminished appetite, agitation, sore fingers, and/or hair loss. Such members should seek immediate relief by immersing themselves into the community. The sense of unity, also known as commiseration, should alleviate the symptoms shortly.

Some members may experience more extreme symptoms, which contrast the normal symptoms quite a bit. Nail-biting and the inability to sit still for more than a few moments is indicative of this more serious form of the condition. Such members should know that, at this time, there is no treatment for this rare form of the condition. Sorry.

[thalialotr]

Don't forget the poor hamsters! They need a break every now and then from running the wheels that keep the servers going.

[SouthernBelle0927]

Don't forget the poor hamsters! They need a break every now and then from running the wheels that keep the servers going.

If they'd just replace the hamsters with gerbils* they'd solve any server-side lag issues. Energizer should have used a gerbil instead of a bunny as a mascot.

*Required disclosure: current owner of two LOTRO-playing gerbils (thanks to the proximity of a warm spot on the keyboard conveniently located to a touch screen).

[DuncanMcDermott]

A lot. For starters when we do a major maintenance like this it's not just the games. Nearly every system is touched. From Billing to databases to the game servers to accounts and systems. What exactly gets done depends a great deal on what our operations team needs to do. It may be patches to various back-end systems, or upgrades to the billing tools, or firmware updates in networking hardware, maybe even replacement of older or failing hardware. Really any number or combination of things.

I always wondered what was done, more than I imagined.

[Pyroburn]

I almost suspect this is actually what it looks like.....

[Brandon_Blackbird]

And if you're anything like me, here's a picture to soothe your brain after that last picture.

[GregJL]

A lot. For starters when we do a major maintenance like this it's not just the games. Nearly every system is touched. From Billing to databases to the game servers to accounts and systems. What exactly gets done depends a great deal on what our operations team needs to do. It may be patches to various back-end systems, or upgrades to the billing tools, or firmware updates in networking hardware, maybe even replacement of older or failing hardware. Really any number or combination of things.

Do you keep this one in a text file to cut and paste in? Because you should, since this question seems to get asked at EVERY maintenance period. Along with the complaint about how the estimated time is NEVER right and it is ALWAYS hours longer than it is supposed to be and EVERY maintenance and patch EVER in this game has ALWAYS been like this and NO other game has EVER had maintenance like this EVER in the history of the WORLD!

[Sapience]

I almost suspect this is actually what it looks like.....

Nope.

And if you're anything like me, here's a picture to soothe your brain after that last picture.

A heck of a lot closer.

[Nymphonic]

I almost suspect this is actually what it looks like.....

My god, there aren't servers that really look like that are there?

[DRNA]

Spending waaaaay too much time transferring belongings from bags into Vault/Shared Storage since today's maintenance. I've been told its a known issue and has been reported, but what 's going on with this??

[Widoch]

Just curious what the techs do to the servers when they pull maintenance?

Well, if it's anything like maintenance at my house it goes like this:

Sapience and the other employees in the office are required to don French maid outfits and carefully, methodically, feather dust every crevice in the server room while whistling a jaunty show-tune.




Right?

[Draculetta]

My god, there aren't servers that really look like that are there?

Yes there are.. I picked up a client recently and there server room was like that... Needless to say I fixed that right away...... So yes, it can happen

[Nosdracir]

Well, if it's anything like maintenance at my house it goes like this:

Sapience and the other employees in the office are required to don French maid outfits and carefully, methodically, feather dust every crevice in the server room while whistling a jaunty show-tune.




Right?

This show-tune, perhaps?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahqu1nd3Zu8

[Dranoel_Dragon]

My god, there aren't servers that really look like that are there?

I have been an IT infrastructure specialist for nearly 20 yrs. Sadly, I have had to deal with that and far worse a lot more than I should have. It usually results from net admins patching things in with out any concern for the organization of the cables. Then when something REALLY screws up they are totally lost and have to call someone like me to come in and sort it all out.

On a side note: sights like that are the very reason I can no longer eat spaghetti. If someone sets a plate of spaghetti in front of me, I will spend 20 min. straightening it all out before I can even take a bite.

Edit: BTW: That looks more like audio equipment for a school PA system. Fortunately not a computer network.

[Dranoel_Dragon]

I find stuff like this a lot:



This is what it SHOULD look like:

[frickinmuck]

I find stuff like this a lot:

This is what it SHOULD look like:

Kudos to guys like you. I mean, woah. You must have the patience of a stone.

[Widoch]

This show-tune, perhaps?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahqu1nd3Zu8

That would work, perfectly.