This is rediculous.

[TCO]

Dan, your "wait and see if things get better...and have no plan if they don't" seems to be failing.

[Steve Clark]

I have to agree. Today has been far worse than anything last week. Sitting on your hands hoping things will get better is not a solution, unless you want to drive away regular contributors to this community.

[MarkG]

GP, feel free to donate us a new server

[TCO]

Markos,

How much capacity are you using on the current server? What percent? How much of a server do you need for yourselves?

[Solly]

Gamestats obviously isn't big enough for Apolyton!

There must be a server willing to take on Apolyton that isn't as crap as Gamestats....SOMEWHERE! I can't believe Markos and DanQ haven't been contacted by someone...this is a great site on a poor server. It deserves to be even better site, and would be if it moved to a different and better server than Gamestats.

Just my tuppence.

[Case]

Originally posted by MarkG
GP, feel free to donate us a new server

Just out of interest, how much would a new server cost?

[Lonestar]

This is rediculous.

Or, as Harry Potter would say:

Riddikkulus!


What?

[DanQ]

GP:

A) I never said there wasn't a "plan".
B) The situation is not as simple as you have put it. Rest assured that we are working as quickly and efficiently as possible to maintain in constant contact with GameStats' Technical Department on ongoing server issues (via email, ICQ messgaes, telephone calls etc.). I cannot go into any greater detail than this.

Your and everyone else's concerns are appreciated, and we share them. We have never tried to trivialize them, nor are we doing so now. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

---------------
Dan; Apolyton CS

[TCO]

OK, Dan.

Please keep on the problem and use all your energy AND ingenuoity to adapt and overcome these problems and prevent them in the future.

[Urban Ranger]

Is it the bandwidth or the computer? If it's the computer, is it the CPU or the hard disk?

[DanQ]

<I>... prevent them in the future</I>
This is not possible. If someone where to devise a workable solution that could be adapted to any web server, they would be famous. I admire anyone who would strive to seriously seek out this resolution.

<I>Is it the bandwidth or the computer? If it's the computer, is it the CPU or the hard disk?</I>

The most recent "busy signals"/slowdowns are being caused by excessive CPU usage, and for those that aren't versed in network terminology this is different from both bandwidth usage and disk space. Bandwidth and disk space have proven to be adequate for some time now. GS Tech. is actively looking into the CPU matter in more detail as are we to the greatest extent of our ability.

For complete specifications of the server that Apolyton is on, logon to GameStats.com and see the "About: Network" page for the 'Technical Specifications' area.

----------------
Dan; Apolyton CS

[Asher]

You're not even on Xeons? Just regular desktop Pentium III 933's?

[DanQ]

I do not know if they are just "desktop" Pentium III's but they very well could be. Ask GameStats' Director of Technology (Tony Bolger) for clarification... he would know the answer and he would be one of two people who would have decided on the configuration (the other (and primary decision maker) being President/CEO Leo Campione).

---------------
Dan; Apolyton CS

[johndmuller]

. . . . logon to GameStats.com and see the . . .

Dan, was this a way of telling us that you are leaving the day-to-day at Gamestats? Your message there sounded like what would be described as "frank" in diplomat-talk (not even "cordial"?); I hope it was better than that in RL. Is there also another message for us Apolyton folks in there somewhere between the lines?

IMHO, the "server busy" messages are more disheartening than the high page download times. It is especially bothersome whern trying to post as one may be wasting all their time composing the message; moreover, while one is in the midst of the situation of trying not to lose their post, the dialogue from the system is less than perfectly clear and informative.

I imagine that it is pretty safe to say that a lot of "refreshing" of that server busy page goes on in hopes of getting through, and no matter how minimal the page is, repeatedly serving it up to (discontented) customers can only exacerbate your bandwidth, cpu and customer satisfaction problems. So if the server busy screens are the result of setting some parameters in order to improve the page download times, perhaps that plan could be revisited.

The hardware does not sound terribly high-powered either, but without knowing more details what else is competing for resources and what if any relative priorities the different Gamestats users have on the system, it is difficult to really get conclusive.

[faded glory]

I agree the busy server is annoying to people who frequent apolyton. But I trust Dan, mark etc etc.... there probably working there arses off to figure this one out.

Btw I know traffic is extremely heavy since civ3. But I can imagine that the busy server troubles has probably restricted maximum visiting potential. not just the forums of course...but last night I noticed 600 guests logged on. Most people directly head to the forums because they have questions or issue's with the game

FG,