h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We need to install a service pack on our database server to fix some problems we're having with unexpected downtime, but to do this we need to switch off the site. All DNA sites including h2g2 will therefore be unavailable for half an hour from 10.30am GMT this Thursday, 14 February.

You never *could* get the hang of Thursdays, huh...?

Excellent! Just as I get back into work after 2 weeks off the site goes down. I won't take it personally.

Thursday, indeed... But I prefer a h2g2 with proper backups

Half an hour short? An Eternity

That's valentines day is it not?

It's just an excuse for what we all suspect *really* goes on in your office I reckon

For only half an hour?

...and with Mina back too

I have been told that they share the office space with some other parts of BBCi ...

*nods knowingly*

oH mY GO-O-O-D! how can I live without you for 30 minutes please dont make it a minute longer! a loves you all soooo much!

"Thursday, indeed... But I prefer a h2g2 with proper backups"

Just to correct the original announcement - the problem we're fixing might have been causing unexpected downtime for the database, triggered by *performing* a backup. The backups were always working, but there's an issue with the version of SQL Server we use that might have been triggering these short periods when the database becomes unavailable to the web servers (symptoms being that people appear to have logged out, user spaces disappear, and forums don't work).

It's also possible that this is completely unrelated to the glitches, and they'll continue after this service pack is applied, but we have to eliminate the possibilities as we discover them, and this one was a likely culprit.

So rest assured, our backup regime is working well, and regularly tested to make sure the backups actually work.

Why is it always from 10:30 am? That's just after the 5 for the day goes live!

30 minutes? st. valentine's day massacre comes to mind

Aha - explains a lot! I was wondering what happened to me last Saturday...

*thinks of something funny to say*




Oh, so this bloke walks into a bar...

30 minutes eh? That should give ample time for h2g2 to wrap the new smiley for its belovéd researchers.

Sus

I still think it's the cleaners tripping over the cable.

? - Only time shalt telleth!

aka (",)

Ah, that at leat partially explains h2g2 disappearing a couple of times over the last days...