JWTalk will shut down temporarily and change servers soon.

[Brother_Bliss]

We have had to move several times over the years as the JWTalk Online Community continues to grow and outgrow it's hosting environment. When Hostgator shut us down we leased a VPS in New York. When that server couldn't handle us anymore, the JWTalk Operators Coalition (a group of Administrators that cumulatively owns the site) decided to move to a VPS in Dallas. Now the community has outgrown this current machine these Administrators have elected to move JWTalk to another VPS server in Atlanta. We're going to move JWTalk to this new machine very soon.

Here is how it will happen when the move occurs.

1. We will TURN OFF JWtalk Forums on the current server. You will see a message that the Site it offline.

2. We will create a FULL SITE backup of the Community and transfer the backup file to the new server.

3. We will restore the backup file and TURN ON JWtalk Forums on the new server.

4. Then we will change the Domain's DNS record to point to this new server. 

And now....

... we wait.

The new DNS coordinates will have to populate across the internet, and there is no telling how long your personal Internet Service Provider may take to update it's records. Some ISP's will update within minutes. Others may take 12-24 hours. 

How will you know when YOUR internet service provider has updated their DNS records for JWTalk? Simple, if you try to visit JWTalk and see the message that it is TURNED OFF, this means your ISP is still pointing you to the former copy at the old server. But if you try to visit JWTalk and see the forums and community working as they normally do (i.e. TURNED ON), this means that your ISP has updated their records and is now directing you to the new server.

After several days, we will delete the copy of the forum on the old server and cancel the service.

The new server has double the processors (and newer processors) and double the RAM, so there should be some improvements in site performance as well.

[Tortuga]

When do you plan to start the process?

[Brother_Bliss]

20 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

When do you plan to start the process?

Sometime next week. The hosting provider will have to perform the migration because the community is too large for one of us to attempt on our own. I figured it would be good to have the notice up for several days first.

[JanewayDar]

Will there be a contact for those who have difficulties with getting back on? 

[Brother_Bliss]

3 hours ago, JanewayDar said:

Will there be a contact for those who have difficulties with getting back on? 

When the community has been copied to the new server, and your local internet service provider starts pointing you to the correct machine, it should be as if nothing happened. Usernames and passwords are still the same. If you choose to stay logged in via cookies then you should still be logged in when you visit the new machine, etc.

In fact, nobody would even know about the move if it wasn't for the necessary downtime. We can't have some people posting on this copy of JWTalk and other people posting on the new copy of JWTalk and then when your ISP points you to the new copy your old posts would seem to have "disappeared".

But if you anyone ever has trouble and cant access the Contact Us form at the bottom of the page, they can simply email administrators@jwtalk.net

[carlos]

12 hours ago, JanewayDar said:

Will there be a contact for those who have difficulties with getting back on? 

The move should be straightforward, users don't have to do anything apart from waiting for a few hours while the process is completed.

[New World Explorer]

1 hour ago, carlos said:

users don't have to do anything apart from waiting for a few hours while the process is completed.

Are we going to get food and refreshments while waiting? LOL 🤣

[Ishaya]

Brothers please take some hugs  you doing really well.

[Qapla]

3 hours ago, New World Explorer said:

Are we going to get food and refreshments while waiting?

[vern]

Nod.

Thank you.

[just1-4all]

On 8/12/2023 at 9:30 AM, Brother_Bliss said:

We have had to move several times over the years as the JWTalk Online Community continues to grow and outgrow it's hosting environment. When Hostgator shut us down we leased a VPS in New York. When that server couldn't handle us anymore, the JWTalk Operators Coalition (a group of Administrators that cumulatively owns the site) decided to move to a VPS in Dallas. Now the community has outgrown this current machine these Administrators have elected to move JWTalk to another VPS server in Atlanta. We're going to move JWTalk to this new machine very soon.

Here is how it will happen when the move occurs.

1. We will TURN OFF JWtalk Forums on the current server. You will see a message that the Site it offline.

2. We will create a FULL SITE backup of the Community and transfer the backup file to the new server.

3. We will restore the backup file and TURN ON JWtalk Forums on the new server.

4. Then we will change the Domain's DNS record to point to this new server. 

And now....

... we wait.

The new DNS coordinates will have to populate across the internet, and there is no telling how long your personal Internet Service Provider may take to update it's records. Some ISP's will update within minutes. Others may take 12-24 hours. 

How will you know when YOUR internet service provider has updated their DNS records for JWTalk? Simple, if you try to visit JWTalk and see the message that it is TURNED OFF, this means your ISP is still pointing you to the former copy at the old server. But if you try to visit JWTalk and see the forums and community working as they normally do (i.e. TURNED ON), this means that your ISP has updated their records and is now directing you to the new server.

After several days, we will delete the copy of the forum on the old server and cancel the service.

The new server has double the processors (and newer processors) and double the RAM, so there should be some improvements in site performance as well.

Wow ... very well-worded brother! A bit of a potentially complicated explanation which you've laid out logically and clearly. Thank you. 🙂

[DarinS]

Thanks for all the hard work behind the scene

[GeordieGirl]

I'm worried about how I'm going to fill the time I normally spend scrolling through past posts on JWTalk that I have missed. 😉🤣

[Tortuga]

3 hours ago, GeordieGirl said:

I'm worried about how I'm going to fill the time I normally spend scrolling through past posts on JWTalk that I have missed. 😉🤣

[Brother_Bliss]

6 hours ago, GeordieGirl said:

I'm worried about how I'm going to fill the time I normally spend scrolling through past posts on JWTalk that I have missed. 😉🤣

 

3 hours ago, Tortuga said:

 

Richard has a point. Hopefully this happens for most people when they are either asleep or at work.

[Qapla]

2 hours ago, Brother_Bliss said:

Hopefully this happens for most people when they are either asleep or at work.

 

Only problem is - us old, retired folks don't work, and we sleep odd hours ...

[MikeyRo]

Obviously when people are asleep or at work on one side of the globe, users on the other side would have different circumstances. Anyway, let us all exercise patience and rely on Jehovah's hand for the migration to be performed smoothly and hassle-free when the appointed time arrives.

[Qapla]

Let's hope the migration goes smoothly and hassle-free so Bob doesn't end up pulling his hair out ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... Oh

 

 Wait

 

 

 

Bob doesn't have any hair to pull out   

[New World Explorer]

Waiting ...waiting and nothing....I think whole "shutting down" will come as a thief in the night LOL 🤣

[Brother_Bliss]

6 hours ago, New World Explorer said:

Waiting ...waiting and nothing....I think whole "shutting down" will come as a thief in the night LOL 🤣

 

We thought it would be fair to leave the notice up long enough for most all of the regulars to get a chance to see it and know what's going on.

[Tortuga]

While he was sitting at home, the members approached him, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of the shutdown and of the switch to a new server of things?” In answer he said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads you, for many will answer the same question, saying, ‘This is what might happen,’ and will mislead many. You are going to hear of failures and reports of failures. See that you are not alarmed, for these things must take place, but the switch is not yet.

Because of the increasing of costs, the load of the greater number is too great. But the one who has endured to the end will survive the switch. And this good news of the Change will be posted as an announcement for a reminder to all the members, and then the switch will come. - Matt 24ish...

Edited August 16, 2023 by Tortuga

[Sheep]

Richard, you crack me up!!!

 

[Qapla]

 

Someone took all the good gifs

 

[Brandon]

I noticed the site has a new favicon, unless my browser is just really late to update it

[Brother_Bliss]

10 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I noticed the site has a new favicon, unless my browser is just really late to update it

 

Yeah, it was supposed to be an App Icon for your phone screen. It wasn't supposed to supplant the favicon. It's kind of strange. Some of my tabs have the App Icon, and other tabs have the former favicon. 

 

We might change it back. We might forget about it's existence too, lol