(gs) Updates. Gen 2 Transition, Cluster 5 Online, and Lots More…
Your latest installment of timely (mt) information is here. This is what we’ll be covering in this week’s (gs) Update:
- Gen 2 Upgrade Status – 50% complete
- Fiji Agent
- Cluster 5 is alive!
- MySQL 5 BETA, Anti-Spam, DNS tool update
Gen 2 Transition Progress
We’re happy to announce that we are about 50% complete in the total upgrade process for Clusters 1 and 2! We continue to make steady progress in our transition efforts, recently adding new technology and hardware that allows migrations to move much quicker — without affecting overall Grid account performance.
As previously mentioned, this transition is a 2-phase project. First step: storage transition —migrating all Cluster 1 and 2 users on to Gen 2 storage devices. Next step: full system architecture updates built to Gen 2 spec (web, database, email and backup nodes).
Note: “Gen 2 Transition” only applies to those customers on Clusters 1 & 2 of our (gs) system. All cluster 3,4 and 5 customers are already on the Gen 2 system.
Gen 2 Storage Transition Update
Thanks to system enhancements, we’ve increased the rate of migrations significantly. And, since the last Grid update, we’ve moved roughly 3500 more customers to Gen 2 Storage. This gets us to about 75% completion in the first phase of the Cluster upgrade process —all done while maintaining full grid system performance.
Why is it taking so long?
Moving terabytes of data takes time. Couple that with the need to keep all customers’ sites up and accessible during the transition, and it makes sense that it’s a lengthy process. Because overall system performance is a top priority, we’re making the migration as quickly and safely as possible. That said, due to the amount of data left to move, we aren’t quite ready to give a solid estimate on completion.
Total Gen 2 Upgrade Status
As mentioned above, total upgrade progress (storage and architecture) is at about 50%. Before a total Gen 2 upgrade can be completed, we first need to complete phase 1 by moving the remaining 25% of sites over to Gen 2 storage. As we get closer to completing the storage transition, we’ll provide detailed information and timelines on the final phase of the Gen 2 upgrade.
Fiji Agent Update
As stated in previous posts, we have developed a tool for those Cluster 1 and 2 customers who would like to take advantage of the Gen 2 System without waiting for the Cluster Upgrade process to be completed. If you think you’d like to speed up your move to the new technology, perhaps Fiji Agent is the answer. Please submit a support request for more details or to make a migration request.
For detailed information about 1st Generation vs. 2nd Generation and Moving Old Customers to New Technology, read our post Anatomy of Storage on the GRID.
General (gs) Updates
Cluster 5 = Cluster LIVE!
Cluster 5 was brought online, on-schedule and without issue on May 25, 2009, weighing in at a mere 1,439 lbs, seven ounces. (Ouch!) It will be used to migrate select customers from our older clusters, as well as keeping up with the demand of new ones. Like Clusters 3 and 4, Cluster 5 was built to our 2ND-generation Grid architecture specifications.
MySQL 5 BETA Progress
About a month ago we launched our MySQL 5 BETA for Clusters 1-3. While MySQL 5 is the only current MySQL option for clusters 4 and 5, this technology had to be back-ported to our older clusters.
We’re currently testing our upgrade tool with customers who applied for our beta program and have gotten some great feedback so far. A few bugs need squashing before releasing this upgrade tool to the general public.We may open up access for more people in the coming weeks for one last round of testing. We’ll definitely let you know!
Anti-Spam Enhancements
On June 9, 2009, we launched the new anti-spam measures. (mt) is now blocking all outbound “direct to MX” connections over port 25 from our (gs) network in an effort to reduce the chance of spammers using the platform. We should start seeing big reductions in the blocklisting problems we’ve experienced along with increased email performance.
Although we expect minimal customer effect, if you’d like to get into the heavy details, we have an extensive discussion in our (mt) User Forums. So head on over to this thread to make sure you’re ready for this change.
Editable DNS zones
We’ve heard all the customer requests asking for the ability to point (mt)-hosted domain to an outside IP address. For this reason, we’ve unlocked full access to edit your DNS zones.
You may now edit all DNS ‘A’ records, including the primary domain.com and www.domain.com entries. And don’t worry. If you mess up, we have a handy-dandy “Revert to default” button right there for you as a safety net.
That’s all for this post. Thanks for taking the time to read through it. Check back regularly for news and information on all things (mt). Or, perhaps, you may want to dive deeper. In that case, join the (mt) User Forums and give us some feedback.
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