[FQuest Alert] Emergency Linux Kernel Upgrade

[Terra]

Due to some newfound resource allocation issues that could lead to errant behavior, I will be backrevving all Linux Kernels to the 2.4.19 version...

The new patches that we have been working on have successfully been backported from 2.4.20 ==> 2.4.19 and will be rolled out in this release...

Server reboots will commence at approximately 4:30 am... The downtime for each server should be < 5 min...

Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause...

--
Terra
sysAdmin
FutureQuest

[Terence]

By the way, what exactly are these "patches"? Are your modifying the actual code of the Linux kernel? Are you changing system/driver configurations? I know close to nothing about Linux, so please excuse my ignorance.

[Terra]

They are new patches that cover two major items:

1) PHP safe_mode workarounds
2) LOCKDOWN code that protects certain directories from any modifications

Obviously, there is very little more I can say to describe the inner workings of either of the above...

Are your modifying the actual code of the Linux kernel?
Yes.

Are you changing system/driver configurations?
No - in the hardware driver sense.

--
Terra
sysAdmin
FutureQuest

[Terra]

Server reboots will be commencing within 2 minutes...

--
Terra
sysAdmin
FutureQuest

[claude]

Thanks for keeping us posted, much appreciated.

Cheers, Claude.

[Terra]

I ran into a minor obstacle with my personal Linux monitor turning an extremely bright white making text next to impossible to read... Very weird... :(

I've got a replacement monitor hooked up and working now...

The 'Real' server reboots will be happening shortly...

--
Terra
--yes, my dog really did eat my homework--
FutureQuest

[claude]

Interestingly, my sites have been down for some 8-9 minutes now, getting a DNS error. Is this part of the reboot ?

Cheers, Claude.

[Terra]

Well, the no DNS errors should be reported, as those are on dedicated DNS servers...

Even though the servers were not down, the Apache engines were taken offline to prepare for the reboot... My monitor fried right between taking the Apaches offline, and doing the actual reboot procedure... Talk about the oddest timing...

All should stabilize very quickly within the next couple minutes...

--
Terra
sysAdmin
FutureQuest

[Terra]

All servers came up cleanly except for SEVEN...

It is being handled now...

--
Terra
sysAdmin
FutureQuest

[claude]

Yep, we're all back online now, thanks. It's amazing how these things happen %)

Cheers, Claude.

[Terra]

Kevin has been dispatched to the data center in order to assist with repairs on SEVEN...

We will keep you up to date on our progress with SEVEN...

All other servers are online and functioning properly...

--
Terra
sysAdmin
FutureQuest

[Terra]

Server SEVEN is now back online...

There was a BIOS issue with the power on control that prevented it from being turned on externally...

This matter will be under investigation and brought to Intel's attention...

Our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience this has caused...

--
Terra
--thanks Kevin--
FutureQuest

[ajasen]

Appollogies if this is a dup. I tried posting through the lotus notes 5.x browser and it seemed to have failed.

Are the patches you use publically available, and if so, is there a URL for them?

Also which sources are you using (Red Hat, kernel.org...?).

I'm curious because I thought 2.4.20 has been out long enough to have been tested well.

[Terra]

Are the patches you use publically available
The patches are proprietary and exclusive to FutureQuest, Inc...

Also which sources are you using (Red Hat, kernel.org...?)
Mainline kernel from kernel.org, then extended and modified from there to our performance, security, and enhanced functionality objectives...

I'm curious because I thought 2.4.20 has been out long enough to have been tested well.
It was not very nice to see a mainline kernel come out followed by five EXT3 patches to fix various issues... This really did not bolster much confidence in me, and it would appear we got nailed by a couple corner cases...

--
Terra
--differentiation--
FutureQuest