FQ Alert: NINE

[Justin]

The NINE server has become overloaded and will be going through a reboot. ETA is about 20 to 30 minutes.

We appologize for any inconveniences this may have caused.

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Justin Nelson
FutureQuest (http://www.FutureQuest.net/index.php) Support
[This message has been edited by Justin (edited 04-14-00@8:26 pm)]

[Terra]

From the 'Fix one thing, Break another department', today's overload on NINE was found to be QuestMail... :(

I had removed some protection controls off of QuestMail trying to track down an elusive 'delete-some/but/delete-all' problem...[nbsp][nbsp]With it's new found ability to expand like a bursting sun, it was trying to interpret a Microsoft Word attachment and ended up going into a loop chewing up over 450Mb's of memory...

Needless to say, this put the server into a swap condition which eventually brought it to it's knees...

***grumble!!!***[nbsp][nbsp]While sitting here typing this, QuestMail just forced the server Guardian to kick in...[nbsp][nbsp]This one appears to have been from someone pulling down an extremely large amount of email from an account on server SIX...[nbsp][nbsp]:(

I will be working on locking down QuestMail again, but the negative side is that integrity cannot be guaranteed or insured...

Please, use QuestMail for testing only and not as a replacement for (Eudora/Outlook/Pegasus/etc)...

--
Terra
--QuestMail has only one more major revision chance before it finds the path to extinction--
FutureQuest

[tedloh]

It may be happening again.[nbsp][nbsp]CGI is not functioning.[nbsp][nbsp]Nor is POP mail.

LMAO!

Eudora reports:

ERR aack, child crashed.

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Ted (Chief Do-It-All)
Got2Bet.com - The Net's Winner's Circle
http://www.got2bet.com
ted@tygresystems.com
[This message has been edited by tedloh (edited 04-14-00@5:30 pm)]

[Kathleen]

Looks like it's acting up again.

:(

[Bradley]

poor poor Nine.. :( It needs some antibiotics I think.. something that will help it get better..[nbsp]
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Bradley Noe
www.ganon.net (http://www.ganon.net)
I'm on a Futurequest (http://www.Futurequest.net), are you?

[Deb]

Well, it's not really NINE, it's more QuestMail.

There is a very solid chance that QuestMail will need to come offline for some time while we work up a server specifically for it.... QuestMail, due to the abnormal and more heavy usage of it, is beginning to demand way more memory than it should and seems to be the cause of these problems.

NINE is being worked up now to be brought back online.... The fate of QuestMail will be announced once we have made a final decision on it... :(

Deb
[nbsp]- These choices are *never* easy.


[This message has been edited by Deb (edited 04-14-00@11:23 pm)]

[Drew]

Do votes count?[nbsp][nbsp]I'd love to see Questmail stay, even if we have limited access or something.[nbsp][nbsp]Why'd this have to happen this weekend while I'm out of town!? ;)

Drew

[Dan Kaplan]

Due to Deb's dire warnings (a triple 'D' of sorts) about QuestMail's status, I've jumped ship to Outlook Express.[nbsp][nbsp]I suppose in time I'll get used to it (already "lost" messages on the server for one account due to default download settings), but I sure do like QuestMail!!!

If QuestMail does go the way of the 8-track, will we not be able to leave messages on the server, thus losing the ability to easily check email from different computers?

Would a rain dance help things any?[nbsp][nbsp]We've got plenty of that wet stuff out here in Oregon.[nbsp][nbsp];)

3D

[sheila]

I use Questmail when I'm away from my home computer (for instance, at school or work). Because of the whole Qmail/VMailMGR customized set up at FQ, if Questmail is disabled, I won't be able to check e-mail except at home. :(

I understand if you have to take it down temporarily, due to server load, but I hope it doesn't go the way of the 8-track!

[Charles Capps]

If Questmail does drop away, and you're out of town, take a look at mailstart.com - use the VIMP-name@domain.com address format on the login screen.[nbsp][nbsp]Very convenient (if somewhat slow) service.

[Pontist]

Dan -

> will we not be able to leave messages on the server... <

You can indeed leave messages on the server using Outlook Express.[nbsp][nbsp]

Tools|Accounts|Properties|Advanced|

under &quot;Delivery&quot; check the &quot;leave a copy of messages on server&quot; box.

Geoffrey H. Goldberg
Association for Bridge Construction and Design
http://www.ABCDpittsburgh.org

[Dan Kaplan]

Hi Geoffrey,

Thanks.[nbsp][nbsp]What I meant to say, and admittedly did a poor job saying it, is this:[nbsp][nbsp]If we don't have QuestMail, and we do use Outlook or some other email program to access mail and leave it on the server, then how would one delete mail from the server without changing Outlook's settings and downloading again?[nbsp][nbsp]

I guess synchronization is the key.[nbsp][nbsp]I have 10-30 messages at any given time that I am not quite ready to respond to.[nbsp][nbsp]Those are ideally left on the server to be dealt with at another time or from another computer, but I have a hard time visualizing the logistics of how that will actually work from a maintenance standpoint.

By the way, does anyone know if this is possible -- when setting up one of my accounts/identities in Outlook Express, I didn't select 'leave mail on server' before checking mail the first time.[nbsp][nbsp]It's only 13 messages, but it would be nice to get those back on the server in case I don't end up using Outlook...[nbsp][nbsp]Is there any way to upload or export messages of that type?[nbsp][nbsp]If there is, I haven't found it yet.

Dleted

[Drew]

I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but when I'm going out of town and I need a message or three, I forward them to myself so they'll be on the server.[nbsp][nbsp]As for my usage, I'm totally with Sheila--only when not at home.[nbsp][nbsp]Outlook's my main squeeze.

Drew

[teach1st]

I don't use QuestMail. My strategy as far as leaving messages on the server:

I use computers in several different locations throughout the day, reading mail with either Netscape Messenger or Outlook Express. All are set to leave mail on the server.

I use a more full-featured stand-alone e-mail client at home to download and automatically filter all the day's posts and remove them from the server (although I don't need to use the option, I'm pretty sure some e-mail clients can be set to remove only selected messages from the server.) I run the program right before I retire for the night. When I'm away from home, I schedule the home e-mail client to run at two o'clock each morning, or every other morning, after I've had a chance to read the e-mail from my remote location.

[Sohodojo Jim]

For going mobile, I have our laptops set to 'leave a copy on the server', then our home clients are set to 'leave a copy on the server until locally deleted'.

Look, I know this is a lame post, but I am just trying to get my post-count up so I'll be a Member and not a New Member for too long! Anybody know how many posts it takes to cross over? ;)[nbsp][nbsp]Hey, my first smilie, too! Sorry, just had to do it.

On the serious side, I'm for whatever keeps FQ's SysAdmin life happy and healthy. So anything that can be 'outsourced' to free, readily available alternative services -- like most ISPs now providing web-based email access -- I would happily bite the bullet and use the alternative so our 'core competencies', AKA state-of-the-art servers, get the lion's share of SysAdmin attention.

--Sohodojo Jim--

[JoeRT]

If NINE has now gone down for the fourth time in three days (three times on Friday) because of Questmail, my vote would be to take Questmail off-line.[nbsp][nbsp]This evening Server Guardian kicked in for at least five times as long as it's supposed to (more than ten minutes instead of just two), now it appears the server is down.

I'm not a Questmail user myself even though I check e-mail from many different computers.[nbsp][nbsp]But I don't see the functionality of Questmail outweighs the stability of the whole system.[nbsp][nbsp]Almost seems like this comes back to the &quot;needs of the many...&quot; discussion from last August.[nbsp][nbsp]There are other e-mail options available to everyone... we don't have other server options.

[Deb]

I agree....[nbsp][nbsp]It seems the few that are using QuestMail excessively which causes these overloads have finally hit the hilt in the area.

We will have no choice but to pull the software for a while we work on other options for it.

NINE Should be back up within the hour....

Deb
[nbsp]- *sigh*

[Dan Kaplan]

Wasn't there talk at one point of putting QuestMail on its own server?[nbsp][nbsp]Is that still a viable option?[nbsp][nbsp]I would think that the extra cost would be at least somewhat balanced by the extra accounts that could go on NINE and the limited uptime guarantee needs of an email-only server.

Dan

[Deb]

Yes... and web based mail have to go onto a dedicated system... We do not have one available for it at this time (however we do have some shipments coming in).[nbsp][nbsp]We tried to keep QM available for those who really did need it but it has officially gotten out of hand.

QM has also proven to be buggy and the new release updates are going to have to be put into place before it can be installed for public usage on the new server.

Translation -- Some type of Web Based Email Functionality will return but it may take a while and in the meantime outsourced solutions will need to be used.[nbsp][nbsp](Suggestions for those who need it welcomed/encouraged/requested)

Deb
[nbsp]- We tried..

[Kathleen]

My sister had the same problem, because she travels so much.[nbsp][nbsp]Because she doesn't use Futurequest (no dis, she doesn't have a web site :) ), I needed to find her a web based pop3 email reader.[nbsp][nbsp]I did find one and it worked great.[nbsp][nbsp]Of course, I can't find it again :(

But I did find this one:

http://www.pop3now.com/

It's something while FQ works out the QM problems.

[Kathleen]

NINE appears to be up but CGI is not?

[Deb]

Fixed.... sorry about that.

[Kathleen]

Thanks!!