Note about eq2.eqtraders.com

[NiamiDenMother]

<p>I'd love to rave about the new Frostfell cafting pics going up on the site to replace my kludged together ones (I freely admit to being graphically challenged) ... but the images are still sitting on my hard drive, waiting to be uploaded and coded.</p><p>I'd love to brag about the improvements I have been planning for the furniture gallery ... but the plans are still in my head, awaiting several hours of tedious manual recoding the mash of raw html and php needed for images on my site, and I haven't (yet) grabbed the files off the site so I can work on them offline.</p><p>I'd love to answer questions about tradeskill apprentices and reactant drops with some lovely new information ... but I can't yet find the energy at the same time that the site is up.  I can, however, at least point you to my forums for an echo of the tradeskill apprentice info that I had in the expansion crafting preview.</p><p>You see, eq2.eqtraders.com and <a href="http://www.eqtraders.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.eqtraders.com</a> are having issues - LOTS of them.  The kind that involve repeated email to our hosting provider every time we see the main sites crash, and lots of primal whimpering on my part.</p><p>We're not dead, we're not planning on "killing" the sites any time soon, we're just going through a really rough time with unexplained site crashes that seem to involve far too much downtime.</p><p>Until they find out the root cause, and do something to fix it, please DO be aware that our forums are still accessible.</p><p><a href="http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq2/index.php" target="_blank">http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq2/index.php</a> for the EQII side</p><p><a href="http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq/forum.php" target="_blank">http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq/forum.php</a> for the EQ side</p><p>Mum, trying desperately to stay unfrazzled</p>

[Kraag]

<p>((Hugs for Mum))</p>

[Hamervelder]

<p>Poor Mum!  <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Cloudrat]

<p>/hugs *tosses some unfrazzle dust at you*</p>

[NiamiDenMother]

<p>Update:</p><p>Apparently a faulty controller card is to blame. We've been moved to a new machine, and they have restored us to the last full backup (from October). They're working on getting the old server to stay up long enough to recover the stuff since then (which includes all the expansion stuff for both games, Frostfell stuff, etc.)</p>

[GrunEQ]

<p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hope all goes well because I've seen you working so hard in Beta to help benefit us all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: small;"><hugs></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: small;">Your work matters to many of us.</span></p>

[Rainmare]

<p>threaten to beat them with the Rollingpin of DOOM! that'll get them moving faster <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> but thanks for the heads up, my friends was really starting to worry she relies on that site for her decorating decisions.</p>

[Rijacki]

<p><cite>NiamiDenMother wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Update:</p><p>Apparently a faulty controller card is to blame. We've been moved to a new machine, and they have restored us to the last full backup (from October). They're working on getting the old server to stay up long enough to recover the stuff since then (which includes all the expansion stuff for both games, Frostfell stuff, etc.)</p></blockquote><p>The last full back up was Oct? ACK!!!  They're not worth what you are overpaying them <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>*hugs* I hope the IT stuff gets all sorted for you. You definately don't need this extra stress.</p>

[denmom]

<p>Ah that explains much, and may it all go smoothly!  /lots of hugs and chocolate</p>

[Lodrelhai]

<p>*hugs mum and leaves cookies*</p><p>At least the problem was found, but last October?!  Really, really hoping they can recover the current site and you won't have to redo all that work!</p>

[Kitsune]

<p>I am so sorry for all your troubles. You are one of thoose who really do work tirelessly for the benefit of us all here. I hope they can restore everything and not cause you even more work. *hugs*</p>

[wullailhuit]

<p><cite>NiamiDenMother wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd love to rave about the new Frostfell cafting pics going up on the site to replace my kludged together ones (I freely admit to being graphically challenged) ... but the images are still sitting on my hard drive, waiting to be uploaded and coded.</p><p>I'd love to brag about the improvements I have been planning for the furniture gallery ... but the plans are still in my head, awaiting several hours of tedious manual recoding the mash of raw html and php needed for images on my site, and I haven't (yet) grabbed the files off the site so I can work on them offline.</p><p>I'd love to answer questions about tradeskill apprentices and reactant drops with some lovely new information ... but I can't yet find the energy at the same time that the site is up.  I can, however, at least point you to my forums for an echo of the tradeskill apprentice info that I had in the expansion crafting preview.</p><p>You see, eq2.eqtraders.com and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eqtraders.com" target="_blank">www.eqtraders.com</a> are having issues - LOTS of them.  The kind that involve repeated email to our hosting provider every time we see the main sites crash, and lots of primal whimpering on my part.</p><p>We're not dead, we're not planning on "killing" the sites any time soon, we're just going through a really rough time with unexplained site crashes that seem to involve far too much downtime.</p><p>Until they find out the root cause, and do something to fix it, please DO be aware that our forums are still accessible.</p><p><a href="http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq2/index.php" target="_blank">http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq2/index.php</a> for the EQII side</p><p><a href="http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq/forum.php" target="_blank">http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq/forum.php</a> for the EQ side</p><p>Mum, trying desperately to stay unfrazzled</p></blockquote><p>Throw over-cooked pies at your hosting provider until they get it all fixed!.</p>

[Elomort]

<p><cite>GrunEQ wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hope all goes well because I've seen you working so hard in Beta to help benefit us all.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: small;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS; font-size: small;">Your work matters to many of us.</span></p></blockquote><p>A <strong><em>huge</em></strong> number of us!</p>

[Finora]

<p>/hugs & cookies</p>

[RandomWalk]

<p>/hugs and trail mix</p>

[Celline-Layonaire]

<p>/cookiez to mum</p><p>I hope for the best and also hope all those problems resolved as soon as possible. Really appreciate all yer efforts!!</p>

[Lasai]

<p>6 years ago, a confused noob not knowing what nodes gave what harvest what found your site.</p><p>It has been bookmarked ever since.  You provide an unestimable service to this game and community.</p><p>I hope all turns out well.. and unfrazzling.</p>

[Mistymorn]

<p>Followed you since my EQ1 days. Sorry to hear of your mis fortune. I was  begining to  fear you were suffering  burnout, so  in a way this was good news. Take  a deep breath  a hot coco with marshmellos and put your feet up, take a well deserved rest. We will be here when you return.</p>

[feldon30]

<p>Sorry to hear of the hosting troubles. If I can be of any help, please let me know!</p>

[Senya]

<p>So sorry to hear about this.  I can only imagine how much work has gone into the site since October.  I hope your host is able to restore everything for you soon.  In the meantime, like many others, I'd like to say thanks for all that you do!</p>

[CorpseGoddess]

<p>Love you, Mum!  Create a bruiser and punch things--it works for me!  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Kimage]

<p>/cookies... pies... and brownies to Mum</p><p>/huge hugs.... to say there are a lot of us who use and appreciate all your hard work on that website is an understatement.</p><p>Hope you have a Happy Frostfell in the meantime.</p>

[Karrane1]

<p>Mum.. so sorry for all the added stress!</p><p>I also have loved and used your sites for both EQ and EQ2.... /big hugs and much appreciation!</p><p>I am not sending more cookies, pies, brownies, hot cocoa... etc.. </p><p>/Sends over a frig to hold all your stuff and a microwave =P </p>

[Meeba]

<p>I am also adding my two cents to thank you for all the hard work you do and to give you best wishes for getting the site back up and running.  I can say that I am personally responsible for at <em>least</em> 10 hits to your site a day.   I don't know what I'd do without EQTraders! </p><p>*hugs and gets a candy-corn IV started STAT!*</p>

[Katz]

<p>Sorry to hear about the website problems.   I also  visit your site every day and send others there often.   Thanks for all you do and have a Happy Frostfell!</p>

[SisterTheresa]

<p>Sorry to hear about the problems.  And what I wanna write will get me in trouble ... get a new server provider.  ANY server company who doesn't at LEAST do monthly backups is a shoddy business.</p>

[NiamiDenMother]

<p>I wanted to share an update with folks that was just posted to the front page of <a href="http://www.eqtraders.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.eqtraders.com</a> and eq2.eqtraders.com</p><p>~~~</p><p>My apologies for the silence over the holidays, as I was hoping against hope that we would have a happier update, or a rough ETA, before I posted. Neither has happened, so here is all I can tell you. As many of you were aware, we had some serious site downtimes at the beginning of December. After much gnashing of teeth, whimpering and moaning on our part, our hosting provider found the issue. We were told that it was a controller failure, and that our sites had been moved to another server. There was just one problem. They restored us to the last full backup, apparently from mid-October. You can guess what my blood pressure did at that point if you think about what has happened in EQ and EQ2 since that time. We were told that they were working recovering the rest of the data before the holidays hit. After a couple weeks of silence due to holiday absenteeism, we were told today that the "entire blade" was shipped to a data recovery expert, and that there was no ETA, but the expectation of a full recovery. No more gnashing of teeth - it is giving me migraines. No more whimpering, unless they're deep primal whimpers. I am just sort of watching my hope at seeing the lost data any time soon dwindle into nothingness. Keep the faith for me if you can, while I try to just push the stress from my mind for a bit? For those who are wondering why this is so stressful, here is what that 2 months of lost data entails: <strong>EQ</strong></p><ul><li>Untold amounts of expansion-related data entry by our hard-working volunteers - recipes, items, spawn information, etc.</li><li>Underlying database updates by the hubbyogre to fields, etc. so that said data entry could proceed. (I had to impinge on his final day of vacation on Monday to have him redo all the changes he'd done, since I had given up hope on the restore)</li></ul><p> <strong>EQII</strong></p><ul><li>The Nights of the Dead preview, story, and all associated images</li><li>The expansion preview and story, and all supporting articles and images (other than the apprentice information, which is echoed in the undamaged forums)</li><li>All the housing guide updates by Therendil, plus the prestige housing article</li><li>The Frostfell preview/story, and all associated images (thankfully, we had a fabulous volunteer working on redoing my cobbled together Frostfell images, so I can run with those, when I find motivation to tackle this mess</li></ul><p> Some things, like the item/recipe information on the EQ side, can be redone with a lot of hard work. Other things, like my previews and stories, absolutely cannot be recreated without that restore, due to my habit of composing directly into the site editor. <strong>Anything</strong> we do on either site to articles or the EQ item/recipe/etc database since the data loss can/will be overwritten by a restore, as the database replaces those article/item/recipe/etc ids with the old data. So, we could find ourselves spending days and days replacing what we can, only to have it get all jumbled in with the old stuff in a horribly confused mess. Or we could find ourselves stalling for another couple of weeks, only to find that the expectation of a full restore was mistaken. There is no happy choice at this point, and I know it has to be frustrating to the communities as well. Know that, if anything, we are even more frustrated than you are. Hang in there, folks! When we know more, you will know more.</p>

[Calthine]

<p>Oh my <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Having done lots and lots of work only have it replaced/wiped, I feel for you.  We're behind you, holding chocolate and hugs and sending happy thoughts.</p>

[Crickett]

<p>Dear Mum,</p><p>I appreciate your appology to all of us, though it is completely unnecessary. After all, you're "Mum" the Denmother <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>I'm not sure if I'm an eternal optimist, or just a whacky pita but I do know things happen for a reason, heh, yes usually a bad reason.</p><p>Vacations forced upon us are hardly ever welcome, but hopefully you can put aside the hectic worry (about us, your site, and I'm sure a myraid of other things) and take at least a few moments to breathe.</p><p>Maybe a candle, a glass of wine, and a bubble bath with the "Ogre"? (Please do not post the pictures)<snicker></p><p>If I can help in any way, please PM me. Thanks for keeping us informed.</p><p>/hug</p><p>/hug again</p>

[SilenzZzz]

<p>thanks for the update ... i have as well enjoyed using the site for eq and eq2 for a long time .. being in IT i know the headache relating to a database loss ... esp from a bad backup routine ... wow on the oct last backup</p><p>oh well here is to hoping for a speedy recovery and restoration ... then progress can be made by all again.</p>

[Felshades]

<p>I'm going to suggest storing a personal backup monthly. On a personal drive. I'm sure you can find an external HDD that can hold a copy of that.</p><p>Might help this for next time. And unfortunately, having done IT, I know there will likely *be* a next time <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p><hugs for mum></p>

[CorpseGoddess]

<p>Remember, Mum--that which does not kill us, ticks us the heck off.  <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" /></p><p>That being said, take care of yourself.  I know what you deal with--I have similar things.  You first.  We love you and want you to be well.</p><p>Let me know if there's anything I can do to help!</p>

[Armawk]

<p>Have you checked google cache to see if they have any of your precious materials?<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p>

[Cyliena]

<p>Oh geez.. = I really hope they are able to restore it, to lose any hard work would be a shame. <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Hamervelder]

<p><cite>Armawk@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Have you checked google cache to see if they have any of your precious materials?<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p></blockquote><p>That's an outstanding idea!</p><p>Mum, good luck!</p>

[Calthine]

<p><cite>Elhonas@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Armawk@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Have you checked google cache to see if they have any of your precious materials?<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></p></blockquote><p>That's an outstanding idea!</p><p>Mum, good luck!</p></blockquote><p>They might have the raw data, and guides, but would they have the actual data in the database structure?</p>

[shots01]

<p><cite>NiamiDenMother wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I'd love to rave about the new Frostfell cafting pics going up on the site to replace my kludged together ones (I freely admit to being graphically challenged) ... but the images are still sitting on my hard drive, waiting to be uploaded and coded.</p><p>I'd love to brag about the improvements I have been planning for the furniture gallery ... but the plans are still in my head, awaiting several hours of tedious manual recoding the mash of raw html and php needed for images on my site, and I haven't (yet) grabbed the files off the site so I can work on them offline.</p><p>I'd love to answer questions about tradeskill apprentices and reactant drops with some lovely new information ... but I can't yet find the energy at the same time that the site is up.  I can, however, at least point you to my forums for an echo of the tradeskill apprentice info that I had in the expansion crafting preview.</p><p>You see, eq2.eqtraders.com and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eqtraders.com" target="_blank">www.eqtraders.com</a> are having issues - LOTS of them.  The kind that involve repeated email to our hosting provider every time we see the main sites crash, and lots of primal whimpering on my part.</p><p>We're not dead, we're not planning on "killing" the sites any time soon, we're just going through a really rough time with unexplained site crashes that seem to involve far too much downtime.</p><p>Until they find out the root cause, and do something to fix it, please DO be aware that our forums are still accessible.</p><p><a href="http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq2/index.php" target="_blank">http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq2/index.php</a> for the EQII side</p><p><a href="http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq/forum.php" target="_blank">http://mboards.eqtraders.com/eq/forum.php</a> for the EQ side</p><p>Mum, trying desperately to stay unfrazzled</p></blockquote><p>Cupcakes to you for all your hard work.</p>