Because we have a replica database we should, in theory, be able to avoid having regular Tuesday outages to compress and back up the BOINC database. But it's easier to shut things down and play it safe, and we also use this time to take care of other details which require down time. Today, for example, I took the opportunity to replace the bad drive in the 3510 array (see previous recent tech news items for details). Also Jeff and I tried to rack up another one of our newer servers but after shutting it down and taking it out of the rack (where it was just sitting on top of the server below) we realized we didn't have the right rails for it. Oh well, good exercise.

In other news it looks like the data portion of the new multibeam splitter has gained our trust, though we're still looking into some minor pointing discrepancies. At any rate that's a huge step closer to getting multibeam data out to the public. Eric still has to make a minor adjustment to the client and recompile it, too. Over lunch Jeff and I resurrected design development on the Near Time Persistency Checker (a.k.a. the NTPCer, pronounced "nitpicker"). Progress, progress.

- Matt

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-- BOINC/SETI@home network/web/science/development person
-- "Any idiot can have a good idea. What is hard is to do it." - Jeanne-Claude

...good things come to those who wait? :o) Seriously though, good to hear about progress on the Multibeam splitter front.

"Nitpicker" will signify a huge step forward in user appreciation when it finally does come to pass, I believe.

Regards,
Simon.

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Matt, I think the downtime is a good idea - it doesn't have any negative consequences on the project as a whole as everyone should have at least a few hours work in their queues. The only tiny negative is the catch up afterwards, but that soon flattens out.
So nice to see the system flowing fluently again and returning to normality.
Just hope I haven't spoken too soon!

Matt , thank you very much for , all these updates
Kind Regards
Byron

I'm sure I could hear a sigh of relief in Matt's post!

This has to have been the most labour-intensive period for the Berkeley crew in a long time. Certainly in the 18 months I've been crunching.

To hear that, even with all the kerfuffle that's been going on, the crew has STILL managed to make progress on Multibeam, etc, is amazing to me.

I just wish I could do more than crunch and give you a verbal pat on the back.

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Is there anything you can find for a signals analyst to do?


Bill

I'm sure I could hear a sigh of relief in Matt's post!

This has to have been the most labour-intensive period for the Berkeley crew in a long time. Certainly in the 18 months I've been crunching.

To hear that, even with all the kerfuffle that's been going on, the crew has STILL managed to make progress on Multibeam, etc, is amazing to me.

I just wish I could do more than crunch and give you a verbal pat on the back.

well said LGM !

Kind Regards
Byron