They don't use SQL they use IBM Informix last I heard. Which is about the top of the heap if you have the money for it.

SETI@home uses Informix for the science database that we, as users, very rarely see. Informix will power the Near Time Persistency Checker (NTPCKR) and the Science status page when it's finally ready for prime-time.

BOINC uses SQL (specifically, the open-source MySQL) to keep track of users, hosts, WUs, tasks, credit, RAC and everything you see here - including this message board.

If it is only funding that is stopping an upgrade of the network from 100mbit, then I believe the thread I started on Cafe SETI regarding Tax Deductions, or more appropriately Gift Aid from UK Donors, and SETI@home backdating the claim over several years, would release 25% extra funding from the UK Tax Payer for undertaking just a paperwork exercise. The money generated being tax paid already, that the donor will never see again, but can declare that SETI@home should receive it.

Just me thinking laterally is all.

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@msattler Taken from this post from Matt 5 Apr 2011

Some good news: The entire lab recently upgraded to a gigabit connection to the rest of the campus (and to the world). Actually that was months ago. We weren't seeing much help from this for some reason. Well today we found the bottleneck (one 100Mbit switch) that was constraining the traffic from our server closet. Yay! So now the web site is seeing 1000Mbit to the world instead of a meager 100Mbit. Does it seem snappier? Even more important is our raw data transfers to the offsite archives are vastly sped up, which means less opportunities for the data pipeline to get jammed (and therefore running low on raw data to split). Note this doesn't change our 100MBit limit through Hurricane Electric, which handles are result uploads/workunit downloads. We need to buy some hardware to make that happen, but we may very well eventually move our traffic onto the SSL LAN - this is a political problem more than a technical one at this point.

I'm a little curious here. It seems to me that many are suggesting that they need new hardware to use the new connection that campus has. Reading that last sentence seems to me to say that they would only need new hardware if they wanted to change the bandwidth available right now using the existing setup. The but seems to imply that they are looking at another option of a different connection (the SSL LAN) but that it is being held up by the politics of any IT situation. They seem to be two seperate issues - one needing hardware, the other needing charisma.

Am I misunderstanding that?

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No, you're not misunderstanding. To get more than 100Mbps to Hurricane we need to increase our bandwidth on the links going down there and we need the equipment to send gigabit to the interconnect (CALREN2) that we use to get to hurricane at the PAIX. That's likely to mean higher interconnect fees as well, and possibly higher charges from Hurricane. Increasing our use of those links is political. Because some of the parties are busy with other work negotiations are on hold for right now.

There's another solution that could be less expensive, but is even more political, and I probably shouldn't tell you about it for fear of jeopardizing it.

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@SETIEric@qoto.org (Mastodon)

... There's another solution that could be less expensive, ...

I'm sure we can all wait until you have the grand switching-on / first-bits party!

Good luck for the negotiations and for whatever charisma might be needed.

Would a few raccoons be help or too much distraction?! ;-)


Good luck,
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Would a few raccoons be (a) help or too much distraction?! ;-)

If they were those famous home trained ones I reckon they could charm the other side into submission :-)

Ferrets would probably be more use - they can fit in smaller cable ducts, and don't eat so much ;-)

Ferrets would probably be more use - they can fit in smaller cable ducts, and don't eat so much ;-)

All we need is a ferret or two and a reel of fibre and A Tuttle and...


Looking good...

;-)

Happy fast crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Would a few raccoons be (a) help or too much distraction?! ;-)

If they were those famous home trained ones I reckon they could charm the other side into submission :-)

Ferrets would probably be more use - they can fit in smaller cable ducts, and don't eat so much ;-)

Unfortunately, in California it is illegal to possess a captive ferret, either as a pet or as a professional service animal. $1000 fine per animal. I'm not sure whether zoos can keep them.

Seems silly, but that's the California State Legislature. Can't pass or keep to a budget, but they can ban ferrets and regulate people almost to death. [/rant]

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

Unfortunately, in California it is illegal to possess a captive ferret, either as a pet or as a professional service animal. $1000 fine per animal. I'm not sure whether zoos can keep them.

Seems silly, but that's the California State Legislature. Can't pass or keep to a budget, but they can ban ferrets and regulate people almost to death. [/rant]

To stretch the topic even further, http://ucrpfuture.universityofcalifornia.edu/files/2011/02/thefacts_ucrp_contributions.pdf is also related to California state legislature decisions. To quote in part:

State contributions

UC administrators also are lobbying for the state to resume paying its share of UCRP costs.

In 1990, when the UCRP had a surplus, the Board of Regents suspended both employee and employer contributions to the retirement fund and state lawmakers stopped budgeting funds for the UCRP.

That contribution ‘holiday’ ended for both UC and its employees in May 2010, but Sacramento lawmakers have so far been unwilling to allocate state money for the UCRP.

President Yudof and other senior UC administrators continue to press for support, noting that the state contributes to the pension funds of Cal State University employees and those in the Community College system.

The project staff are of course affected by these changes. I for one am very glad they have so far been willing to put up with forced furloughs, no pay raises, and this.

                                                                  Joe