This just applies to the main portal server: www.merp.com, not the many other servers in the merp.com network worldwide.

Once it arrives, we'll get it setup, and copy over from the dev server to the new one.

Then it will be delivered to the co-location facilities and take over.

The new site currently running at http://dev.merp.com will soon go live as http://www.merp.com after that.

The old site will move to http://old.merp.com

Eventually the old server, will have the software overhauled, and then it will hopefully be setup as another site mirror at another location in another country.

We'll keep you posted for when the new merp.com site is expected to go completely "live".

The new system isn't a HUGE improvement per se, but overall it will be better, plus it is upgradable, and the hardware is easy to find, it's getting difficult and expensive to find the hardware for the old one.

This new system cost around $1,600.00, the old one was over $4,500.00 back in 2000/2001.

We would have loved to get a MUCH beefier server, but our funds are limited since it's all out of our own pockets, since we can't risk accepting donations of any kinds, in order to try to reduce TE's harassment ability as much as possible.

Most of our money goes into bandwidth at all the locations in different countries around the world. Since merp.com and it's archives experience around 10-20 Gigabytes per day in download traffic on slow days, it gets expensive quickly just keeping things online.

Back during the PJ LotR movies, and the over 1.5 Million unique visitors per month, we were getting hit with over 100+ GB of traffic per day. The slow down at least has made things a bit more affordable.

For the techno geeks out there, here's some techie specs.

The old server: VA Linux 1220 1u rack mount. OS: RHEL 3.x (ancient, but tightly secured at least, but it's making it impossible to install a lot of server software needed for the new site). CPU: dual 866 Mhz Pentium III (coppermine) 256KB cache RAM: 2 GB HD: 2x SCSI III Ultra-160 low profile 18 GB mirrored RAID1 hardware array Motherboard: ASUS CUR-DLS Backbone: Multiple ISP's multiGigabit

New system specs:

ASUS 1U rack mount OS: Gentoo (latest). Now we can run all the server software we need. CPU: Pentium -D 820 dual core lga775  2.8 ghz (800Mhz FSB) 2 MB cache RAM: 2 GB PC5400 DIMM 667mhz HD: (This was the best part of the upgrade as far as space, though lose some in throughput, which really isn't an issue for the site needs): 2x Seagate 320GB SATA2 Barracuda 7200RPM 16MB cache. mirrored RAID1 array. DVDRW-DL (this means 8+ GB DVD drive, for backups, and for public archives. Backbone: Multiple ISPs multiGigabit.

-- *** Volunteer Team for the completely non-profit, non-revenue, non-business-entity dedicated to the Middle-earth Role-playing International Community at Merp.com "Fighting the noble battle against the dark forces, trying to keep alive, and growing, the dream and joy of role-playing gaming in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth" http://www.merp.com Mailing list subscribe: merp-subscribe@merp.com IRC (Internet Relay Chat) Server: irc.merp.com (channel: #merpchat) Yahoo=merpcom ICQ=293-163-919 MSN=msn@merp.com Alternate Email: merpdotcom@gmail.com (in case you're blocked by our spam filters).

Be sure to sign up for the 3rd annual International MerpCon (2007): July 27th, 28th, & 29th in Spokane, WA, USA. This event is not run by merp.com, but by a different group of volunteers, but merp.com has donated many services to help them out. Show them your support by signing up, spreading the word, and showing up. http://www.merpcon.com

"I would draw some of the great tales in fullness, and leave many only placed in the scheme, and sketched. The cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama..." - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, from a letter written to Milton Waldman, ca. 1951 -