I picked up the server this morning and got it up and running at its new home (i.e. my home). It’s not a pretty situation: it sits on top of a wire shelf (strong enough to support it, thank you), the cabling around it is a cable maintenance guy’s nightmare, and there is now a constant hum in my basement (the server literally sounds like a jet engine when it runs; I’ll take a short video clip of it when I reboot it next). But it works…
Amazingly, the server booted right up and I logged right in without a problem. I looked at the event log and I found out why the server shut down after the guys rebooted it. Apparently, another server running Small Business Server (SBS) was put on the same network as mine. This is a problem because if SBS sees another SBS install on the same network, it sees it as a licensing violation, and the server shuts down in an hour. This means that at lease some of the unexpected shutdowns and the final shutdown weren’t even the fault of my server. That, however, is an issue I will take up with the ISP when the opportunity arises.
I am running a full server diagnostic right now (thanks, Dell OpenManage). I am also moving big files to the external USB drive to keep things clean. Unfortunately, the server apparently has USB 1.1 and not 2.0, which means very slow speeds, but it’ll be worth it in the long run.
I’ve already got network connectivity to the server, and things seem to be fine. I shut down all sims and database services as soon as I started the server, so we won’t get any unexpected events. I’ll address game situations once I know the server is healthy.
More details later tonight — but it looks quite probable that we’ll be up by Monday.
February 10, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Good to know the data isn’t corrupted, at least.
February 10, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Brian, that is fan-frickin-tastic.
Looking forward to getting things back up.
By the way, a second layer of drywall around the server room, including under the floor joists, will help dampen the sound some.
Wall insulation helps a little too.
February 10, 2007 at 6:04 pm
1 inck pink foam Board is cheaper and does a better job of sound proofing…That comes from my experience with it in the construction field…Can’t wait for CSFBL to come back…
February 10, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Thanks for the info and update Brian
February 10, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Thats 1 inch pink foam board…wish there was an edit button.
February 10, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Oh thank god
February 10, 2007 at 6:39 pm
HOOZA!
February 10, 2007 at 7:00 pm
You should charge them $125 an hour to explain it was thier fault!
February 10, 2007 at 7:12 pm
I’ve tested some servers that sound like aircraft when they’re on. Everyone in the area always thanks me when I shut it off. It almost makes me feel bad when I turn it right back on because I was just running a power cycle test.
February 10, 2007 at 7:25 pm
yah Get some of that Pink Foam Board and Drywall it in
February 10, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Hey Brian, great job. Now it’s like running a business out of your house, so any new household costs from running the server(ex. cable line, elec. costs, etc.) have to be paid by the proceeds from the business, whether donated or by any other means. You not doing this to LOSE money! Good Luck.
February 10, 2007 at 8:29 pm
strength…returning…slowly…
CSFBL…closer…
I’m feeling better already!
February 10, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Still here, excited to see what shape we are all in when things return to normal. Thank you to everyone who put in their time and effort to get us back to this point. I, for one, will be donating once we are running again.
February 10, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Glad to hear Brian, and I for one thank you for doing all of this from your own house. Can’t wait to be able to be a paying member and a supporter of the new csfbl.
February 10, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Still here… haven’t left… great news…
February 10, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Oh man, I am soooo psyched, I will be getting my poker account fixed, AND CSFBL back within days, WOOT WOOT!
February 10, 2007 at 10:18 pm
I seriously can not wait
Anyone interested in joining a CSFBL Only Fantasy Baseball Auction drop me an email. We have 7 owners thus far and need just 3 more. This is an auction and there is an entrance fee, but the fee pays for a live auction draft(instead of drafting, you auction for player ownership)and the league itself. The league interface is Rotowire: They are an incredible fantasy baseball service and provide extensive coverage that is rivaled by noone(I have tried alot of em too)
If interested in a good challenge this year, drop me an email and I will let you know the details.
timbrennan1200@hotmail.com
February 10, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Insulation or foam sound baffle is required, especially to keep the sound from seeping into the living room above my storage room.
A little padding around the door to the storage room will help, too.
So far, server actually seems quite healthy. Can’t find any problems. Doing some major cleanup and moving data to the USB drive tonight — we’ll see how things progress over the next 12 hours.
February 10, 2007 at 10:32 pm
WOOHOO! Glad to hear the server seems fine!
If it sounds like a jet engine now, it’s gonna sound like an airport if I end up sending you my home server…it’s SOOOO loud.
February 11, 2007 at 12:10 am
Great news that the server seems to be in good health. Shows another level of incompetence by the ISP if they couldn’t figure out that they had two SBS computers on the same network. I hope this means you get at least a partial refund of that $125 per hour that was spent.
In the short/long term, it makes much more sense for you have the server nearby.
Can’t wait to get the site back up! I highly suggest we give everyone a couple of days to notice the site is back up before switching the sims back on. But we will discuss that later.
February 11, 2007 at 12:11 am
FYI Brian, a quicker way to transfer the files: connect the USB drive to a computer with USB 2.0 and transfer the files over your LAN. That should speed things up a bit at least.
February 11, 2007 at 12:19 am
make sure you have decent ventalation if you add all that insulation……dont wanna create a sauna in there!
also….see if you have a hollow core door…you might switch it to a solid door (and weather strip the jambs and header)
February 11, 2007 at 1:17 am
make sure you tell that little bastard though that he can cry and scream and yell and raise holy hell and make your ears bleed all he wants down there in the basement, but the next time he gets himself locked up in manhattan, you are not going to bail him out of trouble – he can go to prison for all you care – even if he was falsely accused of screwing up this time and had an incompetent cop/deputy mistakenly arrest him and lock him up for someone else’s drugs. i am glad to hear all is well and that your spirit and hopes and admirable commitment to providing us this wonderful game is still there. can’t wait for your son (csfbl) to get back out on the street with the rest of us and see what kind of trouble we can get him into again.
February 11, 2007 at 1:17 am
Thanks Brian, great news. Looking forward to the game being back up.
February 11, 2007 at 4:19 am
Brian or Chris, is there a way to send a mass email a day or so before everything starts running again? I know those of us that are frequenting this board will know the second the site comes back up, but it would help the rest of the community if they got some kind of notice.
AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!! I CAN HARDLY WAIT!
February 11, 2007 at 8:19 am
When will CSBB start up?
February 11, 2007 at 9:06 am
Packerken, not sure if we can do that or not. I am sure Brian will look into ways to notify everyone.
Mikey…let’s get the CSFBL running again before we get back to work on CSBB.
February 11, 2007 at 10:25 am
This is great news, server seems healthy and the ISP seems to be more and more the issue all the time.
Hopefully next week will find us up and running, unfortunately for me however is that relatives will be visiting and it is my sons 1st birthday so I will be mostly AWOL for the whole week….timing is everything they say…
Thanks for the updates Brian.
February 11, 2007 at 10:49 am
What GREAT news to wake up to on Sunday morning!!!!!
February 11, 2007 at 11:16 am
Woo Hoo!!!
February 11, 2007 at 11:45 am
Can’t wait to get back to it!
February 11, 2007 at 11:55 am
why would mass notification be necessary to get the site back up? Just do it first…if people are going to leave, I doubt an e-mail brings them back at this point.
February 11, 2007 at 12:07 pm
bigdbpimpin // Feb 11th 2007 at 12:19 am
make sure you have decent ventalation if you add all that insulation……dont wanna create a sauna in there!
A $15.00 exhaust fan will fix that problem, run the duct into the central air if applicable and if not run it into the heating duct .
February 11, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I disagree, Kozlov. There are probably some people that want to come back, but have long since stopped checking this site. An e-mail might be nice for them.
February 11, 2007 at 12:17 pm
you shut your mouth when you’re talking to me, Acehole!
February 11, 2007 at 12:27 pm
February 11, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Superfantastic!
February 11, 2007 at 3:14 pm
that pink foam stuff (extruded polystyrene) off gases some really toxic stuff, and the smoke from it will kill your family in a fire. It is only intended for external use.
February 11, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Thats D-man for ya. Just when we’re getting close to coming back, he’s trying to kill off Brian!
Hondo…:)
February 11, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Sweet! Now if I could just remember what I was doing with my teams…
February 11, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Now that I’m all amped up and excited, I’ve become terribly impatient. I need updates!
February 11, 2007 at 4:44 pm
>Sweet! Now if I could just remember what I was doing with my teams…
heh….I remember full well about one of my teams and there was a tiny bit of me hoping for a full wipe of the DB so I could start over with them…man, this team is in bad shape.
February 11, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I think it was smartbenny… he infiltrated the ISP place and sabotaged the server, in hopes that everyone would leave CSFBL, leaving him as the only one left… he was then going to kidnap brian, and force him to override the code that allows every owner to have only 1 team in per league… after doing this, he was going to recruit all 24 teams in every league, and wait till seasons end so that he could finally win a World Series…
I’ve figured out your plan benny… I’m onto you!
February 11, 2007 at 5:12 pm
If benny did that the server would probably crash before game 7 lol
February 11, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Great news guys, although not so great because the ISP screwed up and cost you such money Brian.
I am still hoping the game comes back soon so I will have something to do between all my job interviews. Madden2007 has started to get a bit boring!!!!
February 11, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Brian,
First thanks for all your efforts in returning the game to all of us. I hope everyone will show their love for the game and help out with those operating cost every month that I’m sure you will start to see.
Second your wife has to be a saint to 1st put up with all the long hours you put into the game before, now the humming of a sever in the basement. Let’s hear it for Mrs. “B”
February 11, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Monday’s just 4hrs 27 minutes away! drooling
February 11, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Drooling is an understatement! Having CSFBL back might curb my World of Warcraft addiction…
February 11, 2007 at 8:49 pm
its Monday
February 11, 2007 at 8:50 pm
is the website still csfbl.com….
February 11, 2007 at 9:04 pm
While I do agree with ‘X-Dude’ that Nietzsche’s theories on existentialism can be construed as hypocritical considering his work as a forebear for Nazi Germany, I do think that ‘PackerKen’ put it most poignantly when he responded that is exactly the definition of the paradoxal moral dilemma that we all find ourselves living? Well said Ken…. Well said.
February 11, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Actually Joel they had to switch the website too. You didn’t hear about that? Yea.. kinda sucks. New website is http://www.girls-with-low-self-esteem.net
See you there..
February 11, 2007 at 11:28 pm
CSFBL looks to be back
February 11, 2007 at 11:58 pm
oh the memories… you’ll be missed blog…
o wait… no you wont! we are back!!!
February 12, 2007 at 1:01 am
ZubaZ isn’t it meatspin.com?
February 12, 2007 at 10:51 pm
The pink foam board now comes in internal and external usage, the internal is blue board..I forgot to mention that.
March 21, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Ummm anyone have an idea what’s wrong now?
March 21, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Not sure. I have not been able to get on all day. I can ping the IP address though.
April 16, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Nice blog!
June 28, 2007 at 12:58 am
We down again?