Server migration

Plans to move Reprap.org from a free virtual server to a commercial dedicated server.

A number of users of the Reprap IRC channel are unhappy with the speed and functionality of the Reprap.org site believing it reflects poorly on the project as a whole, putting off potential new users who's first experience of Repap is a slow site that looks neglected.

Proposal: The plan is currently to Replace the slow Reprap.org site on a shared server with a dedicated server running in a world class London datacenter. This would initially be a server farms 1Gb/second connection going to a HP proliant server (Donated by SeeYouCNC ), running openBSD and hosting Drupal content management system. When the load on that server approaches 75% a second identical server is ready to be brought in, when we start hosting larger files University mirror sites will be used. is that if we mirror now there will be no mayor change when we start hosting large files.

Migration: A site test.reprap.org would be created, when it is decided by all that test.reprap.org and reprap.org are the same then the original site would be turned off and the new server(s) take over. A script would be written to transfer the content of the current database to the new database, nothing should be lost in the transfer. The current server could continue as http://old.reprap.org/

Where: This is the proposed datacenter

 http://safehosts.co.uk/data-centre/london/

It's next to London Bridge station and has direct fiber connection all over the World, it's one of the most environmentally friendly datacenters as it uses water cooling. 1 x 1U Slot 0.5A 1Gb Unmetered Port £85+VAT/Month (£15 extra for 2U and 1Amp )

Why London? There are a few Reprap users who are systems administrators who live in London.

Hardware: The servers are two two year old HP Prolients donated by SeeYouCNC.

Content management system: The proposed new content management system is Drupal, which would replace the current CMS MediaWiki. The reason for doing this is to make the site future proof as Drupal can have any service easily tacked onto the site where as MediaWiki can't even run a webshop.

 http://Drupal.org/  http://www.mediawiki.org/