Dedicate Server Move Happening Very Soon! | Veterancraft Dedicated Server | Forum

UPDATE
Temporary IP Address until play.veterancraft.net updates - 199.193.116.153

We have long awaited this move and moving day is here! I had hoped to give players more advanced notice, but real life managed to get in the way more so than usual this week. The short and sweet of it is that switchover will happen within the next 6-12 hours. The switchover process will happen in 5 stages:

• STAGE 1 – CLONING (Est. duration: 1-2 hrs): Create a clone of our server and import it into our dedicated server management system. Cloned installation will be tested for basic functionality and features. You do not have to concern yourself with this stage, as it can happen while you are still playing. However, there will be periodic in-game announcements to alert you that the switchover process has begun.
• STAGE 2 – SYNCHRONIZATION (Est. duration: 15-30 mins): 30 minutes prior to start, you will receive an in-game announcement that synchronization is about to happen; it will be notoriously spammed every 3 minutes. The server will be shutdown for 15-30 minutes to make copies of worlds, databases, and player-based configurations (i.e. shops, preferences, etc.). THIS IS THE CUTOFF POINT! Any changes made after the server reboots will not be transferred to the new server.
• STAGE 3 – POST SYNCHRONIZATION (Est. duration: 1 hr): The old server will be restart after data has been successfully copied. A suitable in-game announcement will be spammed to remind you that any changes made now will not move to the new server. The only reason for keeping this server running is to let you get some sort of Minecraft fix while the dedicated server is undergoing final configuration. No, we will not open the server to mass destruction either
• STAGE 4 – SWITCH OVER (Est. duration 30-45 mins): After final configurations have been set and tested, our dedicated server will be live. The following will happen in parallel once we reach that point: 1) I will post the IP address of the new server in this blog/forum so that you can connect to it; 2) the old server will be turned off; and 3) Meatbawllz will update DNS so that play.veterancraft.net points to the new server, which should take between 30-45 minutes to propagate through the net.
• STAGE 5 – INITIAL MONITORING (4-6 hours): Once the switchover is completed, players should not experience any notable differences in functions and features. The dedicated server will be using the same plugins, configurations, database information, and worlds as before. However, performance-wise, you should notice faster updates and much less lag. I will be closely monitoring our new server for performance and speed for the next 4-6 hours. Periodic lag and unannounced reboots might be necessary as I tweak things on the server end; I will try to keep that to a minimum.

The time estimates given above are just ballpark figures. I hope that stages will be completed faster, but they also may take longer. If I could predict the future, I’d be sitting on a private island sipping Margaritas. But I can tell you the worst case scenario. If for some unseen reason the server doesn’t work out, we’ll have no recourse but to move data back to FragNet and try again at a later date. Hopefully, this will be a non-option!

After the Switch Over

There are many things that need to be done after the switchover. Much of it will be on the server management side, but we also have several game-related tasks that have been piling up on the backburner. Here is a rough outline of what will be addressed once we’re certain that the switchover was successful:

• Bring back the Live Maps.
• Update server and plugins to CB 1.3.2-R1.0
• Fix any known security holes/exploits not addressed by updates.
• Make a final review of past plugin suggestions and implement those that we see as a benefit.

Helping Make This a Smooth Transition

We ask that you help make this a smooth transition. A Veterancraft Dedicated Server forum has been created for that specific purpose. You can help in several ways:

• If you find a problem, we'd like to hear about it. However, posting "X don't work" alone isn't going to cut it. Please provide as much details as you can. For example, what you expected; what you observed; copies of any error messages received; etc. I hope you get the point.
• Please make sure that the issue you are reporting hasn't already been discussed or addressed.
• Please make sure that a topic's title is meaningful.
• If you have nothing constructive to say, then don't. Do not clutter the forums with "me2" replies. This forum will be monitored closely and any posts that doesn't offer constructive inputs or replies will be frowned upon and promptly deleted.
• If you reply to a post, please, please, please, only quote the points to which your are responding. Take the time crop quotes to their bare essentials. The last thing we need to see is a post that includes a quote of a quote of a quote - ad nauseum.
• As always, it is expected of you to read the forums before asking questions in-game. One of the reasons for this special forum is to give you a single point of reference to anything related to the transition. Do not pester our staff for information. If you feel that we missed explaining a vital bit of information that you perceive as a matter of life or death, please ask in this forum.
• Be courteous in-game. If you feel the need to rage or throw a temper tantrum because this transition is getting in your way, you should log off and chill for a while - maybe even a day. Its better that you do it voluntarily rather than staff forcing a time out on you.