Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 04 July 2024, 12:34:39 PM

Title: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 04 July 2024, 12:34:39 PM
Just a heads up - several wargamesonline stores are down, seems to be a major server crash. Checked Heroics and Ros, Battlefront, PSC, Irregular and Scotia Grendel those are all working (forgot to check Pendraken). The site I know is dead is S and S but serveral others have been reported.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Ithoriel on 04 July 2024, 12:46:05 PM
According to a post on LAF there seem to have been multiple problems with an SQL update and all of the sites are on the same server. The guy in charge of the IT side of things is on holiday on a cruise. The hosting side don't seem to be covering themselves in glory but we're only getting second hand reports.

All data is said to be secure but outage may last for 7 to 10 days max.

The sites have not ceased trading and normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

"To err is human ... but for a real f**k up you need a computer" :)
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 04 July 2024, 01:23:12 PM
I always had that as "To screw up get a computer, to really f**k up put it on a network" Checked Pendraken after last post, its fine...so is Peter Pig...
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Orcs on 04 July 2024, 01:48:01 PM
Blotz is also down, has been since last night
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: kustenjaeger on 04 July 2024, 02:46:04 PM
It's also 'taken out' Too Fat Lardies, Early War Miniatures, Hasslefree Miniatures, Vanguard Miniatures and Shell Hole Scenics as far as I am aware.

Edward
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Orcs on 04 July 2024, 04:49:42 PM
I was thinking my PC might have been having problems last night
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Ithoriel on 05 July 2024, 03:34:38 AM
From Karwansaray Publishing

Server down - websites out

July 2024

Due to a server failure, several wargaming companies' websites have gone down, and due to personal circumstances, likely will stay down until the middle of the month. As far as we know, the following websites are affected.


Do you have any updates? If so, please let us know (https://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/pages/contact-wss-magazine).
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 05 July 2024, 07:33:21 AM
Thanks for the list,was being selfish and checking the ones I may want to shop at.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 05 July 2024, 10:30:38 AM
Courtesy of Will McNally on our club whatsApp :- A short update tonight.  We've been advised of the following:
"Unfortunately at this stage you must assume the worse and that your website is unrecoverable!"
That is a worst case scenario, but I am not sure what the best case is! We are now working with a company who are getting our email back working.  Sadly, we won't be able to access any old messages, but we will at leats have a line of comms we can all use. 
By tomorrow, anyone going to the web site will see a temporary page explaining what has happened and that we are working to resolve the issue.  At present the time involved is uncertain, we just need to await the return of the web chap and see what he can do.  I am not sure if mirror versions exist of the site, I do hope so, but hope is a thin diet.
Once we get the email up and running we can then see where we are with regards selling stuff.

Looks bad I'm afraid
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Techno 3 on 05 July 2024, 11:26:14 AM
Stroll on ! :o
That doesn't sound very promising.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 05 July 2024, 12:30:54 PM
it's totally unprofessional. I'm certtain it breeches the SLA and leavs them open to civil action for loss of earnings. The implication that there is no backup is gross negligence.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Big Insect on 05 July 2024, 01:28:56 PM
Quote from: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 05 July 2024, 12:30:54 PMit's totally unprofessional. I'm certtain it breeches the SLA and leavs them open to civil action for loss of earnings. The implication that there is no backup is gross negligence.

That all depends upon what was in the contract or what options the users chose to pay for.
A 'machine' is only ever as good (at its best) as the human(s) that built and programmed it ... the Horizon system for the Post Office is a classic case in question!!!  :o
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Ithoriel on 05 July 2024, 02:47:08 PM
I may be way off beam but it sounds from a couple of posts I've seen as if the sites may have been doing/ responsible for their own backups.

These are people working on a shoestring for the love of the hobby as much as anything else.

If money is tight corners get cut or you throw in your hand and walk away from the table.

I don't think pointing fingers when we know next to nothing for certain is remotely helpful.

When the smoke clears and everything is resolved one way or another there will be plenty of time to play pin the blame on the donkey!
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Leon on 07 July 2024, 10:57:56 PM
This is going to hit those businesses hard so I hope they can all get through until their sites come back online. 

I'm really surprised that nobody seems to be running backups though? I'd have assumed it was the responsiblity of the website developer/host, as it's unlikely that the average business owner would either know how to, or have access to the necessary files to do so.  Our web company back everything up nightly so we'd never lose more than 24 hours of orders/site updates.  For these companies to have lost their whole websites along with years' of emails seems crazy to me.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Steve J on 08 July 2024, 05:41:03 AM
Leven Miniatures website is not working either :( .
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Big Insect on 08 July 2024, 07:41:00 AM
Irregular Miniatures is working fine - so I suspect that it is very much dependent upon what back-up precautions each manufacturer took (paid for) originally.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 08 July 2024, 07:52:42 AM
Mark - Irregular, Peter Pig, Heroics and Ros, Scotia, Pendraken are all fine. It's one site suppling services to a lot of companies that has crashed...
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Orcs on 08 July 2024, 07:55:40 AM
Annoyingly, its the Blotz website I want to browse through. They are still down.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 08 July 2024, 09:09:25 AM
Paticence young pad-wan. A week min....
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Genom on 08 July 2024, 03:22:33 PM
Quote from: Leon on 07 July 2024, 10:57:56 PMThis is going to hit those businesses hard so I hope they can all get through until their sites come back online. 

I'm really surprised that nobody seems to be running backups though? I'd have assumed it was the responsiblity of the website developer/host, as it's unlikely that the average business owner would either know how to, or have access to the necessary files to do so.  Our web company back everything up nightly so we'd never lose more than 24 hours of orders/site updates.  For these companies to have lost their whole websites along with years' of emails seems crazy to me.
My understanding from what I've heard is the company did a server patch (standard practice), that failed and they tried to rollback, something went wrong and the backups corrupted. Bit of a vicious circle especially when your admin is away on a cruise.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Orcs on 08 July 2024, 04:08:31 PM
Quote from: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 08 July 2024, 09:09:25 AMPaticence young pad-wan. A week min....

Hang on, your talking to a wargamer!
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Leon on 08 July 2024, 11:56:13 PM
Quote from: Genom on 08 July 2024, 03:22:33 PMMy understanding from what I've heard is the company did a server patch (standard practice), that failed and they tried to rollback, something went wrong and the backups corrupted. Bit of a vicious circle especially when your admin is away on a cruise.

Is that the server company then and wouldn't they be liable for the lost data?  As far as I know Tradestands is a one-man operation so I'd assume he's paying for a dedicated server somewhere to host all of these websites on.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 09 July 2024, 06:30:45 AM
I'd agree with you there Leon.
Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 09 July 2024, 09:23:14 AM
Just got this one :- WEBSITE FAILURE
Hello all, I have been informed that the server hosting the QRF website, along with other companies, has suffered a catastrophic failure. This has resulted in all information being lost.



Please bear with me as I rebuild the website and get any outstanding orders out to you.



I'll update you when I have more information.



Kind regards

Title: Re: Server Crash
Post by: Steve J on 09 August 2024, 07:16:16 PM
Leven Miniatures are still down :( .