NEWS/URGENT -- Impending Board Move
#1
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URGENT: Impending Board Move

Scheduled Server Upgrade

Our server will undergo a scheduled upgrade this Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 20:00 (8 PM) EDT. Maximum downtime is ~4 hours, but it should be closer to 30 minutes. Not a big deal, right? Unfortunately, part of this upgrade is updating the PHP version of the server from PHP 5.2 to PHP 5.3.


The Problem

Our board cannot function properly (or, rather, at all) on PHP 5.3, and there will be no way to use PHP 5.2 on our host after the server upgrade. The software we're currently using for the board, IPB 1.3.1 Final, is very old, and our retirement from it has really been a long time coming... This server upgrade is just forcing us to get it done with on very short notice.


What's Going to Happen

We are working on setting up a new board using different forum software and hope to have it up before the server upgrade happens Thursday. If we succeed, this is how the process of moving over will go:


  1. This current/old board will be closed so we can back it up and remove it.
  2. The new board will be moved into its place, giving the new board the same URL of soulsrpg.com/forum so no one will have to update bookmarks.
  3. The new board will be open for registration, posting, etc.
  4. The current/old board will be restored on a different server and preserved as an archive. You will NOT lose any data.

Please note that this will be a permanent change. We are saying goodbye to IPB after five lovely years and shifting to a more modern platform. Aside from core information topics, we will not be transferring any of the current forum topics. The new board will be from scratch.


We want to reassure everyone that we are NOT expecting any data loss as a result of this upgrade and move. This forum will be closed and preserved as an archive. You will be allowed to mirror and continue current threads on the new board, though old/finished threads should not be reposted. The server upgrade will also not affect any game resources not on the forum itself, so the RP Guide, the Wiki, and pack websites, and the yearbooks, will be unaffected.


The new board will, of course, be different from the board you've been familiar with for the last five years. We most likely won't be transferring any of our old skins. We might lose some superfluous features, like CSS customizable profiles, but we'll be doing our best to retain as many fancy things as possible. A full list of technical changes will be available once we make more progress on/are ready with the new board.


Since there will be a period of time when members will not be able to access the board in the coming week, we want to remind everyone of our offsite venues of update: Twitter will have the fastest, most up-to-date info in short snippets. Livejournal and Facebook will have bigger, more summarized updates in longer passages. Please don't panic! We'll keep you updated at every turn.


What To Do in the Meantime?

For now, you are fine to roleplay as usual!


Leaders are encouraged to go ahead and take care of any upcoming rank checks as it may take some time to restore post counts and other data after the move. Members may decide that it's a good time to wrap up threads to minimize the number of things they'll need to mirror onto the new board, but that's entirely up to you guys. You may also want to save local copies of profile information or whatever else you think you'll want immediate access to after the board move. Again, we're not expecting to lose any data, but it may take some time to restore the final archival copy of this old board.


We're really, really sorry about the abruptness of this. Sad We hope you'll be patient with us this coming week, and in the weeks after, as we work through the move and all it entails. If you have any questions or concerns, please do reply.


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#2
Hi! Sorry if I shouldn't be replying to this. But I have a question. And I'm sorry ahead of time if I skipped over something that provides the answer.

I'm guessing that our profile information will be saved.... And if not then it'd be great if we could know so we could save our stuff. However, what about threads? Will recently started threads be lost, locked away in the archives, or will they be saved within the new forum?

I'm asking this because I just joined about... *Checks Time* Twenty minutes ago. And if none of this will be saved, then I think it'd be worth it to wait to join a Pack. Haha! >.<
#3
Quote:The current/old board will be restored on a different server and preserved as an archive. You will NOT lose any data.
#4
So Dumb question Everything will be saved but those of us who have multi characters will have to join with A then wait to get second then wait to get third ... Ect.. or just re join with all?
#5
Will the leaders likely save the game points and stuff?

As for old topics....Will they be gone? :o as I suppose we will have to make new accounts on the new one
What must we establish concerning backing things up? And the wiki---
Will the posts on there (links to posts) not work at all?

EDIT: wait...you are able to adjust the post counts?
I'm a derp and need to focus on reading....
#6
Quote:So Dumb question Everything will be saved but those of us who have multi characters will have to join with A then wait to get second then wait to get third ... Ect.. or just re join with all?

All current members/characters will just need to most on the new board's Maintenance Thread to be retitled/reinstated with their characters. You will not need to re-request characters you already have.

Quote:Will the leaders likely save the game points and stuff?

They probably should, but it will be up to individual leaders to do so.

Quote:As for old topics....Will they be gone?

The current/old board will be restored on a different server and preserved as an archive. You will NOT lose any data. The old topics will not be on the new board, but they will not be gone.

Quote: And the wiki---Will the posts on there (links to posts) not work at all?

Correct. Links to old forum threads from any place, the wiki or otherwise, will not work. They will need to be updated to whatever the archival address of the board will be (unknown at this time).
#7
Quote:All current members/characters will just need to most on the new board's Maintenance Thread to be retitled/reinstated with their characters. You will not need to re-request characters you already have.

So Kiri,
Will we need to re-register our character's account. then post in maint. there Saying
EX.. Aeron Ganesa
pack Anathema
Rank Angela

Correct?
And do this for each current Character?
#8
More or less, yes. Details will be posted on the new board once that's up.
#9
I have two questions about this: One, will chat be working during this? And two, what software are you going to be using (out of curiosity)?
#10
The Chat will be available throughout the move and server upgrade as it resides on a different server entirely (it's hosted on Sie's personal server, not 'Souls's server).

The new board will be phpBB3.
#11
Inconvenient and unexpected, but a welcome change none-the-less. We're starting to get crusty with our old ways. Time to move onward to the future!

Only question is, does anyone know a thing about this new system? phpBB3? What is this nonsense?

Could one of you lovely people provide a good place to look this up and read up on it?
#12
Well, there's this link explaining what it's all about. And this other link right here including a tutorial of sorts that provides some images. I dunno if that helps you out or not. >.<

Also, I heard that this is based off of Sie's site, I think/believe.
#13
So. I might be confused.

The current threads we have on now. They will be archived, not active on the new board? Are we meant to repost what we have or make new threads?
#14
Quote:You will be allowed to mirror and continue current threads on the new board, though old/finished threads should not be reposted. The server upgrade will also not affect any game resources not on the forum itself, so the RP Guide, the Wiki, and pack websites, and the yearbooks, will be unaffected.
In other words: you may re-post your non-closed/active threads to the board and continue them there, but not old threads.
#15
Real quick--

What will/will not be transferred and/or available on the new board is still in flux at the moment while we figure stuff out. There are already a few things which we thought would be relatively easy to transfer that are... not so straightforward after all. Sad So we may need to back on a few things/procedures already stated above. We're doing our best, but when it comes down to the time we have, our priority is going to be functioning board first, transferring stuff second, and shiny extras third. So bear with us. D;

The thing that hasn't and won't change is the fact that we won't lose any data on this board.

It's just what's getting moved that everything is a "maybe" right now. Sorry for the lack of certainty. :c
#16
I hope I am not bothering you guys with my question! (I know how hard you all must be working. ;_____; thankies <3)

How will upcoming auxiliary character and puppy requests be regulated? Since a lot of current threads will be reposted along with their individual replies onto the new board, it would be like kind of repeating what we already posted on this board—it definitely shouldn't count towards requests that can be quite delicate and needs an exact post count between however many so week bracket. I was wondering if you guys have any ideas (At this current moment—don't take your time answering my silly question. xD) how you will go about this?
#17
Aly - We don't entirely know yet how post counts, future requests, or those sorts of things are going to be handled. :O It'll be figured out soon, however!
#18
okay question question question. Titles and Icons? are we keepin' those aka can the SA access that info ooooor?
#19
Everything on this forum - profiles, posts, old threads, old post logs - is being preserved in an archive. The only difference is that it won't be able to be posted in - so yes, anyone will be able to see the old icons and titles, and they will be transferred over. Smile

It's kind of like moving - when you move to another house, your old house doesn't get destroyed, you just don't live in it anymore. ^^ So things on the old board will still be able to be seen!
#20
Curious about one thing- will we still have all our messages? And the notes in our notepad?


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