Server Requirements for the Unofficial Guild of Writers

Robert The Rebuilder · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:43 pm

Once it has been formed, the Unofficial Guild of Writers (UGoW) will be looking for a home. Several people have already commented on what they'd like to see at a home site for the UGoW - see the Sources listed in the next post.

Below are questions that will help us define the requirements for a server that will host the UGoW. Please select your answers by responding to this post, and I'll put your name next to the answers you selected.

Eventually, when we call for nominations for a home site, we'll ask the nominees to list their server's specifications, and we can compare how well the nominated server matches our requirements.

1. What services should the Unofficial Guild of Writers server provide? Choose one or more of the following services:

a. Forums: for discussion of UGoW topics and announcements (examples: phpBB, Invision, vBulletin)
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, MercAngel, Herohtar, mar}
(100%, 6/6)

b. Wiki: for collaboratively-built informational web pages (examples: MediaWiki, TWiki)
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, MercAngel, Herohtar, mar} (100%, 6/6)

c. Version Control: for maintaining a history of files in development (examples: Subversion, CVS)
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, MercAngel, Herohtar, mar} (100%, 6/6)

d. File Sharing: for uploading/downloading art resources, tool distributions, or other documents that do not require a developmental history (examples: ftp, SharePoint)
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, MercAngel, Herohtar, mar} (100%, 6/6)

e. Issue Tracking: for tracking any age-related problems or suggested improvements (e.g. Trac, Bugzilla)
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, MercAngel, Herohtar, mar} (100%, 6/6)

f. Other: please specify what service(s) you would like to see.

2. What is the minimum amount of disk space that the server should make available for UGoW purposes? Note: selections are based on typical web hosting packages

a. 125 GB or less
{MercAngel} (16%, 1/6)

b. 250 GB or less
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, Herohtar, mar} (83%, 5/6)

c. More than 250 GB

d. Doesn't matter to me

3. What is the minimum monthly data transfer rate that the UGoW server should support? Note: selections are based on typical web hosting packages

a. Up to 200 GB/month

b. Up to 1000 GB/month
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, Herohtar, mar} (83%, 5/6)

c. More than 1000 GB/month

d. Doesn't matter to me
{MercAngel} (16%, 1/6)

4. What is the minimum level of availability that the UGoW system administrator should have?

a. At least once a week

b. At least once a day
{Whilyam, metaigahn, MercAngel, Herohtar, mar} (83%, 5/6)

c. 24-hour availability
{TomahnaGuy} (16%, 1/6)

d. Doesn't matter to me

5. Does the UGoW home need to be on a dedicated server (i.e., all software running on it is solely for UGoW purposes and not for any other site)?

a. Yes

b. No

c. Doesn't matter to me
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, MercAngel, Herohtar, mar} (100%, 6/6)

6. What amount (if any) would you be willing to contribute per month to keep the UGoW site running?

a. None
{TomahnaGuy, Whilyam, metaigahn, MercAngel, Herohtar} (83%, 5/6)

b. US$1
{mar} (16%, 1/6)

c. Up to US$5

d. More than US$5 (please specify)

7. What is the minimum connection type required for the UGoW's server?

a. DSL

b. Cable
{MercAngel, Herohtar, mar} (50%, 3/6)

c. Fiber-optic

d. Doesn't matter to me
{metaigahn} (16%, 1/6)

Alphabetical list of Participants (6):
[spoiler]
Herohtar
mar
MercAngel
metaigahn
TomahnaGuy
Whilyam
[/spoiler]

Robert The Rebuilder · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:44 pm

Sources

From the GoW Forum Nominations thread:

[spoiler]
MercAngel:
phpBB is good forum software and the new version is great phpBB3 (RC4)
http://www.phpbb.com/

subversion can be found here
http://subversion.tigris.org/

also here is some good software too with bug tickets and a wiki
http://trac.edgewall.org/

all 3 can be tied together

also if you want to use MediaWiki here is a link to tie it into phpBB
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension ... ntegration
[/spoiler]

From the 18 August Meeting chat log:

[spoiler]
Question: What would you expect to find on a GoW web site?

Luetwo: list of ages being created
(08/18 15:48:45) Dovahn: Forum, "coming soon", project pages (possibly)
(08/18 15:48:52) GermanShepherd: for a non-member, not much
(08/18 15:49:04) Connor Mclyrr: hey
(08/18 15:49:07) Paradox: Forum definitely, likely a trac/issue tracker
(08/18 15:49:11) Dovahn: For members, there would likely be a large back end system for bug tracking.
(08/18 15:49:25) Metaigahn: links for tools, possibly
(08/18 15:49:25) Marein.: And some teasers, coming soons, but not a page about every project
(08/18 15:49:36) Paradox: Subversion, Wiki, Forum, Trac, FTP for departments/projects
(08/18 15:49:36) Dovahn: Maybe for members, though.
(08/18 15:49:44) Dovahn: What would the wiki be for?
(08/18 15:49:45) Marein.: Maybe
(08/18 15:49:57) Dovahn: FTP is good, though.
(08/18 15:49:59) Connor Mclyrr: wiki is awosme
(08/18 15:50:05) Paradox: For the public, a "coming soon" page, a detailed desription of what the Guild is/does
(08/18 15:50:08) Marein.: Well that could be about the different projects
(08/18 15:50:15) Paradox: How to join, etc
(08/18 15:50:17) Marein.: (the wiki(
(08/18 15:50:18) Marein.: )
(08/18 15:50:31) Paradox: Mar > Wiki for tutorials and how to use the tool
(08/18 15:50:33) Paradox: +s
(08/18 15:50:49) Marein.: That too but info about every project and who's in it would be handy too

Question: How much file storage would a GoW server need?

(08/18 15:52:49) Dovahn: Well, how big is an average age?
(08/18 15:52:56) Paradox: It really depends; I'm thinking that an FTP for each project/Age
(08/18 15:52:56) Marein.: Yeah?
(08/18 15:52:59) Dovahn: (In filesize, I mean)
(08/18 15:53:10) Paradox: When the Age is released, the FTP content is archived
(08/18 15:53:25) Robert The Rebuilder: Take a peek in your dat folder: between 10 and 50 MB (including sounds)
(08/18 15:53:40) Marein.: Mmm that's okay
(08/18 15:53:41) Paradox: That's only PRP files
(08/18 15:53:47) Paradox: not textures and models
(08/18 15:53:52) Dovahn: Keep in mind that we would be working with uncompressed stuff.
(08/18 15:53:56) Marein.: I wonder if our Ages will be bigger because of our inexperience
(08/18 15:54:05) Paradox: Mar > no
(08/18 15:54:06) Dovahn: Marein> Probably.

Question: How much upload/download bandwith per day would a GoW server need?

(08/18 15:54:29) Paradox: I'd say about 50 MB / project if possible
(08/18 15:54:30) Luetwo: Marein
(08/18 15:54:34) Marein.: Yes?
(08/18 15:54:36) Paradox: A LOT
(08/18 15:54:36) Luetwo: Paradox
(08/18 15:54:41) Paradox: yeah?
(08/18 15:54:58) Metaigahn: lots of server space, and lots of bandwidth....both
(08/18 15:55:02) Connor Mclyrr: welll tons
(08/18 15:55:15) Paradox: I'm thinking that an SVN server might be better than FTP in some ways
(08/18 15:55:16) Dovahn: The more, the better.

(08/18 15:55:38) Paradox: SVN isn't quite as simple, but it works fairly well for projects like these

Question: What kind of server administrator would the GoW server need: student, working professional, or dedicated web hosting admin?

(08/18 15:55:52) Paradox: Dedicated web-hosting admin
(08/18 15:56:07) Dovahn: But if one isn't available... What's the least we can do with?
(08/18 15:56:20) Paradox: A server with lots of uptime; lots of space; and someone who knows what they're doing with regards to configuration
(08/18 15:56:40) Paradox: Dovahn > If necessary, a computer sitting in someone's bedroom without a monitor

[/spoiler]

TomahnaGuy · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:59 pm

1.a-f
2.b
3.b
4.c
5.c
6.a*

*Provided this doesn't in any way affect the uptime of the GoW servers.

TG

Whilyam · **Joined:** Tue May 09, 2006 1:04 am **Posts:** 4134

1: a-e (though I think e is the most important since forums and wikis already exist, version numbers don't really matter, and I make my own textures, etc.

2: a or b (since this is unofficial, it really doesn't have to hold much. The most we'd put there are some Ages. Though, if the current age writing groups wanted to mold together, the UGoW could need more space to house all the groups.

3: b

4: b

5: c

6: a

Stevecrox · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:24 pm

Just thought I'd pipe in at this point, The TCT server is run of a UK hosting company called http://www.streamline.net . For our £70 for two years deal we've gotten an SQL server running version 4 and php 5. Along with infinite bandwidth (theres a help page challenging people to use more than they can supply along with whos the current top user) infinite number of sub domains, each having infinite web space, with an infinte number of email addresses and of course each sub domain gets it own file space accessed through its own password.

Whats that mean?

a. It will support 1 forum (sadly only one)
b. It supports wiki's (thats how the archiver works)
c. I believe version control works on it
d. The FTP can be finiky at times but its worked great for us
e. I'm unsure

Why am I acting like a walking advert for this company? Because the support is top notch and I recently went looking for a new TCT host to find a better deal and the deal they offer really is the best I could find after several days of hunting. Also the companies offering a 3 months trial which if you don't cancel moves you onto the same account as the TCT one. It should suit your needs, if it doesn't you can always cancel the trail and try somewhere else. If we get this far in the GoMes discussion I'm going to put forward the exact same thing.

metaigahn · **Posted:** Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:14 pm

My responses:

1. a-e, (at minimum: a for interaction, and d for project and other files)
2. b
3. b
4. b
5. c
6. a*

*In my opinion, many in our community may be less inclined to join this guild if any surcharges or dues -- even to offset costs -- are requested or required, since many are already paying Gametap for participating in URU Live, and hence the Guilds IC. However, I personally can donate "b" during the near future. It'd be nice, but I'm aware that not everything we do is free, particulary OOC.

Cheers,

Robert The Rebuilder · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:54 am

Added answers from TomahnaGuy, Whilyam and metaigahn.

Steve: that's quite a great deal that Streamline.net has for shared servers. As a basis for comparison, GoDaddy.com will give you a shared server with 50 GB space, 2000 GB/month bandwidth, 24/7 admin availability for US$84/month. If you want a dedicated server, it then goes up to US$230/month.

EDIT: I've added a new question regarding the server's connection type.

TomahnaGuy, Whilyam and metaigahn: would you mind answering this additional question?

metaigahn · **Posted:** Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:31 pm

My response to the additional question:

7. d (as long as it's fast enough to meet everyone's needs)

MercAngel · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:50 am

sorry have not been here but my main system died

1. a-e*
2. a*
3. d~
4. b
5. c
6. a
7. b

* with answer 1. d and 2. a i do not have much space but i can upgrade just not any time soon

~ unlimited but i can only upload at 512Kbs i may be able to get this pushed up to 2Mbs.

Robert The Rebuilder · **Posted:** Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:05 pm

Added answers from metaigahn and MercAngel.

Robert The Rebuilder · **Posted:** Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:17 am

ANNOUNCEMENT: I will close this topic at 00:00 GMT Saturday 22 September. Please post your opinions before then, as we will be forming the guild soon thereafter.

Herohtar · **Joined:** Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:45 pm **Posts:** 2553

1. a-e
2. b
3. b
4. b
5. c
6. a
7. b

mar · **Joined:** Sat Aug 19, 2006 9:50 pm **Posts:** 4

1) a <-> e
2) b
3) b
4) b
5) c
6) b
7) b

Mar

Robert The Rebuilder · **Posted:** Sat Sep 22, 2007 12:03 am

This topic is now closed. I'll put the results in the first post soon.

EDIT: Statistics added. Thanks to all who participated!

Server Requirements for the Unofficial Guild of Writers

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