Topic: SME8: A big thank you...

[Old Lodge Skins]

Hi all,

After that horrible day I had yesterday I thought I should just come out here and say thanks to the guys developping SME...

So far I was using SME 7.4 - and it's been running just fine, until yesterday, when my server broke down around 11AM. Apparently it's either the motherboard or the CPU, so it's not SME's fault, but I ended up, after hours, cannibiliizing my main workstation in order to replace the server's MB... Of course the system didn't like that and wouldn't start (kernel panic), so I thought I could repair it with the installation CD. Hopefully I had an old Knoppix at hand, I could use it to download and burn the CD of SME 7.4... And there... That installation CD would not recognize the VIA SATA controller I have on that motherboard!!!
So I ended up trying the latest 8.0b5... And there, surprise, there was an "upgrade" option! I did not have to format the hard drive like with the previous versions... GREAT!

Although I still have a few minor problems, the server's back up and running. That server's hosting my shop and it's also managing all my email addresses so I was in a real mess!

I know it's a beta and not intended for production, but I had no other solution... So really, thank you guys, you've just saved my life!

Seb.

[CharlieBrady]

So I ended up trying the latest 8.0b5... And there, surprise, there was an "upgrade" option! I did not have to format the hard drive like with the previous versions...

There has always been an "upgrade" option - in fact, upgrade is the automatic default if a previous version install is detected. I don't know where you got the idea that there was no upgrade option in previous versions. Plus I guess you are not as familiar as you should be with the User Manual:

http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter5#Upgrading_From_A_Previous_Version

[Old Lodge Skins]

Well... I really thought there wasn't one... But I haven't been in a position to do an upgrade in a long time - last time I installed an SME server, I built a whole new one, installed it from scratch, and transferred the data over from the old server... That was over a year ago, and before that my previous server had been running fine for years.
That's the "problem" with this system... It works so well you sometimes forget basic details like that because you don't need to re-install it

[cactus]

That's the "problem" with this system... It works so well you sometimes forget basic details like that because you don't need to re-install it

I suggest your next big thing is to rebuild your workstation, but after that I would invest some time in a proper backup strategy that is tested not only for backup, but for restore as well in order to save you the stress and hassle if this might ever happen to you in the future.

[Old Lodge Skins]

I really have no idea what happened... It just stopped working and wouldn't restart, the fans turn on, the hard drives too, but I get no video and no boot on the original motherboard... And it's not the memory (one of the original memory modules of that server is now on the new motherboard and I've tested both there). Go figure... It's been in service for just a little bit more than a year. I believe this is just bad luck. I don't see what I could do against that except having the necessary hardware available as a backup... And I'm not that rich lol!!
What I intend to do one of these days is to get a second 250GB drive (right now I have a 250GB as the system drive plus a 1TB where I do all my storage) and use it as a mirror for the system drive. But even if I had already done that it wouldn't have prevented that failure.

[cactus]

What I intend to do one of these days is to get a second 250GB drive (right now I have a 250GB as the system drive plus a 1TB where I do all my storage) and use it as a mirror for the system drive. But even if I had already done that it wouldn't have prevented that failure.

No, backups do not shorten the restore time in some cases, but it would secure your data and facilitate restore of functionality when setting up a new one.

[Old Lodge Skins]

I see the idea, thanks...