| | SERVER, SERVER (who's got the server)
Strange goings-on in the realms of MSNTV lead me to think some server changes were taking place. This began about the end of September with numerous users reporting missing scrapbooks, missing favs, slow connections, and an abundance of power-offs. Another symptom was the fact that many users could access certain servers with their PCs, but not with their WebTV browsers. Some folks reported being in their FMs and getting "file not found" or "type of file that WebTV can not use" alerts on established files.
Some MSNTV techies tried to put the blame on our web hosts. To that, I say BUNK. Too, many users (including the author) have PCs. When connection problems occur with WebTV browsers, but not PCs, then the onus is with MSNTV, not hundreds of sites and hosts that work fine when MSNTV has things in order.
Extensive study of the access logs on some of the accounts on the Tandem Tables shared server pointed to the following facts: -
Prior to October 1, 2003, all WebTV users accessed all websites through 1 of these 4 servers:
- netcache-2001.public.lawson.webtv.net
- netcache-2002.public.lawson.webtv.net
- netcache-2003.public.lawson.webtv.net
- netcache-2004.public.lawson.webtv.net
Our logs are retained for 30 days and I began my study on Nov 12, 2003. It involved perusing over 100 MB of access logs to my site and several 5 to 10 MB files to other sites to confirm or narrow down a time line. Here is what I found:
- netcache-2001.public.lawson server disappeared from use prior to Oct 12, 2003. That left us with only 3 of the 4 servers online.
- netcache-3001-1.bay.webtv.net, showed up Oct 24 at 5:50 AM EDT. This was at least 12 days after the first "old" server was taken out of service.
- netcache-2002.public.lawson server disappeared around 10 hours later at 4:00 PM EDT. Now we are back to 3 servers, again.
- netcache-3001-1.bay.webtv.net goes through a name change to netcache-3001.bay.webtv.net around 3:30 PM, Eastern time, on Oct 27, 2003.
- netcache-3002.bay.webtv.net came online about 8:00 PM on Oct 29, 2003.
- netcache-2003.public.lawson.webtv.net went down shortly after 11:15 AM on Oct 31, 2003. Now we are back to 3 servers, again.
- netcache-3003.bay.webtv.net shows up over 3 days later, Nov 3, 2003, shortly after 6:45 PM EST.
- netcache-2004.public.lawson.webtv.net disappeared Nov 12, 2003 around 8:25 AM.
- netcache-3004.bay.webtv.net appeared around 7:30 PM on Nov 17, 2003 -- five and one-half days after the last old server went off line.
These observations are based of several thousand hits each day. The sites observed get numerous hits every hour from WebTV servers. All servers will show in the mix over any 5 to 10 minute period.
If you have been experiencing slowness, freezing up and getting those alerts that say "the site is experiencing technical problems" and your own tested files give you alerts on your WebTV browser; there is only one logical conclusion. MSNTV has been changing servers -- taking old ones off line before replacements are brought online. Those technical problems are not with your web hosts. They are not actually technical problems at all. They are simply "business-as-usual" at MSNTV. Their main directive seems to be, stack the customers deep and wide on the servers -- if they complain, blame it on their ISPs or web sites' having bad codes.
Until next time, blessings to all.
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