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Help Slashdot Test Our New Data Center

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the it-seems-like-only-yesterday dept.

After many years of living in California, Slashdot is preparing to move to a new data center in Chicago, and we need your help. We have our new site running a dump of our database from a few days ago. You can hit it at beta.slashdot.org. Please go there, post comments, submit stories, and do whatever you do normally. Or maybe abnormally — run crawlers, write poll spamming robots or something. If you find any crazy issues, please submit them to our sourceforge tracker. If you're curious, the new system features 18 2x quad-core 2.3 GHz webservers each with 8 gigs of RAM, and 4 quad-core 2.3 GHz databases with 16 gigs of RAM.

35 of 308 comments (clear)

  1. well done slashdot by nih · · Score: 5, Funny

    it's working gre

    --
    I'm a rabbit startled by the headlights of life :(
  2. Obligitory by BluffBlank · · Score: 5, Funny

    But does it run linux?

    1. Re:Obligitory by krgallagher · · Score: 4, Interesting
      "But does it run linux?"

      I know that was meant to be a joke, but that is my question. What is the OS? What is the Database engine? What is the web server? Are you using a load balancer? Details! I want details!

      --

      Insert Generic Sig Here:

    2. Re:Obligitory by Hatta · · Score: 5, Informative

      iblis% sudo nmap -A -T4 beta.slashdot.org

      Starting Nmap 4.53 ( http://insecure.org/ ) at 2008-05-23 15:00 CDT
      SCRIPT ENGINE: rpcinfo.nse is not a file.
      SCRIPT ENGINE: Aborting script scan.
      Interesting ports on beta.slashdot.org (216.34.181.45):
      Not shown: 1704 closed ports
      PORT STATE SERVICE VERSION
      21/tcp open tcpwrapped
      25/tcp filtered smtp
      80/tcp open http Apache httpd 1.3.41 ((Unix) mod_perl/1.31-rc4)
      135/tcp filtered msrpc
      136/tcp filtered profile
      137/tcp filtered netbios-ns
      138/tcp filtered netbios-dgm
      139/tcp filtered netbios-ssn
      443/tcp open ssl/http Apache httpd 1.3.41 ((Unix) mod_perl/1.31-rc4)
      445/tcp filtered microsoft-ds
      Device type: general purpose
      Running (JUST GUESSING) : OpenBSD 4.X (91%)
      Aggressive OS guesses: OpenBSD 4.1 (x86) (91%), OpenBSD 4.0 - 4.2 (90%), OpenBSD 4.0 (88%), OpenBSD 4.0 (x86) (86%)
      No exact OS matches for host (test conditions non-ideal).
      Network Distance: 10 hops

      TRACEROUTE (using port 21/tcp)
      HOP RTT ADDRESS
      1 0.25 beta.slashdot.org (216.34.181.45)

      OS and Service detection performed. Please report any incorrect results at http://insecure.org/nmap/submit/ .
      Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 32.605 seconds


      Looks like they're running OpenBSD of some sort.
      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    3. Re:Obligitory by moderatorrater · · Score: 4, Funny

      That's impossible. I thought BSD was dead, or at least dying.

    4. Re:Obligitory by livingdeadline · · Score: 4, Informative

      Netcraft thinks it's an F5 BIG-IP device, which probably means that they've got a big, fancy load balancer. If my memory doesn't fail me, F5's appliance OS is BSD based.

  3. oh yeah by stoolpigeon · · Score: 5, Funny

    my cowboy neal bot has already gained complete control of all survey functionality.
     
    A Natalie Portman statue and a 10 gallon tub of hot grits or I wont give control back. Oh - and I want the ponies theme back. Permanently.

    --
    It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
  4. Abnormally? by FooAtWFU · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Run abnormally? So, throw a few of these out there?

    ab -n 10000 -c 10 http://beta.slashdot.org/
    --
    The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
    1. Re:Abnormally? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      So it was really a typo: Run ab normally.

    2. Re:Abnormally? by FooAtWFU · · Score: 4, Informative

      Apache benchmarker. If you have the right packages installed (e.g. 'apache2-utils' on Debian) it certainly exists on any Linux distro worth its salt.

      --
      The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
  5. "dump"... by MadFarmAnimalz · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can't explain it (oh okay, maybe I can) when the database in question contains /. comments and old Jon Katz stories (quite apart from Taco's nicely spelled and eloquent posts), calling it a dump somehow seems appropriate in the more scatological sense of that word...

    --
    Blearf. Blearf, I say.
  6. you're done by amazon10x · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have access to the storm botnet. Should I try to DDoS the new data center?

    1. Re:you're done by idiotwithastick · · Score: 5, Funny

      Alternatively, we could always just try the Slashdot effect.

    2. Re:you're done by Culture20 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Does having your computer be a zombie node equate to "access"? ;-)

  7. new account by altair1230 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I couldn't create a new account on beta.slashdot.org

    1. Re:new account by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Funny, *mine* still works...

  8. Slashdot hardware specs... by madskyllz · · Score: 5, Funny

    "If you're curious, the new system features 18 2x quad-core 2.3 GHz webservers each with 8 gigs of RAM, and 4 quad-core 2.3 GHz databases with 16 gigs of RAM" What do you mean, "If" ?

    1. Re:Slashdot hardware specs... by Talen317 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Does this mean that "If I'm not curious" the system runs on some other hardware?
      Perhaps an Apple IIe?

      What if I'm curious one day but not curious the other day?
      Will that dramatically affect my user experience?

  9. Seems recursive by linuxwrangler · · Score: 5, Funny

    So let me get this straight. You want us to Slashdot....Slashdot?

    --

    ~~~~~~~
    "You are not remembered for doing what is expected of you." - Atul Chitnis
    1. Re:Seems recursive by Dachannien · · Score: 5, Funny

      Here's a Coral Cache link, just in case. ;)

  10. Power consumption? by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 5, Interesting

    > If you're curious, the new system features 18 2x quad-core 2.3 GHz webservers each with 8 gigs of RAM, and 4 quad-core 2.3 GHz databases with 16 gigs of RAM.

    What's the power consumption on this set up?

    1. Re:Power consumption? by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Informative

      What's the power consumption on this set up?
      Probably less than you'd expect. Intel's latest line of Quad-core Xeon processors use 45nm fab technology. If these are 2.33GHz "Harpertown" chips, then each chip (not core!) uses only ~50 watts. That means these machines could be running in as little as 150 watts for the dual processor machines, and 250 watts for the quad processor machines. (Though the quad core machines are most likely drawing a lot more power than that for a full RAID array.) Which really isn't too shabby.
      --
      Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  11. I'm in downtown Chicago right now by lpangelrob · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you want me to try to walk out with your servers, just post the address. I'll let you know if I'm successful, but odds are you'll know long before then...

    --
    -Rob

    Biblical fiscal responsibility

  12. More info about the hardware? by Joe+The+Dragon · · Score: 4, Interesting

    AMD or INTEL?

    What is the raid setup?

    Hardware raid? raid 5? raid 6? raid 50? others?

    SAS? scsi?

    MB chipset?

    How are they linked to each other Dual or more teamed gig-e

    10 gig-e?

    others?

    1. Re:More info about the hardware? by Precision · · Score: 5, Informative

      On the Web servers, the specs are

      Dual Quad Core Intel E5345 with RAID 1 of 2xSATA drives

      On the Database boxes

      Single Quad Core Intel E5345 with RAID 5 of 7xSAS drives w/ a hot spare

      All machines are 2xGigE connected to cabinet switches which are 10G connected to our cores and our Dual 10G uplinks

      --
      - U
    2. Re:More info about the hardware? by felipekk · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, what version of IIS are they running?

      And SQL 2008 I suppose?

      *hides*

  13. I'm sure I'm not alone... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "the new system features 18 2x quad-core 2.3 GHz webservers each with 8 gigs of RAM, and 4 quad-core 2.3 GHz databases with 16 gigs of RAM"
    I just got an erection

    1. Re:I'm sure I'm not alone... by StarfishOne · · Score: 4, Funny

      You just gave my mind a way to fast association with "uptime"... ;o

      And to be ahead of obvious replies: has Netcraft confirmed it? :P

  14. Best of luck, by hwyengr · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hopefully it's just downtown and not at 64th and Oakley. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=6436+S+Oakley+Ave,+Chicago,+IL+60636&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=28.611123,60.292969&ie=UTF8&ll=41.780049,-87.680275&spn=0.00656,0.01472&t=k&z=16&layer=c&cbll=41.776747,-87.681011&panoid=R4fqWJEJkVCRco2uu3GK9Q&cbp=1,248.03517600888696,,1,8.383780676689486 Security's pretty tight down there.

  15. Re:Old content by larry+bagina · · Score: 5, Funny

    Those aren't old stories, they're dupes.

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  16. Re:Ah, the Data Center robbery center of America! by hakr89 · · Score: 5, Informative

    They're not being hosted out of CI Host, they're being hosted out of Savvis.

  17. Pictures? by Matt+Perry · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Some pictures of the new setup would be great.

    --
    Slashdot: Failed Car Analogies. Amateur Lawyering. Anecdote Battles.
  18. Re:Wow...all that computer power! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, with a mysql and perl combination... it's not hard to see why they need all that power.

  19. Re:I think.... by Idbar · · Score: 4, Funny

    They just wanted to coin the term: "recursive slashdotting".

  20. IPv6 please by ptudor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Can you please start listening on a v6 address?