Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Film-Tech Server Load Balancing & Request Queuing

This is topic Film-Tech Server Load Balancing & Request Queuing in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-07-2004, 04:36 AM:

Over the past 8 months site traffic has increased by a factor of 8.

Due to this traffic increase we have been faced with two options. Either we can increase the speed of our network connection or prioritize bandwidth utilization.

Increasing the server's connection speed would incur a large recurring cost that simply would not be feasible for a site that does not generate income.

This leaves us with prioritizing bandwidth utilization. We, as site administrators, have decided that priority should go to those members who have put forth the effort to become a real part of the Film-Tech Forums community by submitting a member photo.

Therefore members who have not yet sent in a member photo for placement beside their posts will be entered into a queuing system when they make a request. Once all requests from members with member photos are served, or significant unused bandwidth becomes available, requests from members without member photos will be served. Currently the delay caused by this queuing is usually less than a couple seconds on an average day.

Since the site receives traffic from all over the globe, you will notice that the delay incurred by queuing is fairly constant over the course of the day since site traffic is fairly constant throughout the day.

Remember: Members with member photos are currently not affected, except that their requests should be served faster. If you do not have a member photo and would like faster access to the site, please feel free to send in a member photo for posting. Your account will be added to the list of accounts given priority upon your first reply posted to the forums after your photo appears on the site.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-07-2004, 06:06 AM:

European members could also help by visiting the site in the morning where possible, when most of the US and Canada is still asleep and so (presumably) bandwidth pressure is low.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 03-07-2004, 06:11 AM:

quote:
European members could also help by visiting the site in the morning where possible, when most of the US and Canada is still asleep and so (presumably) bandwidth pressure is low

Apart from Daryl and Adam who never seem to sleep [Confused]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-07-2004, 06:14 AM:

I sleep on Tuesdays!

Although accessing the site before noon UTC might be a little faster, it probably isn't that much faster. Traffic is amazingly constant throughout the day. There must be a LOT of non-English 'writing' lurkers out there in the eastern hemisphere.

Then again, maybe it's just all the spam that comes in overnight.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-07-2004, 12:15 PM:

Yes, I've noticed that before noon its LOTS faster. On Tuesdays when Daryl [sleep]

its LOTS slower as he's not cranking on the generator that makes the Hydro that runs this site.

Mark

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 03-07-2004, 01:29 PM:

This is of course beneficial to me as a member with a photo who reads the site frequently and posts often. But worth observing that our society increasingly is designed to benefit those willing to give up some level of privacy (another case in point being the grocery store frequent shopper cards which seem to give you a special discount but in reality probably just the price you would have paid anyway and penalize those who don't have them). An interesting trend.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-07-2004, 02:57 PM:

Steve, that's a very interesting and apposite point. I recently terminated my mobile 'phone contract on the basis that I didn't really need to have a brainfryer any more, and that I'd get far more out of my monthly £20 by spending it on having a broadband Internet connection at home, instead. But a friend pointed out that if I broke down in the middle of nowhere I'd seriously regret no longer having one, so I bought a 'pay as you go' SIM card for the 'phone.

At every stage in this process, I was subjected to relentless (and sometimes quite subtle) attempts to have me divulge my home address, land line number and e-mail address to the service provider. One of the reasons I terminated my contract account was the deluge of marketing shite that came through my door, e-mail account and even cold calls to my land line 'phone. I was determined to remain anonymous for the new prepay number, so I bought the new SIM card with cash and ignored the offer of £10 free calling credit if I filled out the form which would have enabled them to bombard me with spam via all media.

I guess George Orwell got it right...

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-07-2004, 07:50 PM:

Steve's point is interesting, but member pictures DO make for a better forum environment. With that being said (and pretty much agreed upon by all), the bandwidth throttling is designed to benefit those who contribute to the forums. We may soon set up a second level such that members w/out pictures get 2nd priority while the general public (aka: not logged in) gets 3rd priority...but for now we're just giving priority to members (logged in of course) with pictures.

In the near future, expect for members w/pictures to be able to download manuals and videos via FTP for the best possible speed, with the general public downloading via conventional http protocol. Again for the same reasons.

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 03-08-2004, 02:30 AM:

my world ... is caving ... in.

personally, i'd rather be represented by my words than my likeness, a mere accident of genetics (and grooming). it could be argued that my words are accidents as well, but i have more invested in them. but this is not a democracy, thank dog, so i will submit to the will of our (enlightened) despot... and wait patiently for the site to load. hasn't been bad so far.

carl

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-08-2004, 02:50 AM:

I can't take anyone seriously who has not yet learned the location of the mythical SHIFT key on their keyboards. I don't think that you invest [av=x]much time at all in your writing.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 03-08-2004, 03:08 AM:

Joe
Be thankful he hasn't accidentally hit upon the Caps Lock or discovered how to make all the text green!

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 03-08-2004, 04:11 AM:

ALRIGHT I GIVE UP HOW DO I MAKE IT GREEN

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 03-08-2004, 06:32 AM:

I'm really glad I sent in my picture already. I sent it in when I first read that yall were considering doing this. But, I guess it will be posted later. [thumbsup]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-08-2004, 02:28 PM:

Jeremy-

Brad is lazy.

--Joe[av=m]

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 03-08-2004, 08:37 PM:

It didn't take him that long, Joe, but that doesnt mean that he's not lazy. [Wink]

As far as my pic goes, it looks like I'm working, but I'm pretty sure Im on Film-Tech. Yeah, I think thats what Im doing.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-08-2004, 08:52 PM:

Highly unlikely! I bet you are surfing for porn on company time![av=h]

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 03-08-2004, 09:39 PM:

Damnit..Does my smile make it seem that obvious??

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 03-09-2004, 12:15 AM:

quote:
Be thankful he hasn't accidentally hit upon the Caps Lock or discovered how to make all the text green!

The color 66FF00 should be available in the chatroom. [Big Grin]