Let me wander slightly off my original subject for just a second and give you an insight into the server structure of Total Web Development...

I don't really want to give away too much about our infrastructure other than we run multiple servers in multiple worldwide locations - the company actually started out years ago with a USA located dedicated server, this was chosen simply on price... The dollar > pound exchange rate made (and still does make) buying a USA server the best option.

In recent years we have started using UK located servers - our client base is 90% UK located and most clients want to be on UK servers. The price is quite high in comparision (more than DOUBLE!) but in order to provide what out clients want - it's what we have to provide...

We have in recent months started to scale down our USA servers... Migrating users who wanted to move - onto our UK servers and then consolidating the remaining user's onto certain servers and closing down the rest.

Now back to the original point of this post!

One of these "consolidated" USA servers developed a fault a couple of weeks ago - it started with the server "going down" overnight for no apparent reason...

I ran all the usual checks - checking the server logs etc but there was no reason for the server going offline. The datacenter soon had the server rebooted and working again and all was apparently fine (famous last words!)

Since then this server has been offline no less than 6 times - the datacenter has taken the server offline on several occasions to test the hardware - the server has had a new hard-drive, a new power supply and new cables...

I am seriously starting to get annoyed with this server... I almost feel like it has something against me!

The point I am trying to make is that sometimes things go wrong - It's not that we use sub-standard equipment... Far from it! We use some of the best kit you can buy - but that is sometimes not enough.

I have already taken the decision to retire this server - even though it has the newest parts of any of our current servers! It's hard to explain, but if you have ever owned a car that proved un-reliable you will know what I mean!