Performance Zen

Author: spierzchala

  • The final move has occurred

    So, the move to the new datacenter is complete. We finished off the final changes last night | early this morning, and the Web server and database are now running on a big fat pipe at 365 Main in downtown San Francisco.

    How did I spring for new hardware and hot hosting? Well, I had a little help from some Friends of GrabPERF — Technorati.

    About 3 months ago, Dave Sifry contacted me when we went through our last financial crisis and offered to host the whole kit and kaboodle. He put me in contact with Adam Hertz, who turned me over to Camille Riddle.

    After driving Camille and her team nuts for two months, we switched everything over starting at about 23:30 EST (04:30 GMT) last night. There were a few hic and burps, and the DNS propagation may take a while to reach some of the most distant folks, but this morning, I issued the final “poweroff” command to my home-based Web server.

    I want to thank the Technorati team for all if their help, and I look forward to continuing to deliver quality data to the blog community.

    Niall Kennedy talks about the Technorati side here, along with a funky pic of the old GrabPERF datacenter.

  • Screw the Ritalin! Give Me Chaos!

    What more can I say?
    Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career
    I am the person they describe in this article.
    And my boredom level is running high…resume link!
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  • Newest Industry Banner

    If you are wondering about the picture at the top of this page (sorry for you folks in RSS readers, gotta head to the blog to see it), I can tell you one thing.
    It is real.
    [PS: Photo provided by Chris Magnusson.]
    I grew up in the shadow if this mountain called, oddly enough, Mount Seven. The Seven is a natural event that only appears in the spring as the snow recedes from the summit.
    The other claim to fame for this peak is among paragliders and hang-gliders. If you ask anyone who partakes in these sports if they have ever heard of Mount Seven, their eyes will likely glaze over and drool will run from their mouths,
    Why?
    Well, the banner doesn’t do the mountain justice from the perspective of a non-powered flight aficianado. This perspective for Google Earth give you a better idea.

    When you depart Mount Seven, it is a free and clear 5,000 foot drop into the valley below. And it’s not just any valley; it’s the Rocky Mountain Trench. At a minimum of 5 miles wide, the flying is free and clear. One glider took off from the mountain and ended up in Montana.
    Mount Seven is a glorious landmark, and one of the few fond rememberances I have of the town I grew up in.

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  • What happens when…?

    What happens when you are a highly trained consultant in a company that is being managed into a commodity status?

    Remember, that resume link is here.

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  • Migrating from b2evolution to WordPress 2.0

    So today, I re-instated blogging on my own hardware and also migrated my b2evolution articles to WordPress 2.0.
    It was painless.
    Five-minute WordPress install.
    Run the b2evolution -> WordPress import script. [here]
    Ummm…that’s it.
    I will be tweaking the theme over the next few days until I feel it is more me.
    Guess I’m just like Ben Metcalfe.

  • President Bush secures the country for his protection

    It should come as no surprise that I am a fan of “graphic novels”, known as “comic books” when I was coming of age. One of my favourites is the Dark Knight | Dark Knight Returns series.
    In the Dark Knight Returns, the US is run by a cabal with a holographic presidential avatar as their figurehead. In this world, the “Freedom FROM Information Act … makes anything worth knowing secret”.
    That quote has stuck with me for most of the last week. The American population is supposed to hang its head and march quietly in line with everyone else, never looking to the side because they might accidentally see their freedoms dying in the ditches.
    The United States is Rome, and the babarians (no, not the elephant king, barbarians you fool!) are on the far banks of the Rubicon, with their feet in the water.
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  • Hmmm..geese are big this year…HOLY CRAP!

    The A380 has begun cold-weather testing in Iqaluit, Nunavut. [here]

    Perfect weather for it…it’s sunny and -29C (-20F) there today.

    And where is there? It’s here.

    BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

  • We’re back!

    Ok, this domain will live again!

    Thanks to Matt and the WordPress.com crew for putting up with my abuse over the last few months while we determined what was going to happen with the Newest Industry.

    Welcome back?

  • Netcraft Reports on Cogent Fiber Cuts

    Two separate cuts. [here]
    Ugh.
    Not again.

  • FiOS Install: The Bricklin Experience

    Dan Bricklin writes up a great description of what I am getting next week: Verizon FiOS. [here]
    So, now you know. It’s the PPPoE that’s going to kill my static connection to the Internet.
    Any of you folks who volunteered to host GrabPERF, now would be a great time to step forward.