RS246.com Forum :: The World's #1 Audi R, S and RS Enthusiast Community

OK, so why RS246 v2.0....

Instead of some rambling posts I'll make it simple:

1. Cost - The previous version used UBB Threads, and the license was about due for renewal

2. Integration - Trying to get stuff to integrate with UBB Threads is a nightmare, and anything that does it out of the box costs money.

3. New Home - It was time for RS246 to relocate, so at the same time we have used the skills and contacts available to us to move forward.

4. New Hardware - RS246 now has it's own Linux based server which has been built with maximum uptime and speed in mind.

Just so you understand the effort:

1. Planning - I have probably spent almost every bit of free time I have testing various solutions and picking the right combination for RS246. This build uses software that is released under GPL (free) and is maintained by some very dedicated people. Welcome to the world of CMS (Content Management Systems).

2. Server Build - We've been through multiple machine builds during testing. We almost ended up using Windoze, but thanks to Trev (S4Dreamer) and Dave (bdev), we finally managed to get a stable build for the server. The new server is not state of the art, but it is happily processing requests at 0.2% load. Dual CPU, RAID 5 with hot swap, and a DLT tape drive. Backups are automated every evening (Thanks again Dave).

3. Converting - As you can see it is not the same forum. The convert of the forum is a lengthy process - over 45000 Posts and more than 8000 Private Messages. I managed to find some tools to do the convert which is not a one step process, and even then Dave had to write some complicated scripts to clean up the mess that the convert had left behind. Even when we had done a few dry runs, it still took over 4 hours!!

4. Hosting - Many thanks to Boff for sorting the hosting at Net Services Plc. We have a pretty well secured environment with backend VPN admin access.

I know that change is difficult... As I said to Paul: I have a loan A6 at the moment and keep trying to put it into 6th and realising that's reverse!! Just a matter of getting used to it. We will try to attend to the concerns people have but this is here to stay.

Those of you who just used the site for the forum....those days are over. The idea is to try to present all aspects of RS246 in a more open manner therefore accomodating everything from the casual browser to the enthusiast.

Trust me, there have been a few occasions when Dave and I have stood back and wondered what the hell we are doing this for....

We _will_ get there. Be specific about the areas that are an issue, and we will see what we can do.

RS246 v2.0 - Welcome to the future of online communities.