Database Server Moves: Rhubarb and Putney (Complete!)
Posted (September 28th, 2006 at 2:39 am PST) by PatrickBoth rhubarb and putney are being relocated. Both of these servers will be down for about 10 minutes during the rack re-shuffling. If your are unable to connect to your database, it is most likely hosted on one of these two servers. Check this space for updates.
-UPDATE (Thu Sep 28 02:53:16 PDT 2006)-
Both servers are relocated and back up and running. If you are still having a problem connecting to your databases, please contact support.
46 Responses to “Database Server Moves: Rhubarb and Putney (Complete!)”
The complainers don’t understand what ‘Database’ means.
Why complain? A simple fix, I couldn’t get to my databases and I submitted a support ticket like it said, all fixed! No need to complain ^_^
Here’s a generic complaint, culled from all the other pointless bitching in other blog entries:
1. [Insert competitor host name here] is much better / more reliable / cheaper / better uptime / more features / faster service / quicker to respond to requests / less likely to kidnap the Lindberg baby.
2. This is the [insert ludicrous number here] time this has happened, I’m going to leave.
3. I work as a [insert bogus IT job title here] and can tell you that this is easy to fix / shouldn’t take this long to fix / shouldn’t happen / isn’t the right way to do it / only breaks if you don’t know what you are doing / isn’t being fixed properly / should have been handled by [insert patently ignorant suggestion here].
4. I am losing business / street cred / sleep / my mind as a result of all this down time.
What cracks me up in these complaints:
1. I’ve never heard of any of the alledgedly better hosts, and when I read their user agreements and other documentation, none of it promises anything better than what I get at Dreamhost, or otherwise indicates how they would miraculously avoid the problems Dreamhost occasionally encounters.
2. The fact that you stayed after the second time makes you a fool. Go already and shut your trap about it.
3. Humorist P.J. O’Rourke once said that while the purpose of journalism is to find someone with knowledge and disseminate it, the idea behind talk radio is to find the most ignorant person available and spread his thoughts around. Same thing with these blog comments; unless you work for the Dreamhost team as a network operations guy, you don’t know what you are talking about, so shut up and spare yourself looking like an imbecile.
4. If you can’t afford any downtime, period, buy three server solutions at three distinct network operations centers on different backbones and in different cities. That should only cost $500 a month. Otherwise, regardless of which shared host you use, you’re going to have downtime. Live with it.
Once again, Dreamhost should simply turn off comments in this blog, because they don’t improve the service, they simply give people a way to vent their spleens — even though NOBODY GIVES A DAMN THAT YOU ARE ANGRY WHEN YOUR WEB SITE GOES DOWN. No fooling, Sherlock — everybody hates it when there’s a technical problem messing things up. But at least Dreamhost, they own up to downtime and give realistic assessments of the problem and its solution.
If you don’t like Dreamhost’s service, go to the control panel, cancel your account, and take your Web site elsewhere. Otherwise, shut up. Nobody gives a rat’s behind what you think, how angry you are or why you’re leaving.
Very nice post Doug.
I think someone should definitely use the “complaint” template you made and generate a javascript “auto-complaint-generator”.
Or better yet, make it into a Firefox Extension, that way the people that want to complain can just press a button on their toolbar to generate a complaint. 
@Jay: someone already has:
Jay:
That’s a *great* idea, especially if you added a “Shakespearean Insult Generator” (one example can be found at http://www.mainstrike.com/mstservices/handy/insult.html – which is *not* a site I am affilliated with in any way), just to “spice it up” even more 
Those are both great sites!
If no one steps up and offers to make a dreamhost one, I might just have to build one myself in my free time.
*totally agrees with Doug*
oh, as a totaly random comment (i have no idea how servers work and 2 other hosting providers i’ve been with are a LOT worse than DH, so i’m gonna stay here untill someone will kick me out for one or another wierd reason) in country where i live they’ve now set up ‘relationship-ending agency” O.o; they’ll tell your partner that you want to breakup with him/her for you. you can even chose whatever you want that done “gently” or “insulting”
so those auto-complain generators dun suprise me anymore….
Do you know Robert Scoble? The former Uber Microsoft Blogger?
This is whet he wrote just now
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/09/28/dreamhost-getting-sucky-pr-out-on-blogs/
Dreamhost getting sucky PR out on blogs
Whenever I look into a new product or idea or service I do a Google search on “company name” and “sucks.” Or “product name” and “sucks.” Replace “sucks” with “problem” or “bad customer service” and try again.
Here’s an example of a company that’s losing tons of potential customers: Dreamhost. It also is an example of how the word-of-mouth network works. Jeremiah Owyang works at Hitachi Data Systems. I’ve gotten to know him and know he’s a pretty level-headed guy. Doesn’t link to the latest fad or hot post from Digg. Does his homework, etc etc.
Anyway, he came to a presentation I gave to a few people this morning. Afterward he came up and explained how Dreamhost was screwing a friend of his and is totally non-responsive. He wrote it up on his blog.
If you’re considering hosting services I’d recommend you read this post about Dreamhost first. Pretty bad customer service.
Hey guys, apparently your BBB rating has improved to ‘C’ somehow
I knew when I got into hosting here that shared hosting is subject to a little more downtime than dedicated or even semi-dedicated. I decided that it was worth paying $8/month and putting up with that rather than paying $40-200 a month for a semi-dedicated/dedicated solution. It has indeed been worth it, and Dreamhost has been a hundred times better than my last shared hosting fiasco.
I think its pretty ridiculous for people to expect full refunds for a few hours of downtime. Its shared hosting, you get what you pay for. $8 / month doesn’t pay for much, even the electricity to run the servers themselves, much less the bandwidth, upkeep, tech time. Honestly, if your site was down for 5 hours, then AT MOST you should get the cost of 5 hours of hosting back.
So lets see…
30 days * 24 hours in a day = 720 hours
$7.95 / 720 = $.011 per hour
$.011 per hour * 5 hours of downtime = $.055
So… All you whinners, do you want that in the form of a check, cash, or maybe Canadian Tire Money?
Instead of looking at the bad side of things – ok, downtime – but you can install anything you reasonably want, and that’s pretty good if you ask me. Now I wonder what’s planned for the September newsletter… 
My database JUST went down.
everything down. please fix.
database is offline
I can’t believe people are criticizing negative feedback. Dreamhost had the sort of meltdown that could and should end a hosting company. I regret that I only have four more hosting contracts to move off Dreamhost. Downtime may be acceptable to you web enthusiasts. Real businesses prefer working servers to “own[ing] up to downtime and giv[ing] realistic assessments of the problem and its solution.”
The database server is down:
208.113.130.9
(drupal website is totally down too)
phpadmin shows up, but database credentials are not working, bastet is the server that is not working
I just lost a 10k.
My db just took a crap. 
Errr ^^^^ I never put that comment “My db just took a crap.”
Sergio wannabes.
I guess people don’t know how to read, or they would see this on the top of the front page:
If you are experiencing a problem not reported here, check our web panel for more information.
But my databases are fine.
I guess people don’t know how to read, or they would see this on the top of the front page:
“If you are experiencing a problem not reported here, check our web panel for more information.”
But my databases are fine.
I guess some people don’t know how to read…
“If you are experiencing a problem not reported here, check our web panel for more information.”
Oh well, my databases are fine.
Some people are upset about these failures.
“Real businesses prefer working servers”
Real businesses shouldn’t be running on shared hosting.
My databases have been down for the past 6 hours…..
Agreed, Nick.
“[Other shared hosting company] is better, they don’t have as much downtime.” WRONG! [Other shared hosting company] doesn’t TELL you about the downtime. Most of the people bitching about downtime here wouldn’t even notice it if Dreamhost didn’t tell them about it.
Agreed. Dreamhost may have it’s problems but they’re honest. And they’ve got the best web panel I’ve seen, And they actually let you use all the band they advertise if you manage to use it.
Though I guess I’m biased since my server worked perfectly for the last 5 months
We have a joke here at office which says that the worse hosting service is the one that you have hired, no matter which company you had chosen now. Others companies always seem to offer flawless services until the time you hire them. At this moment, the coin flips, and the former perfect hosting service becames a piece of crap with outages and so.
I agree that if you can´t deal with some outage, probably you should look for more expensive solutions and maybe should think about redundancy.
But, the problem we are experiencing with Dreamhost is that we are having frequently outages, almost every day. In the last weeks, I believe there were not a single day I hadn´t need to submit a outage report.
This table shows clearly how the quality is going down and fast.
http://uptime.besthostratings.com/viewreport.php?host=dreamhost
Is anybody experiencing downtime on web server “karnov”? I can’t seem to connect to my two sites on there…
Thanks Rob for that link. It just goes to show that people only complain when the company actually talks about its downtime! Otherwise no-one notices apart from the sad people which are on there own sites 24/7. Get a life you complainees and fork out for your own server!
hi, when i quote in my smf forum say “sitio de referencia invalido” is due my forum or the path?
can I get my refund in Candian Tire Money please? I need new tires
I’m not sure what boxes mysql servers on on, but my sites have been done all afternoon yet again.
98.824% Uptime for Dreamhost from the link above.
http://uptime.besthostratings.com/viewreport.php?host=dreamhost
Oh, by the way, my sites are down and have been intermitten the last day. I deserve at least $0.50 of Canadian Tire Money. Feel free to reimburse me through PayPal. They do Canadian Tire Money I think.
Currently: DreamHost Uptime Report – 99.433%
Panel down?
woah, again some complains, by people who do not read any other posts. so, like some other DH-friendly customers have said: IF YOU WANT 99,99% UPDATIME, GET A DEDICATED HOST AND STOP COMPLAINING! maybe the sentance is too long though :/
so, why i love DH:
1. they are HONEST. any downtime is shown, unlike other hosts
2. they allow complaining and critism, as they have a blog. again, unlike other hosts.
3. they are giving you worth of your money, unlike other hosts (can i complain about SiteGround here? pretty please? ._.; )
4. they do NOT have “i’m right and you are wrong” mentality, unlike… you know.
things i do NOT LIKE about DH:
1. staff redirects me to wiki. wiki is not me-friendly.
2. uhm…. that was it?
so voting 4 against 1…
my site’s uptime so far for sept is 99.8%
Dreamhost seems pretty darn GREAT to me.
: )
It appears that our server is down too. Looking at our stat counter it looks like it has been down for awhile. I think we are on herod. This is the second time in less than a week. What is really going on?
It’s a conspiracy against you and everyone with APS, Tina. Dreamhost has been created by a secret government agency for this nexus. Throughout your life, every moment has been plotted to specifically arrive at this one. The Internet, the World Wide Web, everything involved was specifically plotted to upset you. Yes, Al Gore and Tim Berners-Lee are both in on it, too. All the money we could have spent curing APS, we’ve devoted to a carefully orchestrated series of events that were always intended to lead to you posting this reply to this blog entry.
That’s right, Tina, you are so important, men in black hats have erected a huge corporation and duped millions of co-conspirators into the plot, so that you might be made upset.
Why all those years of work, all the expense and pain that went into it, for just one moment? Because you’re so important!
Seriously, what’s going on here is what always goes on: Dreamhost has a hiccup, and every dimwith with $8 in his pocket then treats it as the Chicago Fire.
You’d think you, of all people — someone who runs a Web site about a blood disease — could figure out that sometimes, networks have problems. Your eyesore of a Web site is back online now and inducing vomiting in normal people.
Attention DreamHost Staff,
I am always experienceing a problem with your reliability. This is completely Unreasonable! I have had the problem 55665555665566 times! I think i might leave.
I remember that when i was with Xmegahost I NEVER had these problems!
My name is Andy , and I have worked as a CEO since i was 4 years old! This problem is easy to fix!
All you have to do is IDIOTS!
I can not believe the staff of DreamHost are so pathetic! Because of your incompetence I am losing my mind!
From your angry user,
Andy
Attention DreamHost Staff,
I am always experienceing a problem with your responsivness. This is completely Unreasonable! I have had the problem many times! I think i might leave.
I remember that when i was with Xmegahost I NEVER had these problems!
My name is Andy , and I have worked as Jesus since i was 4 years old! This problem should not happen!
All you have to do is IDIOTS!
I can not believe the staff of DreamHost are so pathetic! Because of your incompetence I am losing business!
From your angry user,
Andy
P.S. love automated complaint generators, they cure my bordem!
What? No one complaining?