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The BigBox server which hosts our SimLink US2 node (IP 72.193.52.237) as well as our FSX Steam TacPack and member host will be taken off line Friday, 8 July, for maintenance (again). Further testing by our knowledgeable staff member Travis has determined with certainty that the solid state drive containing the operating system is the faulty part causing the lag evident in the last two weeks. New SSD has been ordered. Existing suitable SSD will be harvested from my fully functional client computer for use in an immediate BigBox rebuild and full fresh reinstallation of OS and server softwares.
I will edit this existing Tech Chat thread, post #1, and this thread's title to communicate with our sim server admins, general staff and interested membership the intentions, requests for assistance, progress and eventual resolution of this community resource maintenance. I will leave the original BigBox maintenance thread posts in place for reference only. Refer to this constantly edited post # 1 for current, timestamped BigBox status. Please refer to Discord voice app Text Channel #msflights-info for Discord-level BigBox status reports.
It is my intention and decision that this time, BigBox will function under Windows 10 operating system after rebuild. My efforts at reinstalling Windows 8.1 Pro Media Center Edition, the OS that has run BigBox for years, presented unnecessary delays in effecting the recent prior rebuild. I truly feel that Microsoft Corp. is doing everything in its power to thwart, hinder and confound efforts to install and reinstall their legacy OS's. Previous efforts to secure Windows 10 digital entitlement (think product ID, license) proved orders of magnitude faster, more direct, simpler and with no inherent Microsoft Corporation "spam" to refuse, opt out of, decline and avoid. During last week's BigBox repair and rebuild efforts, I took the opportunity to install Win 10 OS for purposes of securing the free OS upgrade registration before the expiration of the free upgrade time limit (29 July).
Thank you again to Travis, ATC_ROO, Razor, 404Mike, Storm, Buck, AIRWOLF and anybody I forgot for your historic and consistent efforts in maintaining this sim server for the benefit of our community.
Respects, Bob...
[ EDIT ] 16:30 EDT Recently ordered replacement SSD hardware has arrived. As of last night, BigBox fails to even boot to OS multiple times. Eventually, this morning, I was able to successfully boot one last time. I deactivated TacPack license. BigBox will be off line until disk storage (SSD's and spinners) are rearranged between BigBox and my client computer. Windows 10 will be fresh installed in both computers. BigBox will be brought back to server status as rapidly as possible, about Monday. Such hardware and OS installations will preclude me from participating in flight for about another week. I will maintain full forum and Discord contact from an uninvolved laptop. I'll keep status updated.
[ EDIT ] 18:30 EDT 9 July BigBox and my client computer now have Win 10 fresh installs functioning and most hardware hung and working. I'll rebuild from scratch the seven remaining unconfigured spinners after a nap. I anticipate SimLink node server software and Steam TacPack will be ready for configuration Sunday morning EDT.
[ OLD POST #1 FOLLOWS]
The BigBox server which hosts our SimLink US2 node as well as our FSX Steam TacPack and member host will be taken off line today for maintenance. Steam TacPack hosting will be transferred to a temporary hosting arraignment thanks to our respected tenured member, Toto (David) and the administrators of our Shadow Squadron TacPack team. Due to continually degrading performance (which apparently has NOT affected sim server experiences), BigBox will undergo a full OS reinstallation and sim server software overhaul.
I will post further details and update the community and staff on this project's progress in further posts in this thread. Thank you in advance for your continued sim multiplayer use of our other sim server connection alternatives.
I will edit this existing Tech Chat thread, post #1, and this thread's title to communicate with our sim server admins, general staff and interested membership the intentions, requests for assistance, progress and eventual resolution of this community resource maintenance. I will leave the original BigBox maintenance thread posts in place for reference only. Refer to this constantly edited post # 1 for current, timestamped BigBox status. Please refer to Discord voice app Text Channel #msflights-info for Discord-level BigBox status reports.
It is my intention and decision that this time, BigBox will function under Windows 10 operating system after rebuild. My efforts at reinstalling Windows 8.1 Pro Media Center Edition, the OS that has run BigBox for years, presented unnecessary delays in effecting the recent prior rebuild. I truly feel that Microsoft Corp. is doing everything in its power to thwart, hinder and confound efforts to install and reinstall their legacy OS's. Previous efforts to secure Windows 10 digital entitlement (think product ID, license) proved orders of magnitude faster, more direct, simpler and with no inherent Microsoft Corporation "spam" to refuse, opt out of, decline and avoid. During last week's BigBox repair and rebuild efforts, I took the opportunity to install Win 10 OS for purposes of securing the free OS upgrade registration before the expiration of the free upgrade time limit (29 July).
Thank you again to Travis, ATC_ROO, Razor, 404Mike, Storm, Buck, AIRWOLF and anybody I forgot for your historic and consistent efforts in maintaining this sim server for the benefit of our community.
Respects, Bob...
[ EDIT ] 16:30 EDT Recently ordered replacement SSD hardware has arrived. As of last night, BigBox fails to even boot to OS multiple times. Eventually, this morning, I was able to successfully boot one last time. I deactivated TacPack license. BigBox will be off line until disk storage (SSD's and spinners) are rearranged between BigBox and my client computer. Windows 10 will be fresh installed in both computers. BigBox will be brought back to server status as rapidly as possible, about Monday. Such hardware and OS installations will preclude me from participating in flight for about another week. I will maintain full forum and Discord contact from an uninvolved laptop. I'll keep status updated.
[ EDIT ] 18:30 EDT 9 July BigBox and my client computer now have Win 10 fresh installs functioning and most hardware hung and working. I'll rebuild from scratch the seven remaining unconfigured spinners after a nap. I anticipate SimLink node server software and Steam TacPack will be ready for configuration Sunday morning EDT.
[ OLD POST #1 FOLLOWS]
The BigBox server which hosts our SimLink US2 node as well as our FSX Steam TacPack and member host will be taken off line today for maintenance. Steam TacPack hosting will be transferred to a temporary hosting arraignment thanks to our respected tenured member, Toto (David) and the administrators of our Shadow Squadron TacPack team. Due to continually degrading performance (which apparently has NOT affected sim server experiences), BigBox will undergo a full OS reinstallation and sim server software overhaul.
I will post further details and update the community and staff on this project's progress in further posts in this thread. Thank you in advance for your continued sim multiplayer use of our other sim server connection alternatives.
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