Server "Sidegrade"

[Aggelakis]

Now, it's about five hours in, and I'm only now getting to the whole reason I wanted to do this stuff to begin with: to downgrade the server.  So I pop into Linode and choose the new sizing option.  It tells me that I need to use my free upgrade before I can downgrade the server.  Um... free upgrade?

Turns out, at some point in the not-too-distant past, Linode changed their plans around, doubling the RAM and increasing the disk capacity on all of their servers.  But it didn't just happen automatically, since it required a server reboot and some down time to migrate everything.  So at least for a while, we've been on a Linode 4GB RAM plan, but have only had 2GB of physical memory allocated to us.  That's right, folks, we've only been using half of our allocated resources, grrr!

So I had to upgrading the server (for free!) to a Linode 4GB server, a bit ironically, so that I can complete the downgrade of the server (to half price!) to a Linode 2GB server.  Done, then a quick kickoff of the downgrade (which actually took a lot less time than I thought, probably since I had already resized the filesystems and Linode's request queue was much smaller by then), and now we're finished, booyah!

I'm really sorry that it has taken this long to get everything straightened out, but I'm also really glad I'll be saving $40 per month and we'll be operating with the exact same resources we had before.

So basically, you didn't have to do any of that first stuff because you didn't actually change the capacity with the "downgrade"? I think I just lol'd myself into a stupor.

[TonyV]

No no, at least a bunch of the first stuff was desirable--we've consolidated a bunch of our filesystems onto one logical volume.  We didn't have to do it, but it sure did make the eventual migration easier.  Originally they told me it would take around 90 minutes.  After the consolidation, it ended up only taking 20.  And they didn't have an option to just let me pay $40 per month less, they made me take the free upgrade to 4GB before they would allow me to change the plan, which happened to be to change it back to the 2GB we had to start with.

[Phaetan]

Since I cannot snark in the announcement thread, I'll just be over here muttering about waiting on the TF leader to finish his respec...

Edit:  The merged topics make this seem out of place and a bit confusing.  Oh well, I thought it was amusing.

Oh, and thanks once again for keeping the place going, Tony.

[Cinnder]

Just wanted to say I always love the way you write, Tony.  And sorry the work took so long.  As my boss used to say when I worked in tech support: it always takes 3 steps sideways to get 1 step forward with computers.

Anyway, I'm sure we all appreciate the fact Titan is still here.  I'd like to add my encouragement to folks to use that PayPal link if they can to keep our diaspora in its new home.