[dot] Immanuel: KDE Introduces New Server

[Dot Stories]

URL: http://dot.kde.org/1156199214/

From: Daniel Molkentin <molkentin at kde.org>
Dept: to-be-is-to-do
Date: Monday 21/Aug/2006, @15:26

Immanuel: KDE Introduces New Server
===================================

   With a donation of a new Poweredge server from Dell Inc.
[http://www.dell.com], and a successful hardware fundraiser
[http://dot.kde.org/1153321332/] for disks last month, the
long-suffering ktown.kde.org site gets a welcome upgrade, and a new
hosting package from the Leibniz-Rechenzentrum [com]. Read on for the
details on the new server, Immanuel [http://immanuel.kde.org].

     For several years, ktown.kde.org has carried the burden of hosting
the KDE bug tracker. Furthermore, it is the FTP master that synchronizes
new releases and hosts developer content.  With the growth of the KDE
project and surrounding community, it isn't surprising that over time,
this server has become increasingly overloaded.



                               THE SERVER

     Since this server plays such an important function for KDE, we had
to make sure that a new server would be powerful enough for current
loads and would anticipate future growth.  Thanks to a generous donation
from Dell, the KDE project can now move the bug tracker to an new host.
The new server is a Dell Poweredge 1750
[http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/pedge_1750?c=us&cs=28&l=en&s=dfb
] with 4GB RAM. It is powered by two 3GHz Xeon processors with
hyperthreading. This chassis will handle its tasks more responsively
than the previous Pentium 3 server with 1.5 GB of RAM.   
[http://static.kdenews.org/danimo/immanuel.jpg] Immanuel during its
setup.


                              THE HOSTING

     With the new Dell Poweredge server, the next step for an improved
bug tracker was the hosting, and associated bandwidth.  Enter the
Leibniz Computing Centre [http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/]
(Leibniz-Rechenzentrum) in Munich.  The LRZ has kindly offered to host
our new server, giving us secure, stable and high performance hosting.



                             THE COMMUNITY

     Finally, to make sure that the new server has the storage capacity
to meet KDE's needs for the foreseeable future, we looked to upgrade the
hard disks.  On July 19, a Dot story announced a hardware fundraiser
[http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/].

     The response from the community was immediate and overwhelming. 
What we intended as a short fundraiser turned into an flood of donations
[http://www.kde.org/support/donations.php] that continues weeks later. 
To date, 7,000 Euro have been donated by both individuals and
businesses.  Parts of the fundraiser have been used to purchase and
install a new 250GB RAID array in the Poweredge server, the rest will be
spent on further hardware purchases.

     What can you say about our users and community?  Sincerely, we are
amazed by your generosity.



                              THE RESULTS

     So without any further ado, please welcome Immanuel
[http://immanuel.kde.org/].  Immanuel has already become KDE's new FTP
master site, an upgrade that will make the roll-out of new releases
faster than ever.  Further, work has begun on porting over the current
KDE bug tracker.  A new version of Bugzilla will be installed, and our
web team are preparing an up-to-date user interface to accompany it.

     As KDE continues to flourish and expand, our ability to release
timely bug-free software is critical.  The previous bug tracking and ftp
solution was showing the strain of supporting a popular Open Source
Desktop, and many responded.  The KDE team would like to thank Dell Inc.
for the hardware donation and the Leipzig Computing Centre for the
hosting opportunity.  And finally, a massive Thank-you goes to the
community for the donations.

     KDE has now secured a server solution that will result in tangible
benefits for all of our users.  The KDE infrastructure team is really
happy that when KDE asks for help, the response from businesses and
individuals is deafening.  We at KDE are grateful and hope to repay your
support with a continuing stream of quality Open Source desktop
software.