We wanted to let you know about the progress we have been making with the (gs) Grid-Service platform. Coming soon we’re going to devote a section of our weblog to keep you up-to-date on what’s been keeping us busy. Have a look at what our (gs) team has been doing.

INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS

06/06/2008 - Git libraries added:
A version control system that is all the rage right now. Search our KnowledgeBase to Git with the program!

06/10/2008 - RubyGems Updated:
The latest versions and a much easier installation process. Get your gems all at once now!

05/27/2008 - PHP updated to 5.2.6:
The latest stable PHP release that includes all of the security patches is now available for our shared hosting platform.

05/19/2008 - Email load drastically reduced:
A more robust authentication system was brought online to get rid of those pesky errors that have plagued us in the past. The “421; too much  load, try again later” errors have become a thing of the past.

05/19/2008 - @mail upgrade to 5.2:
The @mail webmail software used on the (gs) has been upgraded to 5.2. We also plan to release more frequent updates to this software in the future as they become available.

05/13/2008 - DNS gets a facelift:
PowerDNS launched.  Response times have improved from around the globe for all our hosted services.  Internal processes, like zone file changes, are quicker now too.

05/06/2008 - Storage keeps on getting better:
We’ve learned some things and made some changes. The result: fewer Scheduled Maintenances, the end of the “micro-outage”, stability improvements, and a re-architected method of attaching our storage arrays to clusters; this means happier times for everyone!

04/10/2008 - Subversion updated:
We bumped the version of SVN up to 1.4.2 on the Grid. We’re using the latest version officially supported by the Debian Operating System.

03/03/2008 - Improved SSH sessions:
Your connections should be more stable. In addition, we have increased our security checks to prevent DDOS attacks.

–Ongoing - MySQL:

SmartPool v2 improved:
Since launching SmartPool v2, we’ve taken our experience and combined it with consultations with the MySQL team at the 2008 MySQL Conference & Expo. We’ve made significant improvements to the SmartPool v2 system. A basic one is lower density SmartPool servers while doubling the amount of available pool servers. This has shown to improve baseline performance for pool users and brings us closer to eliminating the “bad neighbor” effect!

–Other MySQL Improvements

11/01/2007 - Tweak your MySQL easily and instantly:
Users of our (gc) MySQL GridContainer technology now have the ability to make changes to their my.cnf directly from the WebControl! This is big news for anyone who wants their database server set up just the way they like it. This new feature also includes the ability to “roll back” to the default configuration!

10/09/2007 - Multiple database users for SmartPool v2:
You asked and we delivered! Based on customer feedback and popular demand from our User Forums, we upped the limit on MySQL users for SmartPool v2 sites to 5. You can have up to 5 users without needing a container, and you have granular control over each user’s permissions.

ACCOUNTCENTER

03/31/2008 - 1-Click Magento:
“Open source e-commerce evolved.” Now just a click away!

03/31/2008 - 1-Click Upgrader for WordPress2.5:
This is just the beginning.  We will implement this with our other installers soon!

03/11/2008 - uControl:
With this new feature we helped make everyone’s life easier! If you’re the “website guy/gal” for your company, you no longer need to be the one changing everyone’s passwords and email preferences; they can now do it all on their own, freeing you up to get more important stuff done…

COMING SOON

(mt) Labs

Summer ‘08 - Django:
We have gotten tremendous amounts of feedback and positive refinements from our (gc) Django GridContainer BETA program. Expect a product launch coming very soon including a couple of unexpected surprises!

Fall ‘08 - MySQL 5:
MySQL 5 is coming to the (gs)!. We’re currently getting things right for the beta and will be contacting all of our applicants with more info soon!

Winter ‘08 - Cluster-Server:
The successor to the (gs) Grid-Service. Stay tuned to the (mt) Labs page for updates, new information, and a future private BETA test!

On the Horizon - MailProtect gets tougher:
Spam is in for a bumpy ride through our pipes. Using the latest bleeding-edge tools we will take email protection to the next level!

On the Horizon - Backup Tool Restored and more:
We’re waving goodbye to the File Manager as you know it.  Get ready for more functionality and operations, including the backup/restore features you’ve come to expect from us!

Our engineering team has upgraded @Mail to version 5.0.4.  This webmail upgrade for the Grid comes with many exciting new features outlined below.

New Features:

• faster performance
• enhanced email searching
• improved spell check support
• improved address book importing & management
• better html email viewing & editing
• hundreds of minor bug fixes
• now powered by PHP

All Grid-Service customers may immediately begin using this upgraded version by visiting yourdomain.com/webmail, webmail.yourdomain.com or by clicking through the AccountCenter. If you’ve been using the previous version of @Mail many clients have reported the need to clear their browsers cache for an optimal experience. We hope you enjoy the new enhancements, and look forward to your feedback!

Our engineering team has completed implementing the enhanced SmartPool v.2 system for (gs) Grid-Service clients. We’d like to thank everyone for your patience and we look forward to hearing your experiences with the upgraded system.

The Grid’s one-click WordPress install is now updated to 2.2.1. This one has important security fixes and fine tuning over last month’s 2.2 version. Since our one-click installer is not an updater (it will overwrite your blog), we encourage exisitng WordPress users to check out how to upgrade here.

Our new GPU (Grid Performance Unit) analysis tool is live inside the AccountCenter. This extraordinary new tool will help you track GPU usage of scripts, software, and files on your Grid account. The tool will also offer suggestions to reduce usage.

There are two report types, a basic mode which will provide the number of GPU’s used each day and an advanced mode which will show hourly or daily GPU usage for individual pages. The highlights are a powerful interactive graph, a handy FAQ, and some helpful tool tips via small alert icons.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: GPU’s are now activated but billable GPUs will not begin to accumulate until after July 15th. To get more details regarding when your account will be affected please visit our KnowledgeBase article.

Our new GPU analysis tool has been deployed! This new tool will help you track scripts, software, and files which are causing GPUs on your Grid account to be used. Here’s what’s waiting for you inside the AccountCenter:

There are two report types, a basic mode which will provide the number of GPU’s used each day and an advanced mode which will show hourly or daily GPU usage breakdowns for individual pages. We’ve also added a clickable graph giving you a dashboard glance at your usage, an FAQ, and some handy tool tips via small alert icons. (mt) wants to publicly thank everyone here who worked on this and our customers who’s feedback and comments were most helpful. Go check it out now.

Our engineering team is now 50% complete implementing the enhanced SmartPool v.2 system for Grid-Service clients. The team has made significant progress in speeding up the whole roll-out process. The remaining 50% is expected to come online at an even faster pace than before!

(gs) Grid-Service customers that have a MySQL GridContainer can now add multiple users to their accounts.  Users can be given permissions on a per database basis.  Customers can add up to 50 users for Advanced containers, 20 users for Pro containers and 10 users for Lite containers.

(mt) Engineers have performed various upgrades which include adding more RAM and applying system updates to the load balancers which handle all Grid related traffic.  These upgrades have significantly increased their capacity to route requests and handle large amounts of load.  This upgrade was performed with no downtime and Grid customers can immediately reap the benefits.

Our engineering team is now 30% complete with implementing the enhanced SmartPool v.2 system for Grid-Service clients. We will continue providing updates as additional progress is made.