Originally we looked into Cloudmark for our Grid successor, the (cs) Cluster-Server, but after an impressive evaluation showing better catch rates and decreased false positives, our CEO ordered its immediate deployment into our existing MailProtect system. One (gs)/(cs) engineer had it fully integrated in 9 hours with zero down time for (gs) Grid-Service users. The rollout for our (gs) Grid-Service clients will continue throughout the month of August.

That’s one of the many benefits of not buying a technology but building a system, like the (gs), in our own (mt) Labs. Our team has the unique ability to rapidly improve services, like MailProtect, with Cloudmark’s Spam killer.

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!

Announcing our newest product in the (mt) Labs; the (xv) Xserve-Virtual.

When you’re done investigating the (xv), check out our other projects in the newly refreshed (mt) Labs.

Starting today, all new (dv) Dedicated-Virtual and (dpv) Nitro Servers are being deployed with updated software! They now come with the new version of Parallel’s Plesk Control Panel (8.4) and an updated version of PHP (5.2.6).

Read on for some notable improvements:
(more…)

After a successful beta period, The (mt) Discussion Forums are now available to all current customers. The forums are the best place to connect with other users of (mt) hosting products. Inside you’ll find friendly people and a great commmunity. To join, login here and go through the easy registration process.

Re-architected and Redesigned KnowledgeBase:

Today we’re going live with a completely new KB system with enhanced live searching, improved organization, a better commenting system and more. But we’re not stopping there…!!!

In the coming months you’re going to see a complete overhaul of our existing articles. Rewrites, more screenshots, more videos, more advanced tutorials….They’re all coming. But this is your KnowledgeBase so please provide comments on what works and what doesn’t. Your feedback is always welcome and needed! To check out the new KnowledgeBase, click here.

If the KnowledgeBase is missing a tutorial you’d like to see, we have a dedicated section within the (mt) Forums just for our KnowledgeBase. Feel free to give us feedback or even submit new ideas for future articles.

Matt and the WordPress team have released a substantial upgrade with an epic dashboard built by our good friends at Happy Cog. We’re psyched to already have it available as our Wordpress one-click installer for all (gs) Grid-Service customers.

if you already have WordPress installed on your Grid account, Do not(!) use the one-click installer to upgrade your current version of WordPress. It will break your blog and erase all of your hard work. WordPress has info on upgrading here.

Check out all newest features and visit the one-click install page in the AccountCenter to get setup right away!

Last but not least, (mt) would also like to send a special thanks to Matt Mullenweg, the entire Wordpress team and Happy Cog for all of their hard work. Congrats!

7 years ago, we chose Parallels (previously SWsoft) as our provider for VPS technology. Today, Virtuozzo Container technology is still used for every (dv) Dedicated-Virtual and (dpv) Nitro product. As a testament to their quality, we’re one of the largest deployments in the world (over 10,000) and we surpass all but a few giants in the worldwide hosting industry.

The world of hosting is beginning to move towards VPS solutions and it’s coming to the same conclusion Media Temple had in 2001. We’ve seen great benefits and we discuss those in Parallels case study about us.

From a simple blog to a balanced, stackable, complex Fortune 100 solution, (mt) has earned its place as one of the largest, most experienced, virtualization service providers in the world with one of the highest customer retention rates in our industry.

We’re excited to announce the next generation of (dv) Dedicated-Virtual Servers! Now available for immediate purchase, these new (dv)’s feature updated software including PHP 5, MySQL 5, CentOS 5 and Plesk 8.3.

With new optimizations, we’ve reduced the OS memory footprint for the (dv) Base by 30%. This means you’ll have more memory available for your applications. Other notable features include automatic tuning for both Web Server/Database heavy scenarios, Python 2.4 and Ruby 1.8.5 pre-installed, and new features for resellers in your new Plesk 8.3 control panel. Lastly, we’ve added an all-new default page that we think you’ll really appreciate.

Visit the new (dv) product page for more details.

Since (mt) has hosted it for two years, we knew ‘07 was the biggest elfing season ever. Today, Advertising Age chimed in with a great elfyourself.com article and video showing how it’s become the all-time, record breaking, viral sensation to date.

One in 10 Americans visited elfyourself.com to make 122 million elves this holiday season (that doesn’t include what we saw for scroogeyourself.com). For (mt), it was exciting to see the stats surge and our (dpv) Nitro’s stream holiday fun for all (we’ll have a case study online soon).

We’d like to say thanks to the teams at Office Max, Toy and the wizards at EVB for choosing (mt) as their trusted hosting provider. For two years in a row, it’s been a pleasure working with them and we’re proud to be a part of internet history.

As the year came to an end, (mt) Media Temple employees came up with an incredible idea; start a donation fund for OLPC (One Laptop Per Child). To date, their donations have added 15 laptops to this amazing educational program. We think that’s pretty cool and deserves public mention.

If you want to donate like we did, or learn more about this incredible program, you can go here. If you’d like to receive a laptop and donate, you can choose OLPC’s “Give one get one” offer that expires Dec. 31st.