In the next few days we will be moving the web server to a new host. Currently we are on an unmanned vps however I do not have the knowledge or time to manage something that complex. Therefore we are now moving to a managed host that will also ensure no random downtime such as the problem we had last Sunday. It will also take the guess work about lag causes, for example last week we had some really bad lag and spent hours trying to figure out what was wrong only to find out it was being caused by our host.
In addition to better reliability our new vps also has lightspeed a very high end replacement for apache. As a result the forums and other dynamic content will load much faster than it does now. This will also become important as the forums become bigger and the site more popular so that content can always be delivered to you in the fastest means possible.
Lastly, the new server will be located in Chicago and connected to major internet backbone providers directly by; Level(3), Sprint, Savvis, NTT Communications, and Cogent Communications. Now being on a major backbone and connected to premium carriers will allow IBIS to provide even faster map downloads for the servers and quicker content delivery around the globe.
The exact switch time will be announced close to when it occurs, it will occur late at night when the fewest amount of players is on. In addition, the map files will be moved in advance and a rapid switch made on the servers in real time. This will ensure that the maps are working even before the website is actually moved. The forums will be shutdown during the move to prevent any form of data corruption.
Thank you all for your support of IBIS and it is thanks to you that we are able to offer so many services at such a high quality level.