Server Crash and Family Reunions
I mentioned in my post about returning from vacation that a hacker had broken into our server. I was later gently corrected by Seebs, a long-time reader and commenter, who noted that anyone who breaks into a secure system is considered to be a cracker, not a hacker.
I don’t know the difference exactly, but someone got into our web server and we had to do something about it. We chose to setup a new server, upgrade Linux and Plesk (our interface program), and then migrate our data to the new server. Unfortunately, our hard drive crashed during the backup. Any hope of data migration was shattered. Instead we had to build the server from the ground up, reinstalling our domains and republishing our websites.
I got the sad news at 1:00 am last Thursday morning. We have our websites backed up on our various computers, but we lost our Plesk configuration data. I spent twenty-one straight hours rebuilding domains, user accounts, websites, and answering the phone calls from frantic clients. And that grueling shift began when I thought I was going to bed.
I am in a server co-op with two other guys. Mark is our technical advisor. In return for that he gets free run of our system and can host domains, websites, and basically do whatever he wants. He does a lot of paid technical work for the three partners as well.
We got the server running again. Mark is still working on the shopping carts and some other stuff that only he can do. This whole thing is going to cost my web design business about $1500 by the time we’re done. Damn!
I finished up at 5 pm Friday, then left town for a short family reunion. We met my parents and my brother and sister along with their families in Salado, Texas for a couple of nights of relaxing and remembering. It was fun, but I was emotionally fried after the server crash and had a hard time "feeling" much of anything.
I'm back and will spend the next week basically waiting for school to begin so I can get back to my normal life. I'm normally a pastor/web designer/writer. During the summer I add about 15 hours a week of child care to that mix, which basically makes me run at half speed in all other areas. It’s been a long summer, and I am ready for it to end.
I’m also wondering what is going to happen to me when the book comes out at the end of the month. I harbor a secret and perhaps unrealistic dream that I might be able to write more and do less of other things. Of course, that is a fantasy that many of us bloggers have.
We shall see what we shall see.
rlp
8:24:39 PM 
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