What powers WebmasterWorld?

hardware, software, Brett....

[ukgimp]

If this has been covered before please accept my apologies.

I am curious about what the technical details are surrounding WMW.

Here are a couple of my specific curiosities.

1.DB type
2.Server
3.Software (off shelf, adapted, bespoke, home made)

Cheers

Richard.

Oh yeah and how slick is the rewrite of "W-M-W" to the full title. I had to include the "-" cos it kep rewriting it for me, with or without spaces etc :-)

[Nick_W]

1. not sure
2. Unix (*nix) Apache 1.3.26
3. Perl stuff Brett built (BestBB i think he calls it)

Nick

[Brett_Tabke]

- scroll down for server specs [westhost.com] (dual p3's)
- redhat
- perl - flat files. 2-5x faster than anything you can show me from a db program.
- software. started as a mix of several packags and has been replaced with all customized stuff from the ground up.

>rewrite

those initials you mentioned are trademarked and we won't infringe upon that...

[ukgimp]

This caught my eye. Any chance of an explanation?

>flat files. 2-5x faster than anything you can show me from a db program

Flat files - is that due to the fact that the number of fields stays constant?

Is there a price on BestBBS?

Cheers

[JustTrying]

Yes, the flat files caught my attention as well. Brett, would you possibly elaborate on how you generate the flat files on-the-fly. This is something that I'm dying to learn more about.

[EliteWeb]

Do you do all the updating to the server yourself? ie patches new kernels etc. ;)

[stlouislouis]

Hi,

I'm curious what kind of space and bandwidth the site uses. Also, any projections on what it is likely to be in a year or two?

Thanks,

Louis

[Brett_Tabke]

>fact that the number of fields stays constant?

That is part of it. The other part is given the structure of a bbs system, we know what data we need based on the url. Using that, we allow the highly optimized file system to do the work of locating the data (the file). With a db, it has to find the data, then work the file system to retreive the data, and possibly decompress it. By using the file system to go straight to the data, we eliminate one or two steps and take advantage of builtin perks like disk caching.

Comparatively, I would suggest that this software could handle 5 to 10 times the load that a leading MySql based bbs can. The MySql/DBI based prototype I have built of this software is far slower. I would never put a SQL based BBS online without twice the box and the ability to cache the entire db in ram.

>price

Unknown. Let me finish the thing first and see what we have.

>updating kernels

No, it's a fully managed server.

>space

runs about 300 meg in "slim" mode (logs and extraneous foo files cleaned), and could pop well above 500 if I don't keep things tidy. Bandwidth, around 2+ gig a day + another 200meg in graphics that are on another server.

[edited by: Brett_Tabke at 3:42 am (utc) on Aug. 7, 2002]

[stlouislouis]

Thanks, Brett!

Wow -- 2+ GB per day of Webmasterworld goodness -- served fresh daily!

[brotherhood of LAN]

>2 Gig

Wow, I've been playing with seeing if I can turn my bandwidth into negative bandwidth...lol.....nah but I'm averaging 2.5/3kb per page view....must be all these lengthy threads bumping up the bandwidth- think I'm gonna be considerate and more selective in the threads I read....unless you have "unlimited" bandwidth Brett :) (I still think some hosts sell that)

IMO if everyone put their message limit on each page to 30 or something low.....bandwidth on this place will shrink :) That goes out to all you "recent posts" click addicts reading this ;) IMHO

From what I see of WebmasterWorld, much of it runs itself from the programming already done....so its left to be forgotten about while the real stuff (like BT posting his success recipe) can get done