READ BEFORE POSTING: AVSIM Library Status

[Guest Matt Johnson]

Hi all,As quite a few of you have already spotted, the AVSIM Library is back up!Please note the following points before posting here:We are aware that some files remain unavailable (i.e. listed, but when you click to download them, you are informed that the file is not available). Detail: We are still working on about one-tenth of the Library's database to realign these files (from a period in 2007, I believe) -- we ask for your patience for these files. In addition, we are aware that around 3,000 files may be unrecoverable across the entire Library. Please do not report these files as missing -- we are aware and working on the problem.We are aware that a number of pictures display the "Oops! File not found!" image.Detail: Many of these pictures may sadly be gone, or otherwise unmatchable with their original content. Again, we are looking to see what we can do here.Daily processes, e.g. What's New, Most Popular Downloads are not being updated.Detail: This is because these automated procedures have not yet been put back into operation. We are working on this.Uploading is disabled.Detail: We want to validate the new Library platform in the "simplest" way first, by allowing just downloads of existing content first. We will re-enable uploads as and when we have retested the process on the new hardware, and are confident of its functionality.(Should this happen... which I imagine it might!) But the Library is down! Again!Detail: We'll be upfront with you -- there's likely going to be "teething troubles" with the new system. The old system was very specifically tuned to the Library, and, while we have lots and lots more "server horsepower" behind the scenes now, there's definitely going to be various settings that will need tweaking to make things work. By all means, let us know if/when things break, but rest assured we're doing our best.Why did it take so long?Detail: The process of recovering data from the old servers was involved and required a lot of technical expertise. Furthermore, a good amount of manual work was required in rematching files whose data we had, but whose meta-information (e.g. when it was uploaded, or even what the file's name was) had been lost. Thank you to the AVSIM Library team for helping with this! Furthermore -- as many of you are aware, I left AVSIM last year when I knew work was going to prevent me from taking as active a role as I wanted. While I was happy to be able to come in and help recover things, "real life" and the very nice people who employ me and help me pay my bills were also in an incredibly busy period, meaning that the amount of time I had to spend on this was limited.Again -- thanks for your patience -- both in us getting the Library up, and working with us to bring the Library all the way back to full operation in the near future.Matt