So the day finally came, the day we had to move the Exchange server. The old exchange server was being transferred off site and into a cloud based system. However things where not going to be simple. The problem we had was, we run Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2003 files are not upgradeable to 2010, and upgrading to Exchange 2007 was out of the question. So we opted for a less complicated option but involving a bit of work. We basically got everyone’s local Outlook pst files and copied them to an external drive so they could be transported to the data center. However issues arose because we use Macs. The Mac version of Office does not save data in pst files! So we had to recreate around 30 or so profiles on virtual Windows installs. Then we also archived emails to bring mailboxes down to size because everyone’s mailboxes where massive, we are talking around 5gb plus!
We began by redirecting the MX records to a special setup holding server for our email while the process began. As we would then have to manually download email and extract the pst files, a process which took around 8 hours to do. We then handed this data to the server techs who took it to the data center for us. However we ran into issues. Office 2004 for Mac does not talk to Exchange Server 2010, so we had to upgrade to 2008, then we found without patches that to wont talk to the Exchange server. So we had to apply the “Web Service Edition” patch. We then began the laborious task of updating the 20-30 Macs around the Office, then re-creating user accounts for the emails. However we ran into major issues, Web mail failed to work because of Security certificate errors, then when they where importing the data the process crashed and wa snot restarted for some time! But once we where certain emails where being correctly transferred and that we could email each other locally we turned off the holding email and had it forwarding to our new server.
So in two days we had managed to archive email accounts, extract the PST files for around 90 email accounts, reset them up, upgrade 20-30 Macs to Office 2008 and test email. So a really hard weekend! But it was not to stop there! Come Monday morning issues arose, the email was DOWN! yes our cloud based email was down! Must have been a little story or something! Overall we where not impressed!
Basically the vast amount of PST files they where importing caused the servers Information Store file to crash! Even though they where running 3 at a time on schedule it still managed to bring down the server! Then to make matters worse our BT phones went down! Even more NOT IMPRESSED at this point!
It took them till midday to get the email working again, and even then it was still not running perfect. Still a few issues here and there! Overall it’s been a rather stressful weekend! The phones are well who knows, when BT can be bothered to fix, heck they even blamed our internal phone switching system etc.
No I’m not talking about the film Unstoppable staring Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson. But I’m in fact talking about a SouthEastern train from Charring Cross to Hastings! The train was traveling at 65 mph and encountered “Poor Conditions” as it approached “Stonegate Station“. The driver applied the brakes to gently slow the train down for its scheduled stop, except the train was not slowing down. It continued to speed past the station then a rail crossing. Surprisingly there was no red signals.
The driver fought with the breaks to slow the train down, eventually the train slowed to a stop, but not before it had skidded 2.45 miles from the station! It turns out the train had lost traction on leafs that where on the line! Turns out this apparently is a real issue and not an excuse! One hell of a skid though, more importantly one hell of a ride! Bet the people at Stonegate where like “What the hell, thought this train was the slow to Hastings and not the fast”
News report – Evening Standard & BBC
I know this is a bit late but I was waiting for someone at work to upload the pictures of the event.
I work for a design agency called SASDesign. Being a design agency creativeness is important and everyone is really creative, energetic and very inspirational. For Halloween 2010 people in the Office (one of which I know was Peter) decided to turn the toilets into a scarefest. It was a bloody brilliant idea! We have two toilets upstairs, one was just decked out in normal Halloween stuff and labeled “Treat”, had the normal sweets in it etc. Whereas the other one was labeled “Trick”. It look like it was part of a horror movie set!
The “Trick” toilet was decked out in blackout material, had trippy UV lights installed, 3-d paint which scared the hell out of you because it was trippy. 3D Drawings, blood smear marks and more! Inside was a TV flickering, something similar to “The Ring”.
I have to admit it was pure awesome! Pictures here and video coming soon!
The TV – Aghhhhhhh
Well it’s that time of the year agin The time when the air is thick of smoke and full of the smell of gun powder. The sky will undoubtably be light up with bright colours emanating from fireworks. There will be noises of whiz, bangs and crackles, followed by immense light and colours.
I was invited out by my mate Peter, with his Girlfriend and her friends to a firework display over at Blackheath. It’s a free public fireworks display which lasted 20 minuets. The journey there was a bit long as we took the back streets to avoid the traffic, and then parked a little distance away as it would be fully packed. The fireworks display was ultimately packed. The display was amazing and many thanks to Peter for being the Taxi driver for the evening! In a diesel Ford Galaxy.
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While sorting out my cupboards I came across a rather unique find. A create of Coca Cola, 30 pack! I was like sweet! Jackpot! A whole 30 create of Coca Cola that’s been forgotten about. But when I went to open it my heart sank, it had expired 6 months before.
But then I though I can’t let this go to waste, it’s a 30 pack! Would be criminal not to drink it! So I cracked one open then proceeded to smell it. It smelt fine, so I decided to taste a bit. It still had it’s fizz and colour.
However the taste had gone slightly. It tasted like your average supermarket cheep branded coke. So considering that I have drunk one and I’m fine so it’s safe to assume the others are safe to drink. As who can let this amount of cola go to waste!!
Best of all it seems someone from work wants to try the ”Vintage” taste and has asked me to bring in one, needless to say I’m going to oblige.
