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www.grootersnet.nl |
Site history list31-Dec-2007 The new program works - very, very basic, without dynamic data, that's the next step - but I didn't find a way yet to get it running as a homepage. Several options are available, including a specific extension to "index" - that's the way PHP and Perl work. Anyway: this is how the public entry looks like (at present) Another issue is how to format everything. But once this program works, more and more static content could be transferred into just data to be presented. And who knows, in more advanced forms as well. I changed the link to the genealogy, to the site specific for that purpose. The public site can be accessed without a problem - this link is supplied in here. For research, you'll need to use the secured entry and that is covered by a certificate. Though your browser may complain that the issuer is not set to be trusted, WASD's author can be trusted and accessing the site will not jeopardize your machine. 18-Nov-2007 I installed some security software on the forum software that should solve the problem of the so many bogus users. So I opened the Dutch OpenVMS forum again. It has suffered a bit from the last problems with the disk. It will be monitored next weeks, if still problematic, I'll disable it again. 04-Nov-2007 Due to severe hardware and configuration problems, the site needed a complete restore to the latest update available: 29 October. The blogs have been restored - with some trouble - to the state as on 03-November-2007 00:00 - so midnight. That means that just the (non-critical) operator data is lost. The blogs rely on a database that is not as stable as I wish. It may happen the connection with the server is lost, but retry in 15 minutes, it should work again. That instability is one good reason NOT to start the site (this page) being a blog, until I have finished another program to take care. I installed a new spam filter, that quarantines messages that appear to be SPAM, and I can release them if I want to (and mark the sender to be known so checks will be bypassed). Unless your mail agent is know to be a spamming source and is blacklisted, your message will be seen. That relieves the restrictions on mail to this domain. 09-Sep-2007 This might well be the last update of the Public Entry in it's current format. The reconstruction is well underway. The major change is "Trips,
Tracks and Travels" that holds not just the holiday images, but also
the images and track data of walks we do. Tracks can be downloaded from there as
well, if you care to walk them yourself. A new spam filter has been installed, by which I may lift some of the restrictions for e-mail access in the future. 09-Jul-2007 On the bootcamp, I installed the T4 monitoring tool but ran into a problem that causes some part not working properly. It is being investigated by HP at the moment. Apart from that, there is quite a lot of news I learned, some can (and will) be used on this site - in it's new form, that is. But it will have to wait until this year's holiday has been prepared for publication, the new look-and-feel may well be triggered by it's completion. Due to the amount of rubbish I get as "members", I decided to close down the OpenVMS forum until I have installed the proper add-ons to prevent this type of ad - and malware access. I added a link on the OpenVMS link page to an article I wrote, that has been published in the latest OpenVMS Technical Journal - and a link to a marvelous advertisement of HP. 16-May-2007 On the eve of leaving for the 2007 OpenVMS boot camp in Nashua, I added a blog to report on the event. That meant a minor change to this page as well - as you may have noticed. Work on the new site is now well underway, but it will not after we return from this year's holiday (Scotland, this time) that I'll be able to continue. 06-May-2007 Almost back to normal, it seems everything is working again - except for some not-so-important issue. 02-May-2007 Yesterday, the disk containing all web content died and so I had to restore it from backup. Luckily, the database is backed-up daily, and the public web (this one) was saved last Monday. However, the blog and forum software need to be re-installed, therefore the links have been disabled temporarily. However, most logs are lost (except for the April ones and some that are copied each day) - a pity but no big loss. 06-Mar-2007 Updated the blog software to a higher version - and it can now be used without the changes I had to make. That is: the code errors have been removed. I also enhanced the HOW-TO page on WASD, since someone questioned how to migrate from SWS to WASD. Still working on the update... 17-Jan-2007 Updated the webserver to the latest version - which was, as usual, a piece of cake. Still to come: MySQL update (to version 5) but that will mean the blog and forums will be in a kind of "test phase". And the PHP engine will need to be rebuild. I'm still thinking of redesigning the site. I've plenty ideas but the exact form is still to be determined. Probably dynamic - so no static pages anymore. 11-Jan-2007 Tracks and photos of our Greek hike have been added, and I've redone the ones of our French trip, there were some missing links. See our Holiday 2006 page And of course, what's behind the scenes is (partly) told in the SYSMGR blog. 31-Dec-2006 Updated the system to VMS 8.3, and the forum software to the newly released version. The webserver still needs an update, that will be done shortly. I'm working on the Greece holiday, getting it all in place took more trouble due to the fact the maps (or what is available of them) needs to be scanned and calibrated. That has now been done, I'm working on the comments at the moment. The link to download pages has been removed - the contents are outdated and can be obtained from the OpenVMS freeware site as well.. RedesignI'm thinking of re-designing the site. Part of it are the Forums - currently OpenVMS related only, and explicitly targeting the Dutch OpenVMS users. 02-Dec-2006 Did some changes to the family page - and introduced "the picture area" but that needs to be considered somewhat more. But it looks better now. Added the pictures on this year's summer trip to France, of the trip we made to some public garden last year (Oh my, yes, I know it's late but you'll get to see them today!) and of the quilt Rita is working on at the moment. 20-Nov-2006 Added HOW_TO's on MySQL and PHP, and updated the one on webservices. 12-Nov-2006 Last month has been used to get the following software up and running:
Information on the installations is to be found on the HOW-TO pages, as well on the WASD installation.. Read the SYSMGR blog at www.grootersnet.nl\sysblog And of course, this year's holydays (France and Greece) have to be finished as well. Stay tuned. it's the next part! 01-Sep-2006 After consulting Mark Daniel these two last weeks on issues in mapping and authentication issues in WASD-based webs (at the customer's site) I have restructured my web configurations so there is the bare minimum of processing in handling requests. It took some effort but I have the feeling it's much faster than SWS. More efficient, anyway, when I observe the system. The limitations on mail that I had lifted, are in effect again - and it proved worthwhile: The amount of spam that passed the mail server dropped dramatically. As before, it may mean that your mail is blocked. The note (see link below) has been updated accordingly. For those that missed the sites last weekend: There was quite some trouble with DNS - the service that translates internet site names to their numeric address. It all boiled down to the fact that one network component wasn't configured. Apart from some other issues that caused trouble. To test startup, I will have to reboot the system some time next week. 21-Aug-2006 WAS'D-DAY It took some time and effort, but today I stopped using SWS and switched to WASD - a true VMS application by design, far more efficient and flexible, and with more facilities than SWS. Though, I must state, that implies it's harder to master. But the great WATCH facility that allows you a real-time look in the server's behavior on mapping, authorization, CGI and DCL execution - whatever - is a tremendous help to track down issues found. The current configuration is not finished - there is a lot of room for improvement - but it is sufficient to go live. It didn't require ANY change in the webs itself. Ok, I had to move a few executing files but that was it! Still need to do some work on this year's holiday images (Jura and Vosges) before they can be published. 12-Jun-2006 It's quiet on the front since most effort is now on-the-job and I lack time to do a lot now. Today I installed the latest patches on OpenVMS - waiting for 8.3 to be released! Due to the spam, phishing and other "bad" emails, I have decided to block hotmail.com as sender as well, except, of course, for those that I can trust - more or less. It would be a good thing if nob-backtranslatable addresses could be blocked once more, but then I need to set up a longer list of acceptable addresses - no problem if these were fixed, but some are not. So I left it that way, and blocked all .biz domains to start with. There will, no doubt, be more one day. The email-notes page has been updated accordingly. On the 2006 edition of the OpenVMS bootcamp, I spoke to WASD's author Mark Daniel - it's advantages over SWS (based on Unix's Apache) are to great to ignore - basically from the point of efficiency. So the next big step will be installing WASD as the basic webserver, and have it take care of all the webs based on this machine. Apache will still be there - but only started when needed. That will also mean a fresh start with content management - NOT using MySQL but RdB: there is a PHP-RDB module available. Limited, perhaps, but worth taking a look at. Is seems to work fine. By the way: I'm Certified System Engineer now. 25-May-2006 Directly from the 2006 OpenVMS bootcamp: 16-Apr-2006 Not that much, just that there are some problems with MySQL - or more specific: MOD_PHP. It seems that the version supplied by HP is linked against MySQL 3.x, and Diana holds version 4.1 - quite a difference. On the website of Jean-Francois Pieronne (in his bulletin board) there is a description of how to build a PHP_MYSQL module with MySQL 4.1 (see this entry) but alas, the result is even more devastating: Apache fails to load the MySQL module and error_log tells: PHP Warning: Unknown(): Invalid library(maybe not a PHP library) 'php_mysql.exe' in Unknown on line 0 Restoring the old MySQL3.x one, there is no problem at all. Building it had warnings nor errors....Security is Ok as well, so that cannot be the problem either. Or I have to do something more - but as the documentation says: Access to MYSQL should be ON be default - for PHP 4.0 - which is this verion (I guess) So the blog is off for the moment, and so is other PHP work that was intended. Until this problem has been solved. Last minute note: It does work properly if all libraries used are placed in SYS$LIBRARY! Logicals seem not to be honoured by Apache! Now there are some issues to be solved in the blog software There seems to be somemissing links and missing files as well. These have been solved - I hope
29-Mar-2006 Ok, there is a start with the new site! Not at all perfect, but it's a start! The database administrator program runs - mostly correct except for some errors to be solved - but it's a matter of the database engine, it returns an error. The weblog program has been started - started with a SYSMGR weblog which isn't according the expected layout yet, but that will come in time. Other programs have been tried but there are too many issues at the moment to be used. Some broken links have been reported so I looked for them and tried to solve what I found. 19-Mar-2006 The new configuration has been active for some time now - without really big problems. Ok, counters don't work but that is not that important (need to update that anyway). Moved all webs to the new data disk - and after security was set up properly, everything seems to work well. For webmail, a new client is in beta - the used one (YAHMAIL) has a problem with Apache 2.1 it seems, so I use the successor SOYMAIL (Son Of YahMail) - same author - although it's still in beta. But better something mostly working than something that isn't at all. And I'm working on the new layout. 11-Mar-2006 Diana moved to a new system disk that will be shared with other nodes in the cluster. It has taken some time since it required quite some changes before all ran as it should but finally - it's there. And it all works so far. A few things need still to be done but I guess these are minor. This move also means another web server: SWS 2.1 (finally: there is no requirement for STREAM_LF files any more so now I CAN upgrade), and therefore a new TOMCAT Java server (Running Java 1.5.0), PHP and Perl. The next version of MySQL and latest RDB version to be downloaded and installed - and then I can make a start with redesigning the Web. Also I need to copy and adapt the logfile scanners and install some extra system software for the printers. But as said: that's minor. 03-Mar-2006 A lot of development - outside this web environment, butwith future impact! The system has booted successfully in the new configuration but someadjustments are still required to get it all up and running as expected. Onething is the new Apache version (2.1) that does require some work. If that isdone, this web will in time be replaced with dynamic content - but I'm not sureyet about the prodoct. On eissue is (of course) security and stability. A new mail client - SOYMAIL in stead of YAHMAIL - has been installed. It'sstill inn beta and some adjustments were required to have it running but itlooks good. Added some new pictures, on March2006, where there was, again, a lot of snow. This is the first set ofimages, taken walking the dog in one of the nearby parks. 07-Jan-2006 Since 15-December, the classic SETI-client site, has beenclosed. There is a new version, based on the Berkeley Open Infrastructure forNetworking Computing (Seti-BOINC) but this is currently only officiallysupported on Solaris, Linux, MAC-OSX and Windows, and some others developedversions for different other platforms - but none yet for OpenVMS. I tried to start a port but it I miss the required knowledge. So until thenew client can be installed, the support for the project has been suspended. 23-Dec-2005 On the edge of the year added new hardware, so there is aprinciple of creating a cluster with a shared system disk. Alas, that failed sofar, so we're still bothering with multiple systems. The way SharedSCSI can be set up has been added in a HOW-TOpage Anyway - upgraded the system to version 8.2 and all latest patches. Next to come is an upgrade of the webserver software. 24-sep-2005 New hardware has arrived which will allow to build a fullcluster (the VMS way), add a lot of storage to be accessible by all cluster members anddo some development, on databases and web-services. I added a HOW-TO chapter on the OpenVMS page, to explain how this site has beenset up, what I did encounter and how I solved the problems (well, think Ihave). The reason for it: I'm currently testing CommunigatePro, a mail solution beingcomparable with Microsoft's Exchange: (multiple mailboxes, tasks, notes andcalendar) allowing multiple domains (even aliases) and web-storage. Veryefficient - but not free (yet?). Nevertheless, worth while to investigate andpublish my findings. Two restrictions to e-mail have been lifted - more information on the e-mailnotes page. No new idea's yet how to re-design the web pag3es, so no news on that. 24-Aug-2005 Had to postpone the Pivot project due to problems with PHPin Apache 1.3-1. Waiting for Apache 2.1 to be release, and will startworking on Pivot (blog program) and, perhaps, phpBB (bulletin board system). Published the photographs of thisyear's holiday, it has a somewhat different look-and-feel since it wascreated in one go. Considering a XMPP compliant chat server - Jabber compliant - but I'm notsure yet which one. The one of Jive software would run since it's Java based,but Java 1.5 is still in beta for VMS. Jabberd version 2 is a C-based one, so itneeds to be compiled. Making up the projects for the winter: lots to do... Redesign the website??? 20-Jul-2005 Since last web update, installed the required VMS patches,and tonight, updated webserver to next version (SWS 1.3-1) and added a patch toit. Still have to do the SSL configuration, time was too limited so it wasdisabled since it did block the server to start. Installed MOD_PHP to be able to work with PHP for dynamic web content. Firstwill be a free one that does not require a database, but later on, I may chooseto use another product - using Apache (Ok, do that already), MySQL as a database(to be re-tried) and PHP as a language. There will be another logo, then. Seewhat VAMP I can find. Will do pictures of this year's holiday to Berchtesgaden (Germany). 2-May-2005 A new machine IO is added to the cluster (DEC3000) to takeover some duties of Diana. Repaired a broken link in Genealogy web (thanks to www.SevenTwenyfour.comthat send me an unsolicited email about it. This one I accept thankfully. Notthat I intend to use their services - way to expensive!) 25-Apr-2005 A few patches have been applied and server rebooted 6 March 2005 Last week was a strange week in the Netherlands: a hugeamount of snow (in the Northern provinces up to 50 cm's), lowest temperatures inMarch (down to -21 C). Made a number of pictures: See March 2005 18-Feb-2005 Applied yet another required (well, sort of) update toVMS, requiring a reboot. Updated database software to latest versions 10-Feb-2005 Installed a few VMS updates and cleaned up 2004 andJanuary 2005 log files. Copied most of the Public site back to Intel workstationsince that was outdated and no recent version was available.... 27-Dec-2004 Holiday 2004 has been completed. 26-Sep-2004 The first set of pictures of the US holiday 2004 has beenadded (12-Jul-2004 up to 21-Jul-2004). Rest to come. Solved some link errors in 2003 holiday pictures. NEW LINKS: the BLOGs. These will at some point be hosted here as well, butthat will be somewhat later. Did all VMS updates that still needed to be done. There is a memory problem - hardware related - causing severe crashed whenmore than 256 Mb is installed 26-Sep-2004 Installed patches. Found hardware problem causingmachine-Check crashes when over 256 Mb of memory was installed - that is: someSIMM in bank 1. Therefore, the maximum of memory is bank 0 - 256 Mb 23-Aug-2004 There was some trouble with the download links. I thinkthese have been solved now. Re-shuffeled the OpenVMS page somewhat, and updated the link in the OpenVMSGURUs ring. It should be added in that ring in a few days... 20-Aug-2004 Finally finished holiday log of 2003 (at last....) and initiated the 2004 one The OpenVMS page is added into another webring: OpenVMS Gurus, and theresourcepages have been updated. 12-Aug-2004 Finally finished holiday log of 2003 (at last....) and initiated the 2004 one The OpenVMS page is added into another webring: OpenVMS Gurus, ans theresourcepages have been updated.. 20-Apr-2004 Added the pictures of July 21st. 17-Apr-2004 Found yet another mismatch and missing links.... 14-Apr-2004 Something went wrong copying the files - so the images were missing....Nowthese are added and the slide-pages updated to fit the standards. 01-Apr-2004 Added another 3 days of pictures. 14-mar-2004 Upgraded the system to VMS 7.3-2 06-mar-2004 Holiday pictures of 16-Jul-2003 added. I used a different product for these,the look-and-feel is different than the earlier pictures... 22-Feb-2004 Attempt to upgrade to VMS 7.3-2 (actually: RE-install VMS and all the rest, sinceupgrade failed for some reason...). But since that proved to take too much time,reversed to previous version (7.3-1). Luckily, I had a backup! 16-Feb-2004 Added pictures and movies of Kasper's birthday skating party at the Area51skate park in Eindhoven. 02-Feb-2004 Updated Site History, Added mail note (had to be done before but only todayremembered it...). Minor textual changes in genealogy web - I found some oldreferences that have been updated, and some typo's. 28-Jan-2004 Minor updates in main index pages. 18-Jan-2004 Added and corrected some information on the genealogy. 12-Jan-2004 Included the left-overs into the genealogy web. The US branches are gettingfilled in now. 04-Jan-2004 Added holiday pictures up to July 15th, and maps that had to be scanned. 21-Dec-2003 Added the genealogy. It's now updated (that is: most of the new data hasbeen included - not all, due to time limitations) and completely on this site! 8-Dec-2003 Added the experiences on porting UNZIP, ZIP and MMK toItanium. 17-Nov-2003 Added holiday pictures of July 10th. 09-nov-2003 Installed patches to OpenVMS and Apache. Added counters on this page and on OpenVMS pages 06-Nov-2003 Added the VMS projects on the VMS pages, and requested to be added into theOpenVMS webring. 2-Nov-2003 Last problems in Public web solved (at least, I hope), added web mail intoit's own web. On the holiday-picture front, added July 9th but without a mapyet, since the scanner is not available. Started with private projects: porting Mimerdesk to VMS, and this involvesPerl as well. Started building and testing Perl version 5.8.1 for VMS. 28-oct-2003 The disk containing the webs has crashed..... That meant not only the webs were gone, but also all teh software andconfigurations. The software (at least, most of it) has been restored: Apache, Tomcat andPerl, but this time on the system disk. Both the VMSETI script and the webmailclient have been restored.. 05-Oct-2003 Mail server up and running - and SPAM safe. Holiday pictures of July 6th, 7th and 8th added. Added more on the project log: Apache and Tomcat and Mail 20-sep-2003 Upgraded memory - put the 'slow' memory back since overallperformance seems better anyway. This might require a reboot in a week or two -after re-configuration. Added DHCP setup logging - what is remembered. A full log doesn't evenexist... Added the Intranet - but that still requires some edits, propably in thewebserver configuration. 15-sep-2003 Oops...Saving on OpenVMS requires some naming convention.So images could not be loaded. Also, missed some updates and links. Ok, itshould be fine now.... 14-sep-2003 At last, started publishing holiday pictures. First twodays are now available. Also, Kasper's trip to Eindhoven and his demo-day in De Koppel (Amersfoort)are to be seen. 11-sep-2003 Experiments with backgrounds on Willem's pages - to startwith. Some [pages have been updated, and broken links fixed. By the way: The OUTLOOK problem has been located and fixed... 10-sep-2003 Well, nothing, in fact. Still busy setting MAIL up - whichnow works despite a problem with OUTLOOK failing to start the SMTP receiverprocess. I just moved the project info and added a short paper on the DNS setup. Itwill be extended... Perhaps this weekend the 256 Mb memory taken out will be put back so theoverall performance could get a boost. The system will be down for a while then- and I cannot yet tell at what time that will be. 3-Sep-2003: The cause of the performance problem has been found:memory chips that are too slow...Currently, back to 256Mb (still on 600Mhz) butextra memory will be added anyway - fast or slow. It's just a requirement.... Added the VMS web entry but it must still be located properly. Added the genealogy web entry but it must still be located properly. 1-sep-2003: My own pages updated. 28-aug-2003: We're getting somewhere. No longer "underconstruction" but in "Maintenance". It doesn't mean it's done,far from that, but the main structure is setup now. All pages now have back linksso navigation back to previous pages ought to be simple now.... |
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(c) 2003- 2007 W. Grooters Last updated 01-01-2008 |
