PSWS Network upgrade, Sept. 11, server downtime

49 views
Skip to first unread message

Bill Engelke

unread,
Sep 9, 2025, 11:42:38 AMSep 9
to
To the HamSCI community - please excuse me if you get multiple copies of this email, I don't want to miss anyone.

We will be taking the server (pswsnetwork.caps.ua.edu) down this Thursday (Sept. 11, 2025) to upgrade to a larger server. The new server will initially be reachable using the old URL (https://pswsnetwork.caps.ua.edu), but eventually the "caps" will be replaced with "eng", reflecting that the server will be under control of UA's College of Engineering, rather than the Center for Public Safety (CAPS). We will let you know well in advance of that, as you will need to change the URL in your upload configuration if you are running a PSWS SDR (don't do it yet).

Our plan is to have the server back online by the end of the business day, thus allowing uploads (mostly occurring at 00:00 UTC) to proceed  uninterrupted. Of course, we all know that "Murphy" is on all projects, so don't be surprised if there is a glitch in this plan. We will keep you informed. (BTW, there is no ominous implication in doing this on Sept. 11, it is just when all the IT team is available. I hope.)

73/Regards - Bill Engelke, University of Alabama (AB4EJ)


ghby...@k9trv.org

unread,
Sep 9, 2025, 12:27:42 PMSep 9
to ham...@googlegroups.com

Dear Bill,

 

First, thank you for the timely, up-front, and informative email about the new upload URL and server transition.

 

A number of us have been anticipating this day, as you well know from some of the less known planning and collaboration that is ongoing on the PSWS project, especially the data acquisition side.

 

After the transition to begin supporting the upload URL pswsnetwork.eng.ua.edu, will the old URL also be supported, and for how long?  I wonder how long we have to upgrade all the wsprdaemon machines.  Could the old URL be supported for as long as a month or so, please?

 

73

George Byrkit, K9TRV

--
Please follow the HamSCI Community Participation Guidelines at http://hamsci.org/hamsci-community-participation-guidelines.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "HamSCI" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to hamsci+un...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/hamsci/BN8PR15MB3185B8CD3F7B70B9FF10AF979A0FA%40BN8PR15MB3185.namprd15.prod.outlook.com.

WILLIAM n SUSIE ENGELKE

unread,
Sep 9, 2025, 2:23:09 PMSep 9
to ham...@googlegroups.com
Hello George - I believe we can support the old URL for a month at least, potentially longer; I am not aware of any critical deadline attached to removing the old URL. We have to make it our priority to keep the data acquisition going with minimal disruption.

In the meantime, any info you can collect on how long it might take to make the cut-over to the new URL will be most helpful. I expect my colleagues will be asking about this, and right now I can only pull estimates out of the air...    -tnx es 73 - Bill

ghby...@k9trv.org

unread,
Sep 9, 2025, 4:05:39 PMSep 9
to ham...@googlegroups.com

Dear Bill,

 

While I can only speak about the wsprdaemon aspects, and cannot speak for the grape userbase, as soon as the new URL is live, likely Rob would push code to github to use the new URL.  However, then we get into the ‘adoption rate’ thing.  We can publish it, but only so many of the sites are ‘remote managed’, and the wsprdaemon site runners would have to update their copy of wsprdaemon (via ‘git pull’).  Many self-managed sites, such as my own, would update as soon as available.

 

And a month minimum certainly sounds reasonable on the surface.

 

If we then know which sites are reporting via the OLD URL, we can build a punch list of sites to visit and upgrade, or contact the owner for their help/permission.

 

There may even be a site operated by a ‘silent key’ (or a proxy for one!)  I wonder how to handle that?

 

73

George K9TRV

Rob Robinett

unread,
Sep 12, 2025, 3:38:52 PMSep 12
to ham...@googlegroups.com
Hi Bill,

Both the old and new URs are long and for me easily subject to mistyping.  
Have you considered having Nathaniel create a psws.hamsci.org DNS entry which duplicates the IP address of the old server and can be changed to the new server's IP when it is ready?
I can change WD to use that URL and you and Nathaniel could then make the switchover decision.

73,

Rob



--
Rob Robinett
AI6VN
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages