This month I wanted to provide a very detailed description of our new and improved Migration Services.   FastServers.Net has been doing migrations since our inception.  By providing this service we have been able to make the “move” into a new dedicated server or enterprise level hosting solution easy for 1,000’s of new customers.    Through the years this migration service itself naturally evolved into a very complete and structured plan of action that our entire team has become proud of.    At the start of 2008; one of the goals was to provide in depth documentation to the Sales Engineers, refine the process, and fine tune current procedures.   The results are a new service roll out we have dubbed “Enterprise Migration Services”.
The overall Question and Answer took place over the past two weeks and started with our Sales Team and final input from the Managers in the Server Support group.    This documentation will be the foundation of upcoming website content and will be posted in the BLOG by the time you receive this newsletter.  As always your feedback is important to the future evolution of such services and we always look forward to hearing from you!

1.)    What problems does the Enterprise Migration Service (EMS) solve?

The EMS solves possible issues that may not have been foreseen with the old migration process.  Rather than a simple review of a customer’s configuration and size of data to arrive at a projected cost, FastServers.Net will now collaborate with the customer to review the server configuration, data, and special requirements.  This additional communication will not only provide a more realistic final migration fee, but will identify potential areas that will need greater attention when performing the migration.  The new process will eliminate common problems with migrating data to a new server, allowing the move to be as seamless and error-free as possible.

2.)    How does the new procedure protect customers from associated downtime associated with “failed” migrations?

The new process will protect the customer from potential downtime by providing for thorough research and documentation of the customer’s server configuration.  The first step of the EMS will be an initial assessment by a member of FastServers.Net’s support department to get a basic knowledge of the server’s functions, load, capacity, and the versions of various components of the system.  Once this information is obtained, an estimate is sent to the customer.  Upon customer approval, a Level II support engineer will contact the customer to perform a more in-depth, detailed analysis of the server configuration.  A final quote containing a migration “roadmap” will be prepared for customer approval.  The Level II engineer preparing the quote will also be the main point of contact for the migration process.

3.)    What procedures are in place to insure a successful migration?

Two tickets will be created for the client migration.  The initial ticket will be created by the sales department and forwarded to the support department for review.  This ticket will have all billing and sales related information regarding the migration.  The second ticket will be created by the support team once the initial estimate is accepted.  This ticket will contain all information gathered from speaking with the customer regarding the migration and will become the blueprint for the migration.

4.)    What is included with a migration and what types of things will customers need to know walking into a migration?

Customers will need to know that all migrations are quoted at the advanced support rate of $100 per hour.  DEFCON time cannot be used to pay for a migration. Our support department will not perform “partial” migrations and will migrate all data once the migration process has started.  Clients must provide their server name/IP address with root login information in order for the support department to create an accurate preliminary estimate.  Migration service is not available if Fastservers.Net cannot be given root-level (or Windows Administrator) access to the source server for the entire process.  Customers must be aware that the preliminary estimate is only a rough estimate for the migration.  Once the preliminary estimate is approved and our Level II engineer has had an opportunity to review details with the customer, the support department will provide a final quote.  This amount will be charged to the customer’s account prior to the start of the migration.

5.)    How many “estimated” migrations has FastServers, Inc. done in the past 5 years?

While we do not have an exact figure, FastServers.Net has done well more than a thousand migrations.  We are one of the few companies that offer migration services. Most other providers leave you to move your data and do not provide support.

6.)    What applications are supported under the EMS?

Every application that FastServers.Net actively supports will be included in supported applications during migration.  FastServers.Net supports most open source, common applications (such as MySQL, PHP and Apache) that are current and on our list of supported configurations.  Any other applications will be identified and subject to approval during the final quote phase.  FastServers.Net will not offer support for legacy operating systems (such as Fedora Core) or outdated applications.  In addition, our tech team can only offer assistance with installing applications that deviate from our standard configurations.  FastServers.Net will not provide technical support for any item that we do not offer with our standard list of supported applications.

7.)    What control panels offer migration utilities to ease the process and what are some of the issues associated with them?

cPanel and Plesk both provide tools to migrate the accounts created within the panel environment as well as the associated data (web content, email, databases).  One potential issue is that, given the wide variety of environments in which these tools are expected to operate, it has proven difficult for their developers to make them as robust as would be hoped.  There are occasions when the tool will fail, leaving the migration incomplete.  In some cases—particularly for Plesk—the version of software involved is important and can lead to migration failures.  Finally, unexpected glitches can lead to minor failures and incomplete data transfers.  In such cases, it is important to know how best to rectify the situation.  Additional adjustments are almost always needed after the migration tool has completed its work—changes to such items as DNS zone file records and IP mappings are often required before the environment can be considered completely migrated.  Finally, even the best control panel migration tools do not do well at migrating data or configuration for any portion of the system created or configured outside the control panel environment; frequently such non-panel data are not migrated or unexpectedly altered during the migration process.

8.)    How does a Dedicated EMS Engineer benefit the overall process?

A dedicated EMS Engineer will be the only point of contact the client will have regarding our technical team.  This new process will ensure that the client’s solution will be handled directly by the same engineer that provided the final migration quote, eliminating a host of potential complications and miscommunication that can arise as a result of multiple workers handling the task.  This centralized model greatly benefits the migration by solidifying a unique relationship and path of communication between the dedicated EMS Engineer and the client.  <AS AN ASIDE—this is the first that the term “dedicated EMS Engineer” is used in the document, just FYI.>

9.)    From start to finish what is the general process for a standard migration?

* The general process of a standard migration is as follow:

•    Sales- Migration quote is created by a sales engineer on behalf of the client and sent over to the technical support team.
•    L2 Engineer- generates estimate based on the basic information derived from the initial review of the server (server access and control panel info)
•    L2 Engineer - The engineer will send rough estimate for the migration back to the sales department.
•    Sales- Sales will send out the estimate as well as migration criteria concerning the potential fees involved (no use of DEFCON hours).  Await client’s approval.
•    Sales- If client approves the migration cost, the ticket is sent back to the tech team to open a second migration ticket that will be used only by the tech department.  If the client does not approve the estimation, the first ticket is closed.
•    L2 Engineer - The L2 assigned to the migration will generate the new (2nd ticket) to contact and correspond directly with the client regarding a solid proposal to execute the migration.  The first ticket will be sent back to the sales team.
•    Sales- Once the first ticket is sent back to the sales team it will be put on hold for one day in case of a last minute response for the client.  After 24 hours the ticket will be closed as the migration process will continue in the 2nd ticket.
•    L2 Engineer - Once the L2, in consultation with the client, has created a final quote and migration procedure, the second ticket will then be sent to the sales department.
•    Sales- The Sales team will then take the final quote and bill the client for the migration.  Upon payment, sales sends the migration ticket back to support to start the migration at the appropriate time.

10.)    From start to finish what is the general process for pricing out a EMS?

Sales will open a ticket and forward it to the Support department containing access information for the source server.  Based on the initial review of the server, an L2 will generate an estimate.  If the customer approves the migration, the L2 contacts him for further discussion, development of a solid process, and an exhaustive list of all the migration entails.  Based on this further information, the L2 creates the final quote, which Sales presents to the customer for approval.

11.)    Is EMS limited to specific DEFCON Levels?
*EMS is limited to those existing clients that have a DEFCON 4 or higher.  If it is a DEFCON 5 or a new potential client with an unsupported OS or configuration, then admin approval must be needed when migrating their data.

Migration service is available at all DEFCON levels.  However, only supported systems are eligible.

12.)    What operating systems, applications are definitely not supported?
* FastServers.Net will not support Free BSD, Fedora Core or any legacy applications.  All applications that deviate from our standard installations must be reviewed/approved by a FastServers.Net admin.

FastServers.Net will not support Free BSD, Fedora Core or any legacy applications.  All applications that deviate from our standard installations must be reviewed and approved by a FastServers.Net admin.

13.)    Will the EMS service work for transferring from another provider?

Yes, EMS can be used for migrations from other providers, with the caveats mentioned above regarding supported systems.

Question 1: Am I running the Windows 2000 Server Operating System, Fedora Core, or Red Hat 7.X/8.X/9.X?

Question 2: Have I been notified that my service level is DEFCON 5 in the past year?

Question 3: Am I running on a reliable Dell PowerEdge Server?

Question 4: Have I been a customer for over 4 years and still have the same hardware?

Question 5: Does my laptop have more power than my aging dedicated server?

If you have answered yes to a single question, it is time to consider upgrading your hardware. Hardware failures, legacy operating systems, and unmanaged services (DEFCON 5) can all result in downtime that can be avoided. It might seem complicated in nature, but FastServers.Net makes the process simple and
painless. Our team of engineers will perform the following:

• Free evaluation of your current solution and development of migration strategy.
• Deployment of new dedicated server with the latest securityfeatures, operating systems, and patches applied.
• Full configuration of your new server to match the specifications of your current server. Server migration time during a schedule that meets your needs.

FastServers.Net also has a stock on Dell PowerEdge 750 and PowerEdge 2850’s that can lend to a great upgrade. These servers are in limited quantity and we have set aside a special inventory for
customers looking to make the move. If you are interested in talking about the migration to a new server and want to take advantage of special pricing, send an email to sales@fastservers.net with the Subject
“I am ready to upgrade to a Dell”. Let our Sales Engineers know you are a current customer and their Vice President just wrote a newsletter article authorizing that valued customers like yourself get the best
possible pricing on these servers.

Everyone enjoys a good audit, right? During the last 6 months vairous departments within FastServers.Net have been involved with the data mining and audit process to establish uniform protocols for billing of
your services. You might have seen some changes to your account and I thought I would take some time this month to share these changes and the associated benefits.

The first goal of this project is to help separate and line item specific items on your account. In previous years when you ordered a server we bundled the entire pricing schema into a single price. Theses audits have been focused on software licenses and backups. The ability to run reports on our software licenses such as cPanel and Microsoft licenses is very important, coupled with the ability to drill down on a per account basis how these are being billed.

From an organizational stance this account change allows you to see a line by line item the components in your server. The biggest change you will see to your account is the primary or “base” pricing of your
services followed by secondary “add-on” pricing as separate line items. (We call them parent and child services) In most cases the overall solution has resulted in an account adjustment that deducts the specific line item from the base account and adds it back in as a line item. In most cases (99%) this results in the same monthly bill with a slightly different output on the invoices your receive.

Here is a roadmap of the products and services we have been working on or will be working on during the rest of 2008!

• cPanel + Fantastico (Completed)
• Managed Backups (Completed)
• Microsoft Software Products (50% Complete)
• URCHIN Analytics (Q1/Q1 2008)
• IP Addresses (Q1/Q1 2008)
• SWSOFT Software Products (Q1/Q1 2008)
• Anti-Spam Services (Q1/Q1 2008)
• Firewall Services (Q1/Q1 2008)
• Bandwidth and Bandwidth Overages (Q1/Q1 2008)

The audit process is very thorough, however we encourage you as a customer to review your account and if you have any questions regarding the services, open a ticket with our billing department or
give them a call.

Shortly after the deployment of Windows 2003, there was a great buzz/debate within a number of IT camps on what Microsoft would do to top the latest OS.  Words like Asteroid, Longhorn, and “final release of desktop/server OS” were slung around the Internet.  What would be the next evolution of the OS?  With their transition from Option Pack to embedding IIS into the OS, how would they enhance their web infrastructure?  Their slogan of ‘Where Do You Want To Go Today’ left us all wondering, where exactly are they taking us?

We will soon find out!  The next server operating system from Microsoft will soon be released to the masses.  Windows Server 2008 will be available for all come the end of February, and FastServers is anxiously awaiting its release.  We have been working feverishly to document, troubleshoot, and implement the new environment into our service offering.  Our target is availability for customers by the end of the first quarter, 2008.  We are committed to continuing our Windows hosting platform for customers as we prepare for the long awaited release of this new offering.  Just as the transition from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000, Windows Server 2008 will take on us on another journey into the ever-expanding reach of Microsoft.

Security enhancements: Network Access Protection (NAP) and Identify and Access (IDA) are new features that give administrators additional security from external/internal connections from other computers.  These features offer protection all the way down to local and remote users.

Easy to manage web server: IIS7 will provide the next step of hosting reliable web applications and services.  Providing greater flexibility and control, IIS7 also provides simplified management and powerful diagnostic/troubleshooting capabilities that were add-ons in previous versions of the powerful web server.

Optimizing workloads: Windows Server 2008 was built from the ground up allowing deployment, implementation, and management to be an easy transition for customers working with Windows 2003.  With its Server Manager, customers will enjoy the ability to simplify their configuration and ongoing management.  Coupled with PowerShell, the new command-line shell (CLI), administrators will easily automate a majority of their existing workload, securely spreading across multiple server farms if needed.

GUI or No GUI: Not into the GUI interface?  Windows Server 2008 now allows administrators to run without a graphical user interface, minimizing disk and service footprints while reducing attacks for services that are not needed/wanted.  Specialize your environments rather than trying to decipher which one is which.

There are a multitude of advancements that Windows Server 2008 brings to the table.  More information will be delivered via our blog and forums in the upcoming weeks.  Needless to say, we are excited with the new release and look forward to our official rollout of Windows 2008 into our environment.  Other upcoming Microsoft offerings include SQL Server 2008 and more enhancements to the Microsoft Exchange product offering.  Stay tuned.  2008 will be another banner year for all!

Here we are, a happy, fresh set of months.  And, after nearly reaching 70 (!) degrees earlier this month in Chicago, most of us are poised to plummet into tundra-mode in the coming days and weeks as we continue to run the wintry gauntlet.  As such, we’ll be utilizing all of our extra time to finish reflecting upon ‘07 while making sure we’re aptly tuned for a much more progressive and exciting ‘08.

To be sure, last year was vastly important for FastServers- our efforts to phase out legacy environments in both the Linux and Windows arenas were quite successful, and we do appreciate your cooperation and patience throughout those very necessary migrations!  With your assistance, our ability to expeditiously condense and expel those systems which are so increasingly difficult to secure has made a tremendously positive impact on operations, ranging from an overall, quality of support per issue, in addition to time-to-resolution for both Priority and Standard threads.  Fully-supported operating systems are much preferred
by our engineering team, as you might expect.  What’s on deck?  Well, a heavier push (alongside imminent migrations from 3.x/4.x) towards RedHat Enterprise & CentOS 5.x, as well as a likelihood in added “Managed” support for FreeBSD… and, most intriguingly, we hope to provide Windows Server 2008 options, with- *gasp* cPanel’s launch into the Microsoft dimension before we wrap up the spring.  A variety of interesting adventures and subsequent advancements are on deck!  With the launch of our UltraGuard Suite and the final, vital cogs of our network being deployed in this past quarter, we’re poised to innovate extensively within our current, supported environments while gradually and responsibly expanding upon our service offerings.

The goals of this new year can only result in very, very good things for our customers.  Keep an eye peeled for all of the latest announcements!  By staying in sync with our engineering aspirations, you’ll be fielding environments that are safer, faster, and much more functional than the alternatives.

It’s great to have you on board.
Best of luck…