ECAR MLS Server to Be Upgraded Monday, October 29, 2012

Posted on October 29, 2012 by admin_ecar

After a short delay in the initial schedule, Solid Earth has informed us that the ECAR MLS server will be upgraded on Monday, October 29, 2012, starting at 4pm and ending about 9pm. The system will be in read-only mode for part of the update and may not be accessible for short times during the update. Please plan your MLS usage with this in mind for the designated time period.

This upgrade includes new physical hardware for the webserver and database server.  These new computers are significantly bigger and faster than what is being now.

Also included in this upgrade is a software update for the ECAR List-It site. This will include a new login page. If you currently have your MLS username and password saved, the new login page will NOT have access to that saved information. You will need to re-enter the login info, then save it again.

Another aspect the ECAR MLS that will be affected by this upgrade is the Gateway IDX. If you are using the Gateway IDX for the listing search on your webpage, and you have not updated the links in the past 5 years, you may find that the links no longer work. Please contact ECAR MLS support if you find that you have this issue. The resolution is usually quick, but depends on how easily you can access the maintenance side of your webpage.

The upgrade will be performed in three phases as detailed below:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 29TH
Phase 1:
At 4:00 pm the ECAR List-It site will remain accessible, but set to READ-ONLY.  During this time the complete database will be moved to the new server.  This can take 1-2 hours.

Phase 2:
Starting between 5:00-6:00 pm List-It and all related sites like the public site, mobile sites, RETS server, etc. will be moved to the new hardware and all DNS records updated.  The sites may appear down during this time while the DNS changes propagate.  Users may access the backup site during this phase.  

Phase 3:
Between 6:00-8:00 pm the conversion should be complete and DNS records should begin propagating.  As soon as the new sites are available, the Solid Earth staff will begin testing again to ensure everything is working as expected.  All technical and development conversion team members will be on-site and on-line available to make any necessary corrections.   Note:  It is possible that some users may not be able to access the sites right away, it can take a little while for the DNS changes to flow across, but even the slowest systems should be updated by the following morning.

We understand there is a significant amount of time that the sites will not be fully functional or available and Solid Earth will make every effort to complete the move as quickly as possible.  They will also be sure your backup site is up and running before getting started.