[Apache2] Apache 2.2 Upgrade Notes

We are working on plans to upgrade all of our servers to the newer Apache system, Apache 2.2. Currently our servers are running off of the Apache 1.3 system. Apache 1.3 has served us very well over the years, but Apache 2.2 is becoming the defacto standard in the webhosting community and it has really matured a lot since its first release back in December of 2005.

Almost all of the new features in Apache 2.2 are backend oriented. End users themselves won’t notice much of a difference. There may be some performance increases as the code has been optimized over the years to handle data better. The main reason for the upgrade to Apache 2.2 is so that we can bring our hosting packages in line with the rest of the webhosting community. A lot of webhosts have been running Apache 2.2 for several months and there have been no reported problems regarding the new system. The Apache group will eventually end support for Apache 1.3 and Apache 2.2 is the new direction that the group is taking.

We are going to be handling this upgrade very slowly. Our plan calls for us to upgrade a couple of servers and then take a period of time to evaluate the set up and handle any problems that might arise. We may repeat this process on another couple of servers until we feel comfortable with the set up and upgrade procedure. At that point we will begin upgrading the remaining servers in larger numbers.

We are tentatively scheduling to begin this process next week (March 2 – March 7) by upgrading a couple of servers to Apache 2.2 and then evaluating the process. The upgrade process will require Apache to be taken down while it is rebuilt. I am going to allot for an hour of downtime, but I think the downtime will actually be much less. During this downtime you will not be able to access your website, but other services such as e-mail will not be affected. I don’t have an exact schedule regarding this upgrade but I am planning to do it during the early morning (CST) hours, likely between 12AM and 4AM, so as to minimize the affect with this downtime. Accounts that will be part of the upgrade that we have tentatively scheduled for next week will be receiving an e-mail regarding this.

If you have changed your e-mail address I encourage you to update your contact information with us so that you can be notified of changes and upgrades such as this. To update your contact information go to our Account Management Area and click on the Update your Contact Information and complete the form.

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns regarding this upgrade please feel free to contact our support team.

Thank You
Scott