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Practice server - free Amazon period is running out

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Offline Wally

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Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« on: June 23, 2015, 11:41:29 PM »
I've been hosting the practice server, which is up 24x7, on a free 12 month Amazon account, which expires at the end of this month. After that, it becomes a paid server.

I'm not keen on paying for the server on top of the Tuesday night server - to have a t2.micro instance (that it currently runs on), up 24x7 for a year is $142 up-front.

So we have some options:

1) everybody chips in a bit to pay for the practice server.
2) somebody else hosts the practice server, wherever they can.
3) don't have a practice server at all.

Thoughts?
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”

Offline marty

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2015, 12:41:55 AM »
Im sure I could run the practice server if needed, I keep them up 24/7 anyway and its not like the practice server gets real busy. I could use my server pass and call it XGN Marty's so maybe some of the non xgn guys who are fine to race can jump on them too give people some practice races if they want. Most weeks I put up a combo to match ours already anyway just with regular fuel and tyre wear to run alternative to the race 2 setup.

Offline Wally

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2015, 07:04:49 AM »
That would be great Marty. I really only put a password on it to keep my data costs down, because although the server was free, I was starting to creep over the free data quota.

It would be good if you could call it ”XGN.com.au Practice”, because it's good advertising. Put your name in there somewhere too if you want, so your guys know they can use your server password.
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”

Offline Guybrush Threepwood

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2015, 07:17:14 AM »
Yeah I think making it a public server is a good idea.

Offline Bird

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2015, 08:47:37 AM »
Just quietly between us; if someone would simply say "hey, use my credit card details" and they'd set up an amazon account, we'd have another year.
I'd do it, but I was stupid enough to use up my chance earlier, already.

So that's all it'd take; someone to put their hands up to be the "new user" on amazon, and it's free for a year.

Edit: also, if you go for the paid option, buying the instance up-front with 100% uptime will reduce the cost, somewhat.  If you buy it for 3 years it reduces it even more.  You basically just purchase what they call "reserved instances" (in the control panel). It needs to be on the same "availability zone", and it automatically applies.
http://aws.amazon.com/ec2/pricing/

The savings are really significant on bigger instances :)
« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 08:56:46 AM by Bird »

Offline Bruce

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2015, 01:29:35 PM »
My instance is due to go to "pay" early next month too...
I was planning on pre-paying a 3 year deal on my t2.small, I'm planning on getting better soon to win a race... :)
Now as Thursdays only need one we need to think about this to save all of us some money.
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Offline Bird

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2015, 02:26:49 PM »
Well, you guys should migrate the praccy and thursday instances on one server, and ask someone volunteer to run the free instance for a year with a credit card that is amazon aws virgin. :)

Please guys, there's nothing to it; you just create an account with your card and give the admins the instance login (not here on the forum, though!) - your cc details will not be accessible, only that its number is "ending in 1234".  Someone, please volunteer!


Edit:
if we do end up paying, change the payment method in the billing to AUD - Amazon's conversion rate is much more friendly than the bank rates nowadays - unless you're using something like a 28degrees card, maybe.
For me, today, when 0.77 is the xe median, amazon offers 0.76, and the bank...0.73  and that's just the rate. (unless they have some magical rate on visa cards - apparently master card has its own : https://www.mastercard.com/global/currencyconversion/index.html

The masterCard rates are very close, so yeah, maybe a 28degrees card is the best business.

Edit2:
sorry, visa has its own rates, too
http://usa.visa.com/personal/card-benefits/travel/exchange-rate-calculator.jsp

not as good as mastercard's but close to the Amazon rate - except for the bank fees, of course.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 02:44:17 PM by Bird »

Offline Wally

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2015, 02:29:45 PM »
That would be easiest. I've already used up all of my credit cards!
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”

Offline Joe

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2015, 02:41:55 PM »
Do they definitely cross check credit card details? Have you tried just signing up with another email address and using the same CC?

Offline Wally

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2015, 06:32:50 PM »
Do they definitely cross check credit card details? Have you tried just signing up with another email address and using the same CC?

I think I tried that, and they say card is already in use.
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”

Offline Bird

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2015, 07:44:31 PM »
Do they definitely cross check credit card details? Have you tried just signing up with another email address and using the same CC?
Yes.  But if you think about it, it'd be a rather beginner mistake - especially from a company this size :)

Offline Phil.8

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2015, 09:28:03 PM »
Where I rent my server from has an option for league members to make contributions straight to them,   Its more exspensive, costs about $100  6 monthly for 24 slot.  They have also upgraded  CPU: Dual Intel Xeon E5 2690v2 @3.3ghz RAM: 128GB HDD: 2 x 1TB SSD (Raid), our game servers operate in a shared hosting environment on powerful dedicated servers.
This means each game server is guaranteed the resources it needs and has direct access to them.
No overselling, no Hypervisor deciding what gets what.

not sure what all the fancy gargon means, probably means they are crap,  Anyway just letting you know.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 09:30:40 PM by Phil.8 »
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Offline Joe

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2015, 11:12:26 PM »
I work for Bulletproof Networks. We have our own VPC in Sydney. I can find out how much we can host a server for if you want. I asked about it before and was told they'd give it to me at whatever it costs to run due to being an employee. Just need to know specs and bandwidth.

Offline Wally

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2015, 08:07:59 AM »
I work for Bulletproof Networks. We have our own VPC in Sydney. I can find out how much we can host a server for if you want. I asked about it before and was told they'd give it to me at whatever it costs to run due to being an employee. Just need to know specs and bandwidth.
Doesn't need massive amounts of CPU or RAM. The bandwidth is the main thing. The Tuesday night server is 500 mbps up and down, and we still see warping. The stability and latency of the connection is really important.
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”

Offline Joe

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Re: Practice server - free Amazon period is running out
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2015, 10:05:00 AM »
I work for Bulletproof Networks. We have our own VPC in Sydney. I can find out how much we can host a server for if you want. I asked about it before and was told they'd give it to me at whatever it costs to run due to being an employee. Just need to know specs and bandwidth.
Doesn't need massive amounts of CPU or RAM. The bandwidth is the main thing. The Tuesday night server is 500 mbps up and down, and we still see warping. The stability and latency of the connection is really important.

Do you know what sort of data transfer in/out there is on that practice server on a monthly basis? I have no idea how much we can host it for, but worth asking for a comparison  :)

 

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