FanFic.net History

The server originally went on line in Jun of 1995.  The server was a 486DX-33 with 16MB running OS/2 version 3.0.  The server used an OS/2 port of NCSA httpd, Penguin FTP, Sendmail compiled for OS/2, pine for OS/2, and some version of pop3d mail server that I found on the Hobbes archive CD.  The system had 3 hard drives (200MB, 240MB, and a 300MB all SCSI).  More memory was added and the CPU replaced with a DX/2-66 and the Ranma 1/2 homepage's image archive moved here.  All and all the system was nice but suffered from reboots due to a memory leak in the httpd port. 

The system was then converted to a Linux server and a 1 GB hard drive added.  The server was very stable for the next year and a few more homepages moved over.  The UNCC-Jams mail list also was hosted on the server at this time.  As the servers popularity increased the CPU started bogging down.  It was replaced with a P75 and all seemed good.  Or so I thought.

After more problems with Linux I took the plunge and got a copy of O'Riley Website, SERV-U and Windows NT Server.   Things started looking good until the replacement of SERV-U with WarFTPD.  The server continued to get more and more hits (Averaging 7 a second) and started to run into memory problems (or lack there of).  A donation of 128MB fixed the memory problems and the server hummed along.  Conflicts with WebSite and WarFTPD caused me to switch to IIS 3.0.  While lacking some of Website's features, the IIS FTP and WWW server worked will together.  The server hummed along for a while.

In Nov of 1997 a Linux system using the newer version was added to the archive and linked to the server via NFS and SMBFS for use and maintaining the server.  All was good until the mistake of upgrading IIS from 3.0 to 4.0 at the end of the month.  Crash! Boom! Crash!  After having to reinstall NT and restoring Backups and dealing with the server locking up every few hours I spent the time to switch the server back to O'Riley Website and SERV-U.  The new SERV-U fixed the original problems that made me move away from it and though WebSite lacked the native database interface it excelled over IIS as an archive server.

Then on Jun 30th 1998 I took a new job after working at  USA Computers for 7 years and moved to CA and took a job with Lucent Remote Access Business Unit (formally Livingston Enterprises).  The server was down for about a month because of the move instead of the original 1 week I had planed.  But all worked out in the end and it came back on line.  The setup changed a little but now some big improvements were in the planning stages.

After some problems in Feb 1999 with the Admin box I finally replaced the 540GB SCSI drive with a 1GB SCSI and replaced the 486-66 with an AMD 586-133.

In Aug of 1999 the two server setup was Replaced with a single custom built Intel 400 machine running Solaris 2.6 for X86.  The older hardware was just not holding up (Though I did keep the floppy drive and one HD from the original OS/2 server <G>).  Also implemented blocking of in-line refereeing to images from out side sites.  The last report was 70% off all traffic was from people using IMG references from other sites. The web server is now Apache as it seems to be the most stable and efficent one made.

In Oct of 1999 had to replace the last original SCSI HD.  Wound up putting in a 10gb drive as that was the smallest I could find in stock.  Upgraded to Solaris 2.7 for X86 at the same time.

By the end of 1999 the server was mostly FanFiction and Fan Art related. This seems to work out better for the server then trying to be an all in one site. The decision was made that the main archives would stay off-line and only the rec.arts.anime.creative mirror stay active.

In July of 2000 we're now using the domain fanfic.net to reflect that we are not mostly Fan Fiction related.

On Aug 2nd 2001 FanFic.net has added public discussion forums. Only a few conferences to start with but we hope to add more soon.

On May 4th 2005 FanFic.net moved to a new home for hosting. The server is now at Castle Comics & Games in Cameron Park CA whch I am a partner in. The server also hosts the Store web site. The Forums are off line and I'm not sure if I will bring them bak up due to abuses of them in the past.