A while ago I sent out a somewhat joking email about a service interruption to KELEX Inc. servers. I had finally gotten around to cleaning up my wiring closet and had added new power supply and a UPS, which meant that I would have to power down the server so that I could move power cords around, install new hardware etc. Sometimes I have to make some "infrastructure" changes in there but it normally only affects the router or network connectivity and the outage is just a few seconds. No-one seems to notice. But not this time and I thought it would be an interesting way to let people know that there were some changes coming.

KELEX Inc. Planned Service Outage
KELEX
would like to provide the following service interruption bulletin to enable our users to better plan their service use during the upcoming outage. As suppliers of services with the highest system uptime amongst all MH providers,
KELEX
understands the importance of a stable connection to the services that you've come to rely on from us. Which is why in January 2013 we undertook the largest hardware upgrade in our service's history. The addition to a new server cluster sporting significant CPU and RAM upgrades and running on the industry's latest software has significantly improved the responsiveness and performance of our services. As we enter the final phase of the upgrade, critical user services will, once again, be interrupted and we advise all our users to consult the following bulletin to minimize the impact of this outage. Again, we apologize for the interruption and hope that you will continue to use our completely free and revenue-negative services in the future.
When

Sunday March 3 2013 at 2pm AST/10AM PST and lasting approximately 15 minutes
Services Affected
Most KELEX services will be unavailable during the outage but the following specific services will be interrupted:
TeamSpeak Servers including Minecraft and Ace of Spades specific channels
AirVideo streaming media services
Minecraft Public Servers
Minecraft Private Servers (PedroKid, AlexMatt, and Monkey1034)
Indexing
During the window you will not be able to login and existing connections may be terminated without warning.
Services Not Affected (common services that users often ask about)
Google Apps
Intranet file access
Local file backup
Specific Details
KELEX Inc. will be shutting down its main data center (PLAKE) to perform relocation of its main server cluster.
KELEX Inc. houses all of its production servers in PLAKE.
Specifically, the server cluster will be lowered approximately 18 inches forcing rerouting of critical power and network connections.
To prevent damage to critical equipment, KELEX will be powering down servers, network, and other valuable equipment in advance of the move.
Service Improvements
KELEX Inc. is happy to announce installation of it's first automatic hot spare disk drive to minimize disruption during hardware failures.
All PLAKE systems are now powered by improved Corsair power supplies in order to improve system stability and are protected by APC power backup units.
FAQ
Can I work during the maintenance window?
In general, KELEX recommends that you avoid using the affected services during the maintenance window. Although systems may be available during the maintenance window, they can and will be shut down without warning. So, use only at your own risk.
Can’t this be done without disrupting service?
To prevent damage to critical equipment, KELEX will be powering down servers, network, and other valuable equipment in advance of the move.
Can you reschedule this window to a more convenient time?
Plans for this outage began earlier this weekend. The log of service use was consulted for better timing to minimize the impact on evening gaming and other essential functions.
How do I find out more?
If you have any questions or concerns contact us at idontcare@jeffries.ca.

It was an interesting smattering of responses I got and I didn't think too much about it at the time but, looking back I realize that it was probably when I started actually thinking about services I was providing and the effect that an interruption had on those people.

Now, some people are going to think that this is weird and why would I even run something like this. Well, first and foremost, it's a hobby. I enjoy messing around with these things and learning tech can never really hurt. And since I'm making them available at home for me, why wouldn't I want it to be available for me anywhere? And if it were available for me anywhere, why would I mind other people seeing it? So that's what I did.