ranking.pl backend database being pruned

Hosting issues mean I have to cut the size of the backend MySQL database pretty much immediately. Right now it stands at 10GB, which has recently been a problem anyway (a source of query timeouts re: the last post, for example). My solution in the interim, in order to maintain at least some functionality, is to remove all entries pre-2012-01-01.

mysql> DELETE FROM `gamerecords` WHERE date < '2012-01-01';

This was a hard decision to make. I don't like the fact that I have to do this so soon - in fact, exams make it quite inconvenient for me to be messing with this stuff - but this is the only reliable short term solution. I have backed up the database already, as of 2012-01-15 (pre-insert, so I guess more like 2012-01-14...).

The database will be back, though. My intention is to move to a new server I have set up, but the infrastructure behind arcturus.su is actually quite complex and not that easy to move without a lot of work. There is also just reams of data, which is quite a serious task to host (I believe the entire site exceeds 60GB in size now, given all the Tenhou data in various forms).

It will happen soon, though. For now we have to put up with limited usefulness of ranking.pl, but my hand is being forced in this regard and there is not much that can be done.

I was going to rebuild ranking.pl's backend database anyway, since it had a few problems, so I guess this is a blessing in disguise because it will force me to do it sooner.

Stay tuned for more updates.