[Michael Aivaliotis]

It's been tough going through the last month without our beloved LAVA site, but behold, it's back and better than ever. We're calling this version LAVA 2.0. Welcome back!

How did we get to this point? Well, there was a serious crash on the LAVA server database and years worth of data was lost. I didn't have a very good backup and data recovery process in place, which meant I couldn't bring the site up the way it was before. There is good news however... keep reading.

Just to step back a little to discuss the history of LAVA. LAVA started back in 2002 as an experiment by myself and mostly to provide a web based platform for LabVIEW discussions that could be on the same level as the then popular Info-LabVIEW mailing list. I wanted to host quality discussions where the tiniest detail and minutia of LabVIEW coding could be discussed at an advanced level using the latest web technology. Well, it was a slow start but after a few years it looked like LAVA was a hit. The member levels grew and along with that, more stress on the server and site.

Throughout the life of LAVA I was the sole administrator of the back-end system. I managed my own server and performed custom modifications to the forums application framework. However, this could only be sustained for so long. I have a "real job" of course and spending time on LAVA administration is on an as-needed basis. So, after a few months of neglect and a few careless server maintenance actions on my part, the inevitable happened. Data was lost.

I didn't know what to do at that point and decided to tap into a few trusted LAVA members and friends for help. Jim Kring and justin Goeres to name a few. It was decided that a more decentralized management of LAVA was necessary to avoid another catastrophe and allow more people the ability to manage and help with the workload.

We also took this opportunity to experiment with a hosted community service called Ning. The Premium members and some key LAVA members were invited to try the site out for a week. That went ok at the start but we found that it lacked the power that LAVA users were acustomed to. We also had an issue with how much control they had of all the site data and with how limiting the system was to modifications. At the end of the day we concluded that it would serve the community better to keep the familiar experience of the original LAVA intact. We scrapped the Ning site and took what we learned to relaunch LAVA.

Here's the good news part. It turns out I had an off-site backup of the data from Feb 2007. Also, it just so happened, that avid LAVA reader, Philippe Guerit, was keeping all the RSS feed content on his computer since after Feb 2007. What luck! Buy the man a beer!

I've managed, using LabVIEW of all things, to extract the old database data. Jeff Plotzke wrote a program to parse through Philippe's RSS feed file. And together we were able to get all the old content imported (yes, the dreaded Alpha thread too). Chris Relf and Mark Balla have also worked hard to manually import the old CR code into the new site as well. That data had to be manually imported.

The bright side of this restructuring is that now I have more people to help out in keeping LAVA alive. We now have 6 administrators instead of just one. We have moved LAVA to a hosted Invision (the company that makes the forum software) server account, making it more reliable with regular backups. I have found a new friend in Jeff, who knows PHP, (why didn't you say so a long time ago?). And I have learned how to ask for help

I want to assure you that all of us who have worked on getting the site up and running are passionate about keeping LAVA alive. We hope that you welcome the new LAVA, along with some of the new cool features we've added, back into your daily workflow.

• I'll be creating a separate topic to describe some of the new features in LAVA 2.0. In the meantime, please post any questions or problems with the site here. Note that the only way to login to your account is using your email address. To get a new password click the forgotten password link and fill-in ONLY your email address.

Thanks to Jim, Jeff, Justin, Chris, Mark, Philippe and all the Ning beta testers.

[orko]

Michael Aivaliotis, on 03 July 2009 - 01:36 AM, said:

It's been tough going through the last month without our beloved LAVA site, but behold, it's back and better than ever. We're calling this version LAVA 2.0. Welcome back!

Indeed it sounds like you had your hands full, but you all have endured, and I am extremely thankful. The LAVA resource was sadly missed by all in it's abscence.

Great work!

Joe

[François Normandin]

Michael Aivaliotis, on 03 July 2009 - 04:36 AM, said:

Thanks to Jim, Jeff, Justin, Chris, Mark, Philippe and all the Ning beta testers.

A big thanks to the six of you. This is a collosal achievement.
I think we collectively owe you guys a round at the next LAVA BBQ...

Jim , Jeff , Justin , Chris , Mark , Philippe & Mike

[jcz]

well done !

[Antoine Châlons]

Great job LAVA team!

A huge thank you for your hard work. You make LAVA an awesome community!

[ronghuaw]

Many thanks for the people hard working to make the LAVA back online...

[xavier30]

Yay! finally lava is back!!

I dreaded that my No 1 LabVIEW resource was gone

I have been using googles cached copy of the lava pages for the last month XD. (by the way could you perhaps get some of the missing pieces from them? if there are any.)

I'm gonna have a few cold brown ones tonight just in the name of LAVA 2.0. and all you guys who got this great site back up!

[JasonXCX]

Many thanks for all this work. Lava is back it is the very good new of the day

[Mangguopai]

Welcome back to LAVA!

[HeLo]

Thanks's a lot to the great LAVA-Team!

Herbert

[Jeff Plotzke]

xavier30, on 03 July 2009 - 08:01 AM, said:

I have been using googles cached copy of the lava pages for the last month XD. (by the way could you perhaps get some of the missing pieces from them? if there are any.)

Google's cache has been keeping up and started caching the LAVA 1.0 'Offline' page about a week after it went offline. But, we should have all of the missing pieces back up on LAVA 2.0 now -- Let us know if you see something missing.

Thanks!

[TobyD]

Thanks for all the hard work! Good to have LAVA back online!

-Toby

[Val Brown]

Absolutely outstanding work! Well done and thanks for providing such an invaluable resource.

[Eric Desbiens]

Many thanks to the new LAVA team. Great Job!

[Gabi1]

Thank you for bringing it back!
i missed it

[MMurray]

Great job everyone who was involved! Thank you

Great work to all involved!!!! Thank you!!

[Amri]

Great work. I miss my LAVA. By bringing the new LAVA, I ring along my new spirit . So keep up the good things guys .

[Anu Kalidas]

Michael and team,

Thank you very much for the great work.

[myyugin]

Great work~
Welcome back LAVA-Team!

[Hamid]

Michael and the rest of LAVA team;

Thank you very much for the hard work. See you at NI-Week!

Regards
Hamid