Follow This Easy Process To Get Started Playing Alamaze
Step #1 - Register for Forum Account
Step #2 - Create New Player Account
Step #3 - Sign In (to issue turn orders and join games) ATTENTION: After Creating Player Account and Signing In, select the GAME QUEUE link in the Order System screen to Create or Join games.
Well, I'm back for a while at least to try to get things in order. I was able to install an antivirus program (hard to find one that works on Windows Server 2003) and it found a bunch of goodies loaded in memory (see attachment). I'll try to clean things up but this may take a while. Having issues just trying to logon today. Also installed that anti-ransomware program that was mentioned on this thread. Will postpone games a few days if I can access the database...
(05-16-2017, 11:40 PM)Atuan Wrote: also were games supposed to run today? Looks like they havn't yet.
Mike was trying to access the server during the problems and couldn't while it was down. So I can see the scheduled processes might not have happened.
Yes, Mike and I have discussed migration. I'm not really worried about the change in server price, the main thing is its incumbent on us to migrate everything from an old operating system (again, in my ignorance, I thought the hosting company dealt with that) to a new server and how everything is organized, tens of thousands of files. That's on us to do. Mike has identified about a dozen issues with that.
Anyway, I have Softlayer running anti-virus software so with some luck we won't have the issue tomorrow.
You may be able to submit your turn's actions today since the system is somewhat cleaned up but we're still having some issues here folks. This morning when I logged in, McAfee detected a bad guy and my scan detected others (see attachments).
That's after last night's full system scan by McAfee Enterprise (run by the host server's administrator) and the free ClamWin version that I ran. We can't patch Windows Server 2003 due to Microsoft no longer supporting the operating system so that hole will remain exposed. I tried again this morning to update Windows in case Microsoft released a patch for it but no luck. I don't have access to the host server's McAfee program but that should be configured to run continuously because we're still getting infected every day.
Another indication that we have issues is that the CPU is at 100% usage (see one of the attachments). That'll slow down processing and handling of orders every day until we migrate to a completely new system.
So sorry about the bad news but I wanted to inform everyone of the progress (?) that we're making. The solution is to migrate Alamaze to a new server but that will take some time so we may have to bear the slowdown and poor performance for several weeks until that's done.
05-17-2017, 02:19 PM (This post was last modified: 05-17-2017, 02:23 PM by Thunderb0lt.)
There is a patch for wannacrypt for windows server 2003 came out 2 days ago. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download...x?id=55248 . Also you probably already know this, after removing a trojan recheck it after reboot to make sure it isnt established in your registry. If it is you will have to most likely manually remove it. The 100% draw on the cpu may be from those trojans otherwise what kind of RAM does it have. But we know you are working on it and we thank you. I am patient.
Well it's an old operating system and Microsoft doesn't have much incentive to do a thorough job.
About the registry cleanup, even when one Trojan is removed, a dozen others infect the system. Just typing that post this morning, McAfee's active scan which runs continuously detected and removed 15 other problems. So it's not like a single bad guy affects the server a day. Last night, we cleaned up hundreds of infected files which puts the Alamaze system at risk since those files have to be sent to a quarantine area and we can't really process Alamaze games if some of its files are in quarantine.
I gave Rick some options to move on from here. One is to request the hosting company to perform a complete reinstall of the operating system. Not Windows Server 2003 but a newer one like Windows 10. That will wipe out the entire drive which is good but I'll have to reinstall everything which will take some time to setup and configure properly.
Also, Alamaze now comprises of nine (9) software modules so it's a fairly complex system. We have the login website, order entry website, order checker/validator script (32k lines), game queue website, Valhalla website, game creation utility (also used by game queue in silent mode), poller module (checks every 15 seconds to process a ready-enabled game or to create a new game from the game queue), launcher module (precursor to the main program and emails turns), and the main game engine (processes turns and generates results).
In addition, there are also the modules that were in development such as the online player registration and billing website (to fully automate Alamaze from start to finish) and the online player aids component (of updating Frost's tools to be online and to include Maelstrom changes). So if those last two were finished, it would bring the total to 11 software modules!
Each module would have to be updated and verified to work with the new system components. Not just the new operating system but also a newer SQL Server edition, PHP, Java, etc.
So it's a bit of work and some risk of something not working properly to move everything to a new server or to completely wipe clean the current hard drive.
(05-17-2017, 02:46 PM)unclemike Wrote: Well it's an old operating system and Microsoft doesn't have much incentive to do a thorough job.
About the registry cleanup, even when one Trojan is removed, a dozen others infect the system. Just typing that post this morning, McAfee's active scan which runs continuously detected and removed 15 other problems. So it's not like a single bad guy affects the server a day. Last night, we cleaned up hundreds of infected files which puts the Alamaze system at risk since those files have to be sent to a quarantine area and we can't really process Alamaze games if some of its files are in quarantine.
I gave Rick some options to move on from here. One is to request the hosting company to perform a complete reinstall of the operating system. Not Windows Server 2003 but a newer one like Windows 10. That will wipe out the entire drive which is good but I'll have to reinstall everything which will take some time to setup and configure properly.
Also, Alamaze now comprises of nine (9) software modules so it's a fairly complex system. We have the login website, order entry website, order checker/validator script (32k lines), game queue website, Valhalla website, game creation utility (also used by game queue in silent mode), poller module (checks every 15 seconds to process a ready-enabled game or to create a new game from the game queue), launcher module (precursor to the main program and emails turns), and the main game engine (processes turns and generates results).
In addition, there are also the modules that were in development such as the online player registration and billing website (to fully automate Alamaze from start to finish) and the online player aids component (of updating Frost's tools to be online and to include Maelstrom changes). So if those last two were finished, it would bring the total to 11 software modules!
Each module would have to be updated and verified to work with the new system components. Not just the new operating system but also a newer SQL Server edition, PHP, Java, etc.
So it's a bit of work and some risk of something not working properly to move everything to a new server or to completely wipe clean the current hard drive.
All hail Uncle Mike! I can't believe the amount of work you get done. It sure is good to have you back and I think it is safe to say we all appreciate you more than ever.
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