We've known for a few years that XO will be shutting down the co-location facility MobyGames hosts its servers in. We have been seeing more and more customers leave and the facility change from a manned operation to remote support all harbingers or a doomed colo. Through it all we have been relatively happy. The bandwidth is relatively reliable and the prices are OK. There has been a few mishaps. There were random billing issues. Largely I attribute this to MobyGames being a legacy customer way back from the Concentric days even before MobyGames was born. Even once the power was shut down by accident. We were pretty torqued, but not nearly as torqued as a large online retailer of tickets for live events. They could be considered pretty much an anchor tenant. Something like a Starbucks at a strip mall.

Once they vacated we knew one day we would get a letter and Brian and I would have to pick up and move the physical infrastructure somewhere. Well that day came sometime in March. We were like OK. We shopped around, but XO gave us a good deal. From that point forward it has kind of sucked. While planning the migration XO informed us that the insurance requirements have changed and they will not let us into the facility without proof of insurance. I tell them, "OK. No problem, but it will take a little while for us to get with an insurance broker to get the General Liability or whatever they needed." Yesterday I am told that they will let us move in as long as we promise to meet the insurance requirements later. Great.

MobyGames is headquartered in Chicago. That is where each of us are originally from and where MobyGames was born. Since then I have moved to New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and finally back to New York. Brian lives in Colorado. In order to move the servers and network gear while at the same time maintaining uptime I told XO we will need a week or two to plan and coordinate the move since it is a little more complicated than packing up and moving a few books and a desk lamp. Well today XO told me we have to move by May 31. The facility is being torn down and a new tenant if moving in June 1.

Great so now we are scrambling. We have plane tickets, equipment has been purchased and orders expedited. Brian and I arrive on Monday. We had hoped to use Monday to move in the "swing equipment" and set it up. So that on Tuesday we can cut over with a minimum of interruption of service. Normally the facility has 24/7 access, but you need key cards. XO neglected to send them to us. They very helpfully said we could pick them up on Tuesday. A day too late.

Well I am not overly happy with XO. I guess I should of been more on top of this. Oh well. Hopefully there will be little or no downtime. Of course MobyGames may flat line for a few hours ... or god forbid even longer.

Good luck with the move. I wish I was closer as I'd gladly help with lugging stuff for you guys. I can't afford to get out there right now, though. :(

...and unfortunately luck is all we international Mobyusers can offer you... Best of it though!

No problem!! I am unemplyed right now so I could help if I lived in Chicago. Guess that as Inderanta said, luck (and support) is all we can offer...

Take as long as you need to relocate, just get mobygames running as good as it has been all those years. ;-)

I hope that everything will work out fine for you guys, regarding the moving of MobyGames. What at joke it would be if you moved to Norway with your equipment. There are lots of little towns in Norway which need companies or similar things to keep them alive.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you guys!

I talked with Brian and Dave last night; the switch was relatively quick, as I only noticed a downtime of somewhere between 3-4 hours. Very impressive since they had to move all of the equipment themselves (I couldn't get out of work on such short notice).

Last night the site was out for some hours, I though it was because of those moves. Happy to see it didn't cause much trouble!

Great work, guys!