At about 22:15 this evening a power cut started affecting some parts of Bristol City. This means that some University residences have lost power, and some networking equipment that feeds other residences is also without power. Currently, wired and wireless ResNet is unavailable at several locations (click here for the current ResNet network status).

ResNet should automatically return to service when the power comes back on. For more information, please refer to this IS News article.

The ResNet Service is currently non-functional at Hillside Woodside.

The outage is due to a failure of the link connecting the main University network to Burwalls (which then feeds Hillside Woodside). A member of the Networks Team is currently working on the problem. The most recent information we have indicates that the problem is either due to power supply failure or hardware failure.

Updated, 2009-11-25 17:06: A replacement power supply should arrive tomorrow morning which will allow further diagnostics to be carried out. If the power supply is the cause of the fault, service should be restored early tomorrow.

Updated, 2009-11-26 14:54: The replacement power supply delivery has been unavoidably delayed until tomorrow. The outage will unfortunately persist until then.

Updated, 2009-11-27 10:14: The broken hardware has been replaced and ResNet at Hillside Woodside is up and running again.

The ResNet database has been switched off. This is so that the machine that it runs on can be attached to a new super quick network filesystem. Sorry we didn't tell you earlier.

Luckily, this work will not affect most ResNet connections:

• If you are a current ResNet user, the Manage my ResNet utility and the automatic status monitoring on our homepage will be unavailable for most of the day. Otherwise, your internet connection should be unaffected.
• We will not be able to move your connection if you are moving room/hall until the database is back on.
• If you are a new ResNet user and need to pay us, we will be able to take your money, but we will not be able to switch on your account until after the database has been reactivated. Usually this would be instant.

Update: this was restored by about 11.45am this morning.

Tomorrow (19th September 2006) we will be moving the ResNet database to a much more powerful computer.
Cool ... but why do I care? Well, that depends on who you are:

• If you are a current ResNet user, the Manage my ResNet utility and the automatic status monitoring on our homepage will be unavailable for most of the day. Otherwise, your internet connection should be unaffected.
• If you are a new ResNet user and need to pay us, we will be able to take your money, but we will not be able to switch on your account until after the database has been moved. Usually this would be instant.
• If you are coming to Bristol for the new academic year, you will be able to register and setup your connection even faster. (At the start of the year, when 5000 people try to register their connection at the same time, the old database computer tended to get a bit stressed, hopefully the new one will not!).

1pm 19th Sept: the database upgrade has now been completed. The new system is much snappier than the old one, and should be good for the start of term. Thanks to the database guys for sorting this for us.