39-Year-Old 4.77 MHz DOS Web Server Hits 2,500 Hours of Uptime
Behind the simple but unattractive website, Brutmann Institute, has some amazing features and stats. A recent update posted on the site revealed that the server behind the web destination was running at a staggering “2,500 hours of continuous runtime.” But perhaps more frowned upon is the fact that the web server is his 39-year-old IBM PCjr with his 4.77 MHz CPU.
The Brutman Labs web page is subtitled “Retrocomputing Performance Art”, probably due to the mismatch between ancient hardware and the capable and stable web services it delivers. It is considered. At the time of writing, Server status page It reveals that the beige IBM computing fossil has been continuously performing its duties for over 2,541 hours. This means that there have been no restarts for more than 105 consecutive days.
The work outlined above is worth exploring, but what are the specs behind the BrutmanLabs.Org server? The image below lists the hardware and software.
The 39-year-old IBM PCjr that serves as the web server here has undergone some significant modernization. Perhaps the biggest upgrade came to the storage subsystem, with an IDE adapter and a 240GB SATA SSD installed. It also has a maximum of 736 KB of RAM, which may have been unusual for this 39-year-old machine of his. Nevertheless, the heart of this system still pulsates. NEC V20 CPUa chip that is code and pin compatible with the legendary Intel 8088 and runs at 4.77 MHz.
Today, when you visit BrutmanLabs.Org, the machine that serves the web page you’re reading is served by this very old IBM PCjr. The site has a lot of information about related and side projects and is well worth a visit.
Brutman Labs Contextual Server Uptime
It might be impressive that the retro server above has been running continuously for over 2,541 hours, or over 105 days, but it’s only a small part of the standings for the uptime rankings.
Last month, we reported a bug for AMD Epyc Rome, and the red team confirmed that the bug could “hang the core after about 1,044 days.” That’s about 2.93 years. An issue affecting 2nd Gen Epyc processors suggested a workaround of rebooting the system more regularly than his every 1,044 days. Alternatively, the user can disable his CC6 sleep state.
Sadly for Epyc Rome users, AMD’s bug meant that their CPU-based systems never had a chance to rank high in the Uptime League. 2.93 years may sound like a long time between reboots, but the computer on the Voyager spacecraft, for example, has been running without a reboot for over 48 years (and will continue). Looking at just the computer on the ground, the record looks like this: over 16 years For servers retired in 2018.
If you’re proud of your computer system’s uptime, it might be worth comparing crowds and notes uptime porn subreddit. These lists are for all kinds of devices, not just computers. I just noticed an interesting post about. cisco routerwas claimed to have been running continuously for over 19 years.