I believe we may have chased down the source of most of the issues we've been having with GroupCaller: Lack of Resources.
We've been using only one server to run the entire thing, but it's such a massive program it really needs 2 or 3 servers to do the job adequately...even now while we're just starting out and before we have done any real volume dialing. It seems we need a stand-alone web server just to run the application that allows Remote Agents to log in and use the system, plus managers and developers to log in and control the system. This is the part Remote Agents, Managers and Adminstrators will actually see when they use GroupCaller. This makes sense to me because I expect before too long, we'll have many, many Remote Agents logged in and using the system all at the same time. I wondered how that one server was going to handle all that volume. Answer: It can't. I just learned that the web server ALONE is a major resource "hog", even when only one or two people (or NOBODY) are logged in and using it. If we add the dialer as well, we'd have to have a much more powerful machine to do the job. Just learned this TODAY. (sigh)
Now I learn that we need a completely separate server for a the dialing functions. In researching the recent problems we've had configuring the system to operate properly, one common theme kept emerging: Separate Servers provide the best configuration. As luck would have it, we just happen to have 3 identical servers, one of which was configured for GroupCaller. Tonight I'm configuring the other two as CentOS boxes so we can use one as the web server, and the other two as dialers. Ahmed actually seemed "excited" about this! He thought we had access to only one server so he was attempting the impossible. It didn't work. He didn't tell us we were trying to do this with too little resources. Perhaps he hoped that our volume would be small enough it wouldn't matter. As he's learning, we intend to do massive volume. Eventually, I expect we'll have hundreds and maybe thousands of servers spread across many locations. For now, 3 will do.
It would be great news if the "fix" to our major GroupCaller problems turns out to be as easy as simply installing two more servers, which are already in our server farm. I know of some additional issues we'll face due to the research I've done recently. But the discussion today with Ahmed and Jeff has led me to believe the issue of "too few servers to do the job" might just be the root cause of the problem.
It's ironic. We bought these 3 Dell servers in 2007 for the express purpose of operating the dialers. And now here we are, FINALLY, in 2011 setting them up to be used for their original intended purpose. I never would have guessed it would take so long to get our own system up and operational. I hope to have them set up and operational by the end of the night. I'm writing this article as I'm installing the new operating system. If I do this, then tomorrow, Ahmed should be able to install the system on the other 2 servers, and configure them to operate separately, thereby sharing the resources and (hopefully) ensuring a smooth operation.
I'm disappointed that this will interrupt our attempt at sales this week. But, I'm thrilled to find a solution that just might fix most of the headaches we've faced for the past two-and-a-half months; and to know that the solution has been right in hand all along. and WON'T require another big investment from our meager cash resources. (whew!)
I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes. I've also got some stats that I spent all weekend preparing that may all be moot once we get these two new systems operational. Check in tomorrow afternoon because I hope to have a whiz-bang report for you!
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