This week, we wrapped up the pre-order process for our new GR Classic Hoodies, and will begin the process of ordering and shipping this week. As expected, this was a lower volume item, but owing to the work we’ve done earlier this year around low volume fulfillment, we’re able to continue forward and get hoodies out to folks without issue. Thank you to everyone who submitted orders over the last couple weeks, your support helps us continue to keep things running.
Speaking of, we looked into some performance metrics around serving our streams as well as email. We’re beginning the process of upgrading some of our hardware (again) to meet increased traffic and user demand. Occasionally, issues have been reported in the form of 403 errors when connecting to streams resulting from high CPU usage server-side. With the April project on the horizon, we need to make sure our systems can handle existing load plus have plenty of capacity to handle what will effectively be a new service.
Some readers will recall that we went through a similar process last year to address performance concerns, and by the end of that process our costs increased by about 3x. We also mentioned during our “Phases” episode last year that there was an additional phase beyond deployment of our new source server responsible for delivering audio to our broadcast server(s). This involves driving listeners to multiple geolocated servers which would improve connectivity and consistency for listeners outside of North America using our provider’s global network, as well as help to distribute load among multiple edge servers.
This is an ambitious project which would improve the experience for our users, but would also (predictably) increase costs. It’s also why listener support has become so important, and the reason why we’re planning on moving forward with our lossless streaming service later this Spring. Expect more information in the weeks after the April project has been launched.
In other news, we ordered a new batch of postcards with a brand new design from an as-of-yet unnamed artist. This is the first batch we’ve ordered since 2019, and we’re excited to get these in the hands of music and game fans everywhere! If you or someone you know is going to a convention or event this year and would like to be a volunteer, let us know and we can send some your way!
The next week or two will likely see reduced output before break begins, but after that, it’s back to full-time development for at least a full month. I hope you’ll look forward to what we’ve got in store, and thanks for listening!
~ Penny the Australian Shepard Mix (April 25th, 2022)
[Knowledge #63]