Sunday, September 07, 2008 Overworked server causes glitches in City's website
IF Internet users have problems accessing the Cebu City Government’s website lately, technical glitches, which will cost the City P500,000 to fix, are to blame.
The website, which features information for tourists, taxpayers and residents, has been problematic because of the outdated server, website managers told the City Council last Wednesday.
The City’s Management Information and Computer Services (Mics) said the website keeps crashing because of low memory.
The existing server has a capacity of only 10 gigabytes and uses an ordinary computer that has operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the past five years.
Because of the server’s very limited memory capacity, new content cannot be uploaded to the website, cebucity.gov.ph, and city officials cannot access their website-based e-mail accounts.
MICS department head William Cris Artajo said buying a new server and other computer units will cost around P500,000, including the license for the software.
Once upgraded, however, the server can hold multi-media materials and video that can be uploaded to the website.
In their regular session last Wednesday, City Councilors Jose Daluz III and Augustus Pe Jr. assured funds will be available so the problem can be fixed before the year ends.
“Simply put, the web server has run out of space, so that we have to check and delete unnecessary files and content. That’s the only remedial solution until we can buy a new server,” Artajo said.
A few councilors observed that there are times when they cannot connect to the website. And if they are able to access it, some links are not available for viewing and they cannot open their email accounts.
Artajo said they first proposed to upgrade the server two years ago.
However, funding was not carried in last year’s budget and the succeeding supplemental budget measures and the Annual Investment Plan.
He explained to the council that the server is just an ordinary computer that has a content management system database, which holds all the information uploaded to the website.
Last July, the City Government received a special award in Malacañang for being the first local government unit in the country to adopt the website accessibility guidelines prescribed by the United Nations.
The award was given by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons. (LCR)
