Apex Dev Log: January-February Apex Progress

Apex Development Log: January-February Apex Progress

This January, TGS Tech took significant steps in strengthening our technological foundation and preparing our systems to support the ambitious goals set for the Apex Prototype and Apex Engine related applications. These updates not only enhance our current capabilities but also lay the groundwork for future developments and innovations.

Our focus was primarily on setting up the groundwork for the Apex Prototype and Apex Engine system infrastructure and security measures, particularly within our server management and the development of the Apex Prototype. Our efforts this past month focused on enhancing data security, optimizing network functionality, and establishing robust backup systems to support our ongoing R&D and operational needs.

Server Configuration and Backups
While the use of Perforce is not mandatory for teams working with Apex Engine, it plays an essential role in our development process. This is in line with our routine backups and our efforts to establish an automated backup system for both our development pipeline and the Apex Engine itself.

• Perforce Licensing and Setup: Initiated the additional new licensing and setting up a new server for Perforce to bolster our internal version control capabilities.
• Server Backups: Achieved comprehensive backup operations:
  • Created backups for the legacy P3D Perforce Server.
  • Transferred office data to offsite storage and moved Perforce backups to a local NAS for enhanced data safety.
• Migrated the AWS P3D AMI to the new TGS Tech server
• Incorporating updated configurations to improve system resilience.

Network and Database Management
Setup new system configurations based on the most recent tests and changes. Additionally, the team successfully diagnosed and resolved various network communication issues, substantially improving the reliability and efficiency of our network resources.

• System Configurations:
  • Configured authenticators and assigned Elastic IPs across multiple systems to streamline server access and security.
  • Updated DNS settings and configuration files for three application servers and the database to ensure consistent performance and connectivity.
• Troubleshooting and Optimizations:
  • Diagnosed and resolved various network communication issues, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of our network resources.

Additional R&D and Documentation
For Apex Engine, like many online or cloud based software, a coldstart is essential, ensuring server integrity by conducting a full hardware check before the system goes live. This process, vital for maintaining performance and reliability in clustered environments, is more time-consuming but critical for preventing service disruptions in complex cloud architectures.

• Developed a detailed startup order for a cold startup of our cluster, vital for minimizing downtime and ensuring quick recovery in outage scenarios.
• Documented these procedures in the General Design Document, providing a clear guide for future reference and ongoing system maintenance.