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Topic: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

The Gateway is down yet again!
As no one from NBN is answering our posts on the previous thread I'm trying again in the hope that someone is listening because we, the Gateway users and data contributors, are exasperated, frustrated and irritated by the inability of anyone to answer our requests for information.
Many of use the Gateway on a regular basis, it is important to us, it is an essential reference source and certain processes such as record checking and verification grind to halt without it. We have no other means of accessing this type of distribution data.
We understand that Gateway 5 has its problems, but there is nothing else. Although formally launched the Atlas of Living Scotland is still not operational. It is unlikely to be fit for purpose in the foreseeable future and its companion sites are not even that advanced. So we need the Gateway to work and to continue to work for the next few years.
I know resources are tight and that keeping the Gateway going is not on anyone's priority list, but without it we can not continue to send you good quality data.
All we ever wanted was a version of the Gateway that worked and gave us the basic information we have requested. We are really not very interested in the glitzy Living Atlas platform, all we want is a simple interactive system that gives us access to the information we need.
We keep asking, you tell us you're listening, but we seem to be speaking different languages.
The forum is supposed to give us a voice so perhaps you might offer us the courtesy of a response.

Christine Johnson
OHBR

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Hello Chris

The NBN Gateway is now working again. Sorry for the inconvenience the NBN Gateway being down caused.

Graham

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

At last - a reply from the Gateway team.  After months of silence.  Thanks, Graham.

Now would you please let us into the secret - why is the stability of the site so utterly appalling?  And, more importantly, what is being done to fix it?

Murdo

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Thank you for the response. Is there anything you can do to make it a little more reliable?

Christine

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Normal service has been resumed - by which I mean, of course, that the site is again not working.  Trying to call up a map just now (yes, I got that far) it hangs, not able to load the grid map as it is 'Waiting for gis.nbn.org.uk', and eventually gave up to show the image icon.

Yesterday I got the NBN newsletter, and - astonishingly, given the contents of this forum over the past few months - could see nothing about Gateway problems.  Though there is a request for feedback on the new NBN website.

I think NBN has had plenty feedback about the Gateway recently, but it seems to have been ignored on the principle of 'see no evil, hear no evil'.

M.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Gateway is still down, I can't get a connection to the site at all!
It is inconvenient not having the maps - but no access at all is a serious problem.
What do we have to do to get someone to take notice of our complaints and provide to the resources to resolve the probelm?

Christine

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Obviously I was lucky this morning - at least I got in to the site, but little else.  Now I can't get in at all, 2h after Christine's post.  And still a deafening silence from NBN.

Does anyone in NBN care about this?  If anyone does, would he/she please apply a tiny bit of courtesy to the recorders, data managers and data users who provide the Gateway with its entire justification for its existence, and give us an explanation?

M.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Apologies for a lack of contact from the NBN. We have had staffing shortages recently and have unintentionally missed some of these forum messages.

We are aware that there are issues with the NBN Gateway server, which is one of the main reasons we are moving away from the dated platform, to provide a stable and reliable Atlas platform in it's place. We apologise for the inconveniences that the NBN Gateway has been causing. Please continue to report when the NBN Gateway is down, so that the Gateway team are aware. You may find that access@nbn.org.uk is a good place to report these issues also.

The Atlas of Living Scotland is still a work in progress and is not intended to be a replacement for the NBN Gateway just yet, hence not all of the functionality being complete. We will notify users when we intend for the AoLS to be the main portal for accessing records.

We are gathering user feedback that is being supplied to us, and we are working through making the suggested improvements to the Atlas.

We appreciate that changing systems can cause turbulence, and ask that you are patient, and kindly provide feedback as you explore the site.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

The Gateway is down again.

We understand that ALS is a work in progress, but in the meantime it is important that the Gateway continues to function and that efforts are made to keep it working.
Many of us rely on the Gateway for data checking, and if it's down work grinds to halt. Many of us are volunteers and it is difficult to keep up with the work load. So please try and understand why we get grumpy when the Gateway is down.

Christine

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Hi Christine,

I have reported the issue to the Gateway team and will get an update on progress as soon as possible.

Ella

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Hi Christine,

The Gateway should be back up and working now.

Ella

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

It's down again

Charlie Barnes
Information Officer
Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Gateway was working this morning, but is down again.

Charlie Barnes
Information Officer
Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

The Gateway technical team is looking into this, but say that the problems relate to an issue at the web server level. Unfortunately, they can’t give an estimate of how long it will take to fix as it's unclear as to what the root problem is, but they are looking into it.

The Gateway is working at the moment, but this may continue to be intermittent.

Our apologies for the ongoing issues.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Gateway is timing out again.

Charlie Barnes
Information Officer
Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Once again, so slow as to be utterly unusable, even when the site does decide to load a page.

M.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

And again this morning, after a rare couple of hours of working adequately.

M.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

data.nbn.org.uk is timing out again for me

Charlie Barnes
Information Officer
Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

The technical team have been notified and will be looking into this matter.  We hope that the Gateway will be back up and running soon.  Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Apologies for any downtime on the Gateway.  This seems to have been an extension of the issues we were experiencing with the web server last time, it is still unclear as to why we are getting these issues and they seem to come and go which suggests a period of high traffic.  Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

I find it impossible to believe that 'high traffic' is responsible at 0730 and 1830h.

M.

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Gateway down again - since about 09.30 - the wheels go round and round and then pink squares appear!
Both the grid maps and interactive map are not working.

Christine

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Hello Christine

The Gateway seems to be working okay at this end and I have checked with the technical team who have advised that the mapping and site are working as expected.

Please let us know if you have any further issues.

Sarah

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Timing out for me.

Charlie Barnes
Information Officer
Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership

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Re: Gateway Performance - Down Yet Again

Connection intermittent and very very slow ( even by Outer Hebrides standards), if I'm lucky I get a result eventually but more often the pink squares!
Sorry to spoil your afternoon.

Christine