May 2026

Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026 (7:00-9:00)

Who is affected:
All users of the CS Department publicdb database server, including any
dependent web properties and all CS Department Beowulf high-performance
computing cluster users, known as ionic and neuronic.

All users of CS Department administrative web properties (Dropbox, CS
Guide, the Main website, etc.)

What is happening:
During this window, the publicdb database server will be upgraded to the
latest Redhat distribution. No data loss is anticipated. However, while
Slurm jobs will continue, new jobs cannot start during the migration.

In addition, the database server underlying the administrative systems will
be upgraded. During the upgrade, all database-dependent administrative
systems will be unavailable. This includes the CS Dropbox service, the main
website, the CS Guide, ADM, and any content feeds provided by CS Staff.

Why is it happening:
publicdb database server MariaDB will be upgraded from 10.5.22 to 10.5.29.

phpMyadmin web interface will be upgraded from version 5.2.1 to 5.2.3.

This is part of regular maintenance to enhance system performance and
security.

We will post updates to the status page: www.csstaff.org
as necessary.

If this downtime will cause you undue hardship, please contact
csstaff@cs.princeton.edu immediately, so we can discuss options to reduce
any negative impact. Your patience is appreciated.

Sincerely,
CS Staff