After the downtime we experienced on 25 October, Amazon Web Services informed usethat there are "issues in the Availability Zone" hosting our database and we have been asked to move the instance.
Unfortunately, that instance is really heavy. :-)
No, seriously, my dear friends at Apex Evangelists will be performing the move this weekend. We are not sure of the precise time or how long it will take, so please don't be shocked if you visit this weekend and find the site unavailable.
The PL/SQL Challenge (www.plsqlchallenge.com) offers a daily quiz on the PL/SQL language, through which thousands of Oracle technologists demonstrate and deepen their knowledge of PL/SQL. This blog contains posts by the PL/SQL Challenge founder, Steven Feuerstein, as well as comments from players.
26 October 2012
Results for 25 October Quiz Not Ranked
With a heavy heart, I have decided to void results for 25 October. They will not be included in rankings, nor used to determine participation in the quarterly playoff.
I did this because several players reported that they were unable to play the quiz, and we know that the site was unavailable for at least four hours - and maybe more, since we are unable to pinpoint the exact time the site became unavailable.
That was a very frustrating experience, waiting and waiting for Amazon Web Services support to take action. Finally they did (thanks to John Scott's prodding) but by then the damage was done.
I did this because several players reported that they were unable to play the quiz, and we know that the site was unavailable for at least four hours - and maybe more, since we are unable to pinpoint the exact time the site became unavailable.
That was a very frustrating experience, waiting and waiting for Amazon Web Services support to take action. Finally they did (thanks to John Scott's prodding) but by then the damage was done.
25 October 2012
19:30 UTC Website is back up!
Just to make sure you are aware: the website is back up.
We are just under the wire for the four hour mandatory voiding of the quiz (with the full confession that we are not entirely sure when the site first went down).
I am going to open things back up and see how it goes. If anyone complains that they weren't able to take the quiz today, we will void it.
We are just under the wire for the four hour mandatory voiding of the quiz (with the full confession that we are not entirely sure when the site first went down).
I am going to open things back up and see how it goes. If anyone complains that they weren't able to take the quiz today, we will void it.
Website Unavailable - 15:30 UTC 25 October
The PL/SQL Challenge website is having problems. We are investigating and plan to have it back online ASAP.
If you have not already done so, please follow PLSQLChallenge at twitter.com so you can receive updates on website status that way.
If you have not already done so, please follow PLSQLChallenge at twitter.com so you can receive updates on website status that way.
22 October 2012
Q3 2012 Playoff on 24 October
The next quarterly championship playoff (for Q3 2012) will take place on Wednesday, 24 October. Forty-five players have qualified to take five tough quizzes in forty minutes. Wish them luck!
Here's some background on the players in the upcoming playoff, including the number of playoffs in which they've already played; their rank in that quarter, their rank in the playoff, and their best playoff performance.
Here's some background on the players in the upcoming playoff, including the number of playoffs in which they've already played; their rank in that quarter, their rank in the playoff, and their best playoff performance.
| Name | # Playoffs | Qtr Rank | Last Playoff Rank | Best Playoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| swart260 | 1 | 1/1454 | 24/33 | Q2 2012 - 24th |
| Sean Stuber | 5 | 2/1454 | 9/33 | Q3 2010 - 5th |
| Jerry Bull | 5 | 3/1454 | 14/33 | Q3 2011 - 9th |
| Stelios Vlasopoulos | 4 | 4/1454 | 33/33 | Q4 2011 - 22nd |
| mentzel.iudith | 7 | 5/1454 | 19/33 | Q4 2010 - 4th |
| Vinu | 1 | 6/1454 | 32/33 | Q2 2012 - 32nd |
| Chad Lee | 5 | 7/1454 | 26/33 | Q1 2012 - 1st |
| Viacheslav Stepanov | 6 | 8/1454 | 12/33 | Q2 2011 - 4th |
| Randy Gettman | 7 | 9/1454 | 22/33 | Q3 2011 - 4th |
| Marco Siefert | 1 | 10/1454 | 31/35 | Q1 2012 - 31st |
| Frank Schrader | 8 | 11/1454 | 3/33 | Q1 2011 - 1st |
| Siim Kask | 7 | 12/1454 | 6/33 | Q4 2011 - 4th |
| Yuan Tschang | 4 | 13/1454 | 27/33 | Q2 2012 - 27th |
| kowido | 6 | 14/1454 | 1/33 | Q2 2012 - 1st |
| Justin Cave | 6 | 15/1454 | 2/33 | Q2 2012 - 2nd |
| Niels Hecker | 8 | 16/1454 | 5/33 | Q3 2010 - 1st |
| Anna Onishchuk | 6 | 17/1454 | 11/33 | Q1 2011 - 6th |
| Frank Schmitt | 2 | 18/1454 | 4/33 | Q2 2012 - 4th |
| Jeroen Rutte | 1 | 19/1454 | 20/62 | Q3 2010 - 20th |
| Chris Saxon | 3 | 20/1454 | 8/29 | Q2 2011 - 2nd |
| Zoltan Fulop | 2 | 21/1454 | 29/33 | Q1 2012 - 17th |
| Giedrius Deveikis | 1 | 22/1454 | 7/33 | Q2 2012 - 7th |
| koko | 0 | 23/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| Sebastian Kolski | 2 | 24/1454 | 17/33 | Q2 2012 - 17th |
| Kim Berg Hansen | 3 | 25/1454 | 8/33 | Q4 2010 - 6th |
| Janis Baiza | 4 | 27/1454 | 2/29 | Q4 2011 - 2nd |
| Markus Langlotz | 1 | 29/1454 | 11/38 | Q4 2010 - 11th |
| Ivan Blanarik | 2 | 30/1454 | 15/33 | Q1 2012 - 3rd |
| Jens Petersen | 1 | 34/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| Tony Winn | 1 | 35/1454 | 17/62 | Q3 2010 - 17th |
| Patrick Barel | 0 | 37/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| Jason H | 0 | 46/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| Goran Stefanović | 2 | 50/1454 | 30/33 | Q2 2012 - 30th |
| Michal Cvan | 5 | 57/1454 | 12/35 | Q1 2012 - 12th |
| Gary Myers | 4 | 68/1454 | 1/34 | Q2 2011 - 1st |
| Mike Pargeter | 7 | 69/1454 | 20/33 | Q4 2011 - 6th |
| puchtec | 0 | 78/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| Peter Schmidt | 2 | 80/1454 | 14/38 | Q3 2010 - 2nd |
| macabre | 2 | 87/1454 | 27/31 | Q2 2011 - 17th |
| Vijay Mahawar | 0 | 99/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| Tobias Stark | 1 | 140/1454 | 35/35 | Q1 2012 - 35th |
| Karel Prech | 0 | 166/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| mark kavalaris | 0 | 274/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| Dan Kiser | 1 | 308/1454 | N/A | N/A |
| Fernando Bautista | 0 | 464/1454 | N/A | N/A |
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