Official MSDN Subscriptions Blog : Downtime

Windows 7 RTM bit now live on Subscriber Downloads

SubscriptionsBlogger2 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:53:00 GMT

Enjoy!

https://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/securedownloads/default.aspx?pv=36:350

and alternate download location (through Akamai):

https://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/securedownloads/bb608344.aspx

8PM Update

Early this evening, due to continued high demand for Windows 7 RTM bits, we made some changes to move traffic for the Enterprise and Ultimate bits over to Akamai. Some of you have noticed the Download links grayed out, but maybe did not notice the statement under the file name: "Please click Details for download information." In the file details are links to the Akamai downloads and a link to the Product Keys list page, to get the bits and keys.

Subscribers will not be able to download Saturday during scheduled maintenance

SubscriptionsBlogger2 — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:39:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance activities this weekend, MSDN, TechNet, and Expression Subscribers will not be able to download files for several hours. The Subscriber sites will be available for access, and all other functionality will be available.

Scheduled Start: Saturday 20 September 2008 08:00 (USA Pacific Time, GMT-8)
Scheduled End: Saturday 20 September 2008 18:00 (USA Pacific Time, GMT-8)

Some issues from last weekend's release have been reported

SubscriptionsBlogger2 — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:34:00 GMT

Teams are actively working to resolve a few types of reported issues, most related to the MSDN Subscription Benefit Administration tool. An update will be posted on this blog once the issues are resolved. Please contact MSDN Support (http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/aa948875.aspx) if you encounter issues with your subscription.

Subscribers will have limited site functionality this weekend [COMPLETE]

SubscriptionsBlogger2 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:57:00 GMT

Due to scheduled release activities for the authorization systems this weekend, MSDN, TechNet, and Expression Subscribers will not be able to use any of their online Subscription benefits, such as downloading files, or viewing or claiming keys. The Subscriber sites will be available for access, but functionality will be limited to that which a non-subscriber has. The release is scheduled to start Friday at 5PM and end Sunday at 5PM (USA Pacific times).

Downloads unavailability starting last Friday

SubscriptionsBlogger2 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:54:00 GMT

Hello everyone - just wanted to post a quick note.

As many of you figured out (along with me on Saturday night), Subscriber Downloads and Product Keys were not available all weekend. There was a downtime to complete some system work that had been started four weeks ago, and the fact that the completion work this weekend would even impact subscriber downloads was totally missed by those that could have gotten a notice posted externally. No excuses - just an apology.

And to add to the weekend fun of the site not being unavailable, today there were a large number of escalations where subscribers were getting errors when attempting to access downloads and product keys.

The second issue was identified last week, but the identified scenario where it occurred appeared to be an edge case (so small customer base impacted - with a known workaround). Based on the number of escalations this morning, we re-assessed the impact and determined it was much bigger. A fix was coded this afternoon. It is currently being smoke tested in UAT, and it should be live in productions within a few hours.

Julie

Windows Home Server - a follow up

SubscriptionsBlogger2 — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 07:43:00 GMT

Several of you have been asking about if and when Windows Home Server would be available on MSDN Subscriber Downloads. My last post on this indicated that discussions were still underway, but that it looked promising that it wold be added.

Unfortunately it is not going to be made available for MSDN Subscribers at this time, based on additional discussions between the Product Group and the Subscriptions Teams.

I don't have any first hand knowledge of what went into this decision, but understand several of you will be disappointed by the decision. As you are aware, it might be added in the future, but it is not being included at this time.

1/17/08 Update: Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on this decision - through the blog or through mail from the blog. I will be letting the WHS Product Group and other business decision makers know of the sentiment, and see if they would be willing to share any of the reasoning behind the decision.

2/5/08 Update: Thanks again for all of your feedback on the decision to not include WHS in MSDN Subscriptions. ALL of your feedback has been shared with the Product Group, and I believe they know realize that it would have been good and appropriate to have included it.

Unfortunately there are valid logistical issues which make reversing this decision at this time not possible since Subscriber volumes were not included in their original planning. At the point they have the opportunity to make this available, I believe they will have a much more deliberate discussion and I believe it will be made available based on your feedback and several follow up discussions with the Product Group.

More downtime next weekend, 11008 patch application, new FTM Client

SubscriptionsBlogger2 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:19:00 GMT

This upcoming weekend, Nove 10-11, there will be some intermittent unavailability of MSDN Subscriber Downloads again for several system updated and patch applications.

11008 ERROR PATCH APPLICATION

These will include the application of a patch that should address one of the known causes of the 11008 Error many of you have been suffering with. We have a benchmark of the 11008 errors logged and will be monitoring them following the patch deployment.

We have also identified several other actions/scenarios resulting in the logging of the 11008 errors, and we will continue to monitor to see if additional patches need to be developed for these. Many of the 11008 errors logged DO NOT result in users being denied access to the downloads, although we know that some could.

NEW FTM CLIENT

One of the other upgrades this weekend relates to the system that delivers the bits for Subscriber Downloads. A new FTM (File Transfer Manager) Download Client is being released. You will be required to upgrade the existing FTM Active X control when you go to initiate a new download following the upgrade.

Another maintenance window starting this Friday Oct 12

MSDNSubscriptions — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:26:00 GMT

There will be some additional maintenance work going on starting this Friday for the Subscriber Downloads impacting content availability. This work will be performed in two phases starting Friday evening at 5PM (US PDT).

Phase 1 will be from 5PM - 10PM on Friday Oct 12 (US PDT), lasting 5 hours.
During Phase 1 - Subscriber Downloads will not be available.
All other Subscription services should be available.
These improvements are being done to address system capacity and performance.

Phase 2 will start immediately following Phase 1 completion and will continue until Saturday Oct 13 at 11PM (US PDT), lasting 25 hours.
During Phase 2 - Subscriber Downloads WILL be available, along with other Subscription Services.
Subscriber Download History information and reporting will be unavailable during Phase 2.

MSDN Subscriber Downloads Database Update COMPLETE

MSDNSubscriptions — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 05:55:00 GMT

The scheduled downtime for Subscriber Downloads for a database upgrade was completed this morning at 6AM PDT.

MSDN Subscriber Downloads will be UNAVAILABLE this weekend for DB Upgrade

MSDNSubscriptions — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 21:12:00 GMT

The system that hosts the MSDN and TechNet Subscriber Downloads content will be unavailable intermittently over this weekend for a database upgrade.

Start: Friday, October 5th, 2007 5:00 PM PDT
End: Monday, October 8th, 2007 2:00 AM PDT

Duration: 57 hours

Impacted Services:

Subscribers will have intermittent or no access to Subscriber Downloads.

Not Impacted Services:

Product Keys are expected to remain available.

Chat service will be available for its normal operating hours.

Newsgroup no-spam alias registration will remain available.

I will post again once the upgrade is complete.

Julie H. Cairn
Product Manager - MSDN and TechNet Subscriptions