Linking

This page describes Xertion's linking policies and the linking process.

Linking process
When a server is accepted for linking, it starts off as a test link. A test link is a temporary status assigned to new servers linked to the network. It helps us make sure that new servers are stable and can adhere to our linking policies. During a test link, the server will be linked to one of our hub servers closest to its region. It will have a DNS entry added but will not enter rotation right away. In addition, any IRC operator introduced to staff by way of linking a server will NOT receive any permissions with network services, unless all network owners unanimously agree.

After the initial test link period is up (at least 3 weeks), the network's upper management (network owners and root administrators) will come together, provide input on the server's observed stability and conformity to network linking policy, and come to one of the following 3 decisions:
 * Link rejected - the link is rejected and terminated. A detailed explanation will be given if this is the case. If the link introduced an IRC operator to network staff, he/she may be retained on staff if they are determined to be a valuable asset to the network.
 * Test link continued - the link remains in test link status for an additional duration not to exceed 42 days. If necessary, an explanation as to why we require an extended test link status for the server will be given.
 * Link accepted - the link has passed test link status and is promoted to full link. Any restrictions applied during test link phase are removed immediately.

Linking policies
Any user may request to link to Xertion. Links from existing network staff are preferred but are generally not permitted to introduce new staff unless network ownership agrees.

Before filling out and sending the form at the end of this page, you should read all of the following requirements and recommendations. Obviously, anything listed under Requirements is a must to even be considered to link. Items listed under Recommendations are preferred, but not required for consideration.

Requirements to Link

 * Your server CANNOT be:
 * A home server with any kind of connection, no matter how good you think your hardware or connectivity is. Hosting a home server also tends to be against most residential ISP's terms of service.
 * Hosted with a provider known to us to have unreliable service, poor performance, unreliable customer support, or otherwise poor reputation (e.g FDCServers, TelVPS, VPSLink, etc).
 * Linked to another network at the same time
 * Running Windows or OS X
 * We will only accept GNU/Linux derivatives such as Debian/Ubuntu, CentOS/Fedora, etc. No BSD derivatives (FreeBSD/OpenBSD, etc) will be accepted because our IRC server software does not support their build tools or platform.
 * Software such as Cygwin or Ubuntu On Windows is NOT considered Linux and thus will not be considered.
 * An IRC shell server - it must be a VPS, a dedicated server, or a colocated server. If a VPS, it must not be OpenVZ, it must instead be KVM (preferred), Xen, LXC, or VMware.
 * You must have full root access to the server and you must be able to follow requests to install software components during initial link setup.
 * You must be capable of doing basic server administration tasks on your own, at least to the point of LPIC-1.
 * Your server must meet the following hardware and network connectivity requirements:
 * x86_64 (64-bit) CPU and architecture, clocked at 1 GHz or greater. 32-bit architecture/CPUs (i686) are not acceptable.
 * 1.5 GB RAM or better, 2 GB or greater highly preferred
 * One IPv4 address AND one IPv6 address that can both be dedicated to the IRC network, with as many ports as possible open for client and server connections.
 * Minimum 400 Mbps or greater network connectivity + throughput, 1 Gbps preferred
 * 500 GB or greater of monthly bandwidth allotment
 * Disk size 40 GB or greater
 * Server must run NTP/chrony (*NOT* ntpdate) and must accurately synchronize its time. Correct time is CRITICAL to proper IRC server operation (otherwise all sorts of nasty things can occur), and therefore an inability to keep correct time will lead to either automatic rejection of your application or premature delink.
 * You must speak English relatively fluently, and any IRC operators you bring with you must also speak English.
 * Your server name must use our domain name (xertion.org), we will not accept other domains. No exceptions.

Recommendations
These server recommendations are a plus, but are not required to link:


 * No resource-intensive programs such as GUIs (X11), torrenting programs, etc running on the server
 * Ability to provide the network account on the server with temporary sudo access so we can install any software and libraries we may need for the IRCd ourselves.
 * Alternatively, install at least these packages: libp11-kit-dev, libgmp-dev, pkg-config, Perl, g++/gcc, make and all other essential compilation and linker tools, as well as a text editor like nano or vi(m).
 * No additional IRC operators other than yourself.
 * Server is part of the datacenter directly (HUGE plus!).

Form
''' The Xertion IRC Network is not currently accepting link applications at this time, though you may still fill out the form below for future consideration. '''

If you are interested in linking, and you meet all the requirements outlined in the Requirements section above, please fill out this form and submit it via e-mail to [mailto:admin@xertion.org the staff]. Failure to fill out the entire form will automatically lead to rejection of your application. Please provide as much information as possible when filling out each field.

IPv4 address(es), comma separated: IPv6 address(es), comma separated; if you have a whole prefix, supply only the IP(s) available for the network: Hosting provider: Hosting type: [ ] Colocation, [ ] Dedicated Server, [ ] VPS/VM Location (Country, [if US: state], region): Processor (number of CPUs, model, speed, cores): RAM: Line speed: Monthly bandwidth: Disk space (both total and free, in GB): Operating system (if Linux, include distribution name and version as well): Server admin: Nickname: E-mail address (if different from this email address): Date of birth: Experience with IRC (years/months): Additional spoken languages (if other than English, leave blank if none): Additional operator (leave this section blank if no additional operators): Nick: Date of birth: Experience with IRC: Spoken languages (if other than English, leave blank if none): Desired server name (must use network domain, e.g. .xertion.org): Special notes (place an X in all that apply): [ ] I, the server administrator, have physical access to the machine (this means that you can physically touch the server) [ ] I, the server administrator, wish to become an IRC Operator on the Xertion network. [ ] Other people have root on the server (list if applicable with nick and e-mail): [ ] Other special notes not listed or covered in this form, specify: For the following questions, please use as much space as you need. You needn't be concerned about writing too much, but at the same time you should write enough to sufficiently answer each one. How have you been involved in Xertion so far? Why do you want to link your server to Xertion? What are your personal technical skills with *NIX and networking?

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