Internet pub quiz relies on server virtualisation

National Quiz, an internet-based games provider of the world's largest online pub quiz has said it using hosted server virtualisation services as the foundation for its operations.

With a business model based on allowing pubs to compete in real time against each other across the UK, it capitalises on the increased challenges faced by publicans in attracting customers after the smoking ban was introduced in 2007.

The internet-based delivery of the National Quiz game meant it needed an IT infrastructure that could cope with large peaks in web traffic on the set quiz nights, Sundays and Tuesdays. It decided to look for a hosting company that could ensure the smooth running of the operation and deal with increasing numbers of game downloads and incoming traffic.

Edwin Hamilton, National Quiz chief operating officer said: "Our website traffic is extremely sporadic, but because the company is entirely online, hosting is critical to our operation. We wanted to work with people who understood exactly what we needed."

National Quiz is using three load-balanced web servers and a database server on the VMware platform of hosting provider, Hostway. The virtualisation platform allows for the service to be scaled up or down quickly if needed. And the hosting arrangements include a test platform, so that if National Quiz needs to change their website or quiz downloading arrangements, the IT team can identify potential problems before putting it in the public domain. The web servers lie behind two enterprise-level firewalls, with denial-of-service (DOS) monitoring and prevention, 24-hour support and on-site backup arrangements.

Users require a PC, a dial-up or broadband internet connection and a screen, via which players can see all the questions and participate. The establishments pay a small fee to enter and the winnings are pooled from this, growing on a weekly basis as hundreds of pubs across the UK sign up to play.

According to the managers of one pub in East London, turnout on Sundays and Tuesdays has increased by 40 per cent as a result of running National Quiz.

"A lot of pubs suffered after the smoking ban," said Miriam Raggett Power, licensee of the Cock Tavern. "We never realised that we would come to rely on server virtualisation to sell more pints."

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