----------- STATUS ------------
The new judge is in developping stage. It will most of it be created using PHP and a real DB (not files as the old one did). It works ok for the basic features and small test cases. Now it's completely void: no descriptions, no datasets, no submission: only judge's structure.
----------- NEXT STEP ------------
This week we're starting testing stage. We'll test whether the judging feature itself works. To do this, we'll install every test case, and we'll forward all submissions from the OJ to the new judge, and check for stability and judging results. Submissions will still be judged and stored by the old system, so this testing stage will be transparent to you. It will last about 2 weeks, depending on the kind of bugs we find.
----------- FUTURE STEPS ------------
After that forst testing stage works, we'll start with the second test stage. We'll add the users list, and the submissions, and we'll try to get similar statistics after another 2-3 weeks of judging. That will mean that new judge works ok for the basic feature.
Afetr that, we'll have to transfer all data (descriptions, new user list, new submissions...) to the new system, intall it in judge's machines and stop old judge. That wil take us 2-3 days. During these days, OJ judge will be disabled, and every submission you send will be ignored. After that, the OJ will be online again, with the new system working.
Finally, there will be a last testing step: you'll have to test it to see whether it works ok or not. As the migration to the new system will be omplicated, we'll tell you how you can recover your account in the new system. As it will work using username and password, and not used id with 2 letters as it does now, you'll have to somehow login and do something to prove it's realy your new account (and possible change the temporary username we gave you).
I hope this information is useful for you. I expect the new system to be proved and be working by the end of summer. If you have any questionabout al this stuff, this is the right place to ask
). 