Topic: Forum News, Announcements, Updates, Errors, etc..... (Read 753295 times)

Martin (Admin) · « **on:** March 04, 2013, 08:57:22 am »

As many of you are experiencing, we are having major server issues, load issues in particular.
We've been working behind the scenes to remove all unlooked posts and topic etc, but it seems we
have met a tipping point and we need to make a decision. (I say loading issues but annoyingly, the
server only falls over when very few people are logged on?!?! What even more annoying the server
works fine even at peak times but the hosting company aren't helping us resolve the issue......)

Anyway, the hosting company say it's "a simple fix", just give them a lot of money.... 4 times what we're
currently paying.... but no guarantees that if we upgrade, all the issues will be solved!

I'm in discussion with the moderators as to what we do next but as you know, I'm in this for the 'long run',
so it's just how we move forward.

Hang in there everyone, we have the technology!

Regards,
Martin

Henk Goosen · « **Reply #1 on:** March 04, 2013, 11:46:24 am »

Martin is another hosting company the solution?

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2013, 11:52:56 am »

I don't think any hosting company is interested in helping you with software efficiency.... and finding a company with real 24/7 support is not as easy as you would hope!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2013, 12:01:35 pm »

Thanks Andy, changes now made, lets see if it makes any difference!

.... cheque's in the post!

Martin

Quote from: dreadnought72 on March 02, 2013, 01:21:02 am

Martin, there's a file under Themes/default/ called...

Search.template.php

...on your server. On lines 112 and 260 of this file there's a maxage set of 9999.

I suggest you change these numbers to something less and see what happens. I doubt it'll break things.

(I've downloaded the total forum software and unzipped it locally. Seems to be the only place this thing occurs.)

Andy

...oh - and that'll be £40 per hour plus a call-out charge.

dreadnought72 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2013, 12:09:24 pm »

Quote from: Martin (Admin) on March 04, 2013, 08:57:22 am

(I say loading issues but annoyingly, the
server only falls over when very few people are logged on?!?!

It's an odd one.

Is the search facility being spammed at those quiet times? Would a "captcha" add-on to the search facility help keep robots away?

Are (hosting company) back-ups scheduled for those times? ("Quiet" in the States)

If the server isn't a dedicated one, is it that some other user is peaking at those times and causing the issues?

Quote from: Martin (Admin) on March 04, 2013, 08:57:22 am

Anyway, the hosting company say it's "a simple fix", just give them a lot of money.... 4 times what we're
currently paying.... but no guarantees that if we upgrade, all the issues will be solved!

Ah - Is that the option for a dedicated server, Martin?

Andy

dreadnought72 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2013, 12:13:08 pm »

Quote from: Martin (Admin) on March 04, 2013, 12:01:35 pm

.... cheque's in the post!

Cheers, Martin - I hear the postie's just arrived. I'll go and see if it's there in a moment.

Andy

GAZOU · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2013, 01:27:03 pm »

hello administrators

Here in France I also have problems to join Mayhem, but never at the same time.
I wish you a lot of courage because it is not easy to manage

Gazou

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2013, 01:27:58 pm »

Quote from: Martin (Admin) on March 04, 2013, 08:57:22 am

Anyway, the hosting company say it's "a simple fix", just give them a lot of money.... 4 times what we're
currently paying.... but no guarantees that if we upgrade, all the issues will be solved!

Ah - Is that the option for a dedicated server, Martin?
Andy

We're currently on a VPS with 1Gig RAM, they say I need at lest 2Gig (Db size 260Meg).
New option is a "cloud" server!

PM sent

RAAArtyGunner · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2013, 07:51:59 pm »

Quote from: Martin (Admin) on March 04, 2013, 08:57:22 am

.................Anyway, the hosting company say it's "a simple fix", just give them a lot of money.... 4 times what we're
currently paying.... but no guarantees that if we upgrade, all the issues will be solved!

Hang in there everyone, we have the technology!

Regards,
Martin

Now that's a worry, because that's what the pollies do when they don't know how to fix a problem, they just throw money at it.

cos918 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 04, 2013, 10:17:17 pm »

Hi Tryed to log on this morning at 06:35. Log on to find the lay out odd. in the right hand coloum were there is the last post it was blank. At the bottom were there is the lastest threads blank. you could log on but go no more ie read any post threads sections etc. I did take a screen print if it is any use

john

Norseman · « **Reply #10 on:** March 04, 2013, 10:24:00 pm »

Same for me John 07:45 - very odd

Dave

dreadnought72 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2013, 11:11:43 pm »

Quote from: Martin (Admin) on March 04, 2013, 01:27:58 pm

PM sent

Cheers Martin. Got my thinking-cocoa here. I'll do some lookin' and reply tomorrow.

Andy

chris gillespie · « **Reply #12 on:** March 05, 2013, 12:42:22 am »

if im a dumb dumb fair enough..lol

can we get the ability to post poll's in the forums, really interesting and handy tool

cheers

Chris

Circlip · « **Reply #13 on:** March 05, 2013, 10:46:25 am »

Glitched again this morning, tried numerous (a lot) of times to get on and eventually when I did, realised it was due to Martin setting up his own version of FleeBay.

Has been a problem for quite a few days, but whingeing about it won't help as his worship probably knows about it. Seems like Web designers and servers are taking a leaf out of the Bankers code of practice.

Regards Ian.

GAZOU · « **Reply #14 on:** March 05, 2013, 10:56:31 am »

Same for me 08:00
Gazou

Henk Goosen · « **Reply #15 on:** March 05, 2013, 11:07:21 am »

And for me

tt1 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 05, 2013, 11:15:49 am »

Most morning between 1-2 am (after work) often have trouble getting on. This am got on but when trying to open any posts this was all I could get : "Sorry, SMF was unable to connect to the database. This may be caused by the server being busy. Please try again later."

RMH · « **Reply #17 on:** March 05, 2013, 11:20:07 am »

If it's not a scheduled server backup then my second guess would have to be a daily full virus scan. What ever it is, it is obviously beyond our glorious leaders control.

TheLongBuild · « **Reply #18 on:** March 05, 2013, 01:29:45 pm »

I think that the server this forum is on is like a teenager, Blinking hard to wake up in the morning ..

dreadnought72 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 05, 2013, 09:37:10 pm »

Quote from: tt1 on March 05, 2013, 11:15:49 am

"Sorry, SMF was unable to connect to the database. This may be caused by the server being busy. Please try again later."

Yes - that's what I've been seeing.

Martin, the Mayhem site is registered via fasthosts.co.uk - I'm assuming that they host the domain for the main bit of the website? And the forum's SMF 2.0.4 plus all the DBs are hosted in Chicago?

My reading of that forum software, and the effort we put it to, suggests 1GB RAM is not too small (more would be nicer, of course, but it's enough). And certainly your stats show it working ok during the peak UK hours when the bulk of us are ~~talking nonsense and posting rubbish.~~ ... on line, I mean.

All of which causes my quizzical eyebrow to lift. If it's on a true VPS then we ought not be affected by "whatever" is bringing the forum down in the early A.M, UK time. (When are backups scheduled?)

My other quizzical eyebrow raises when you state that their (offered?) solution is to chuck more money their way to solve the problem.

There are UK-based VPS providers around: webfusion VPS 2GB servers are from £33 per month; two-core, 3GB VPS from heartinternet from £38 per month, both better deals than the current US solution and - presumably?! - with the opportunity for better support within UK hours.

Might a move be in order? (Or at least be threatened...)

Andy

carlmt · « **Reply #20 on:** March 05, 2013, 10:09:46 pm »

Andy - if Martin does decide to go for a move to a UK server, are we not in danger of losing posts again, bearing in mind that all the data is in the USA?

You can tell I know nothing about this cant you!!!!
Carl

Norseman · « **Reply #21 on:** March 05, 2013, 10:26:40 pm »

Well I've been happy to donate so I would certainly be happy to subscribe to Mayhem.
If a few bob is the answer then a small subscription fee for adults might be needed.

Dave 06/04/2001

carlmt · « **Reply #22 on:** March 05, 2013, 10:29:53 pm »

Count me in on that one Dave - money well spent in my opinion!!!
Carl

dreadnought72 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 05, 2013, 10:38:08 pm »

Quote from: carlmt on March 05, 2013, 10:09:46 pm

Andy - if Martin does decide to go for a move to a UK server, are we not in danger of losing posts again, bearing in mind that all the data is in the USA?

You can tell I know nothing about this cant you!!!!
Carl

This forum is a collection of smallish programs working together to generate pages and store data, with all the data (i.e. our posts) existing in databases.

A backup of a forum "simply" copies the databases and the programs to another location.

Transferring a forum is not appreciably harder than a backup - as long as a new server is "good to go" and internet searches point to it and not the old location.

Andy

RMH · « **Reply #24 on:** March 06, 2013, 07:21:53 am »

07:20 straight in no messing this morning

News:

Author Topic: Forum News, Announcements, Updates, Errors, etc..... (Read 753295 times)