The Breitling Watch Source Forums

mySQL can be such a pain in the ass. For example when we converted to phpBB 3.0 every half an hour our forum database would go bye-bye. Until we finally discovered that the new version of the forum needs a much longer time out period unlike phpBB 2.0... We spent around 2-3 weeks until we discovered the problem

Is there a pattern in the time of day that this happens? It's getting twitchy with me now, but I've been out of town for sometime that I need to persevere to catch up on things.

Rey

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Where's Admin when you need him??

This dbase error is getting really bad for me now.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I only get the problems when Im using firefox or safari, good old M$ Internet Explorer gives me no grief

...seems to have settled down somewhat at my end

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Breitling Super Avenger White, Steel
Breitling Superocean Heritage 46 Black, Ocean Racer
Rolex Submariner Bi-Metal, Yellow Gold/Blue
Panerai 112, Black Leather (Soon Hopefully!)

The problem is the host I use is obviusly having a problem withthe Database server... There isn't a lot I can do short ofmoving allmy websites to another webhost, which would be a monumental task... I have just moved, my house is covered in primer... and there are boxes everywhere..

I apologize to everyone for the database server issues my webhost is having, but I do not have the time to research new hosting and then move around 10 database driven websites to the new server at the moment... I may very well do this in tme.. but I am hoping you guys will understand that my time is a bit more limited than usual right now, and that I will try and address the issue if it does not resolve itself in the future..

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BreitlingSource Admin
http://www.breitlingsource.com - http://blog.breitlingsource.com

Quite understandable, Admin. We all know and appreciate the huge amount of work you do on these sites.

I'm sure we can all cope for the time-being! And you realise it's only coz we love the place so much that we all feel like jumping off something tall if we can't get on here!

(No worries, I'm sure it'll sort itself out in time.)

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I agree... Its very frustrating for me as well, so I can understand that it drives you guys nuts sometimes too!

According to my webhost the maintenance problems were resolved sometime on the 21st, as I complained about the problems on the 20th when they were happening all day long.

My concern is if I moved all my sites to another host, would I still have the same problems?

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BreitlingSource Admin
http://www.breitlingsource.com - http://blog.breitlingsource.com

Admin - we aren't going to complain about this, it's a minor problem and you know how we all feel about this site.

I guess whether the problem would remain would depend on how the host is structured and exactly what the problem is - no easy answer.

You do a great job here and we all recognise that this is a labour of love rather than a commercial venture - now go paint another wall

I've considered going to a dedicated server route, but my knowledge of servers is very limited, and with a dedicated server if there is a problem, I will need to fix it unless it is a managed dedicated server, which is very expensive if you go with someone reliable. I don't want a dedicated server managed by a bunch of outsourced people in india/russia...

The traffic here is low enough that the database server should normally be fine.. but it is a shared server, so when someone else bungles something up or there are problems with it, problems arise

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BreitlingSource Admin
http://www.breitlingsource.com - http://blog.breitlingsource.com

Honestly don't stress over it Admin. You do a huge amount of work keeping things running smoothly, so it's no real biggy.

I think we were more wondering if it was just a quick fix or something.....

So as Roff said, get back to that painting man!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

No you would not have the same problem.
Basically, i think this is the problem . You are on a shared server, which probably has a lot more web sites on it then that is recommended.
In the last few years joomla,forums,and blogs that use mySQL have become very popular. So whenever one of those sites that is hosted on this server receives a surge, mySQL server goes off and on like ping-pong ball.
Thea easiest way to check uptime of your mySQL server is via cpanel,/phpmyadmin

IMO dedicated server would be a overkill.Too expensive,and too difficult to maintain.
If you want i can recommend you a few hosting companies

Changing to another hosting company is work of around 20 minutes. That much time you need to make a full account backup via Cpanel,and send it to another company. DNS propagation can take a few hours, but it is virtually a piece of cake. If you need any help with any technical aspects or moving to another server feel free to contact me

Not 20 minutes when I do it, maybe for you.. I can't even back up all my sites in 20 minutes.. and I really don't trust given my passwords and stuff out to other people, but I thank you for the offer.

I have about 10 database driven sites, and about 14 sites in total to move, sorry I guess I do not have your knowledge and speed... for me moving my sites is not a peice of cake, and it something I have to do after the normal workday.. after I've been on a computer all day already.

I do not have cpanel, and I'm not aware of any "Full Account Backup" feature. Even if I could backup my full account I would still have to export and reimport every single mysql database I have.. that's 10. I do not have a clue how one could do it in 20 mins.. though I would really like to have that ability. Then after reimporting them.. assuming no issues, I would have to rename all the areas where the mysql database is called in all the websites. Some of the sites do not have it located in just one place, which is where it should be... which means searching through the files and changing them.

And like you said.. then there is DNS propagation.. which means that some people will see the forum down for 24 or so hours after the move takes place, while others will see the new forum immediately.

But yes, thanks for trying to make me feel somewhat inadequate by saying this is all a peice of cake when to me its a lot of work. And if I moved to another host and they have a shared database server... why wouldn't they have problems too?

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BreitlingSource Admin
http://www.breitlingsource.com - http://blog.breitlingsource.com

Sorry guys for getting so defensive in that post.. that last post just pushed my buttons. If someone has a one-click "make account backup" and then "Upload account" solution for me, i'd be happy to hear it.

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BreitlingSource Admin
http://www.breitlingsource.com - http://blog.breitlingsource.com

Nelson,

I can understand the reaction to the '20 minute post'. I'm not a server expert either, but my current consulting engagement is as a CIO, so I guess I have some IT awareness

The fundamental problem is likely the fact that the mySQL instance is being stretched too thinly due to the number of databases being hosted on the same server / server farm by the host. That said, there is no guarantee that another host would be better (or stay better). The technical solution for the current problem is likely the addition of more capability to the hardware setup - a processor or memory upgrade or the addition of another box / boxes to the farm.

Unfortunately all you can do is influence that, not force it. Assuming that BreitlingSource is typical for the sites that you are managing you definitely don't need a dedicated server.

The process for back up and move is slightly dependent on the site structure, but I would definitely see that as a last resort - I compare it with moving banks - supposed to be simple, never is, and likely doesn't make life any better.

I know you know this already, but on a personal note - BreitlingSource continues to be an incredible place - even now that it's growing and evolving the sense of community is still phenomenal. Partly luck I know, but in no small part because of your efforts.

Good luck with the new house!

Andy