busy server

[cyberfret]

If it is not one thing it is another :(

Well some of you may have noticed that the forums were down for a few days about a week ago. That ended up being a server problem that my host remedied by moving the forums to a new server. A fine fix that was. Now it seems that there is a issue with the server becoming overloaded. Which in turn triggers a safety mechanism built into the forum program that will shut the forum down once the server reaches a threshold. Well to make a long story short, that means you can not use the forums.

I am going to contact my host and see what they have to say. But I would appreciate if you see a message saying that the server is to busy, send me an email so that I can track when the problem is occurring.

Thanks
--Shawn

[cyberfret]

We have problems folks. This problem seem to be sporadic......and actually seems to have nothing to do with server load. The server is not overloaded, and yet many of you are being turned away. I am working on it, but right now I don't have a solution.

--Shawn

[Zero]

I seems that I mostly get turned away between 11:00 PM and about 8:30 AM, Eastern Time. It happens occasionally at other times, but it seems to happen the most then.

I'm not sure, maybe someone with some more technical know-how can back me up, but I think that the forum might be getting too large?

For example, the members list. I used to use cyberfret, a looonnnggg time ago, but then for over a year I never logged on. I expected my account to be long gone, in fact, I started to set up a new account. Imagine my surprise when I found my account - still active. Maybe find a way to delete users if they haven't posted within a time limit... 6 months maybe? I imagine there are many defunct accounts out there, that nobody uses.

Also, I don't think that anybody will complain if they don't log on for 6 months and their account is deleted.

Maybe the postings too... I did a search on posts that I have posted, just to see how the option works, and I found all of them... dating all the way back to back to 2001!!! after awhile, the amount of posts is going to build up... maybe that's what is causing problems? maybe delete any posts that are over 6 months (or a year) old?

Not sure of any of this... Just thinking about it, and that's all I could come up with. If anyone can either prove or disprove this, it might help.

[cyberfret]

Good suggestion.

I did upgrade the forum to the latest greatest version last week, and I am wondering whether there is a bug in the program.

--Shawn

[BloodXero]

seems like youre not getting so lucky with the forums shawn. first the hacker, then the hacker again. now the forums getting shut down and the overloading and the server and the ones being not allowed to enter.

[cyberfret]

Please let me know if you see the server busy message again. I want to see if the problem has been fixed.

--Shawn

[Jools]

all has been well for the past 36 hours

[popmusic_sux]

yeah this weekend i couldnt log in but everythings been working for me since yesterday morning

[cyberfret]

Originally posted by popmusic_sux
yeah this weekend i couldnt log in but everythings been working for me since yesterday morning


Monday morning EST is when hopefully the problem was fixed. Keep your fingers crossed.

--Shawn

[cyberfret]

I knew it was too good to be true. The problem is not solved......AHHHHHH!

--Shawn

[cyberfret]

I have a theory here. The problem involves how the forum program uses cookies to automatically log members on to the board. If you don't use cookies to log on, then you might not get the server busy message. If anyone gets the message again, delete your cyberfret cookie......and try and log on again. PLEASE let me know if you have tried this and it works.

--Shawn

[Jools]

Originally posted by cyberfret
I have a theory here. The problem involves how the forum program uses cookies to automatically log members on to the board. If you don't use cookies to log on, then you might not get the server busy message. If anyone gets the message again, delete your cyberfret cookie......and try and log on again. PLEASE let me know if you have tried this and it works.

--Shawn

I'll try but the last busy message I got was two days ago at around 9am GMT

[popmusic_sux]

ive never gotten the busy server in school, since i dont use cookies. i only get it when im at home, so it could be because of the cookies. ill try disabling cookies on my home comp and see if that works.

[duffhackymaster]

The other day a message came up while loading a page and said server busy. I hit refresh and it worked again. Just so you know.

[fretfire]

I just got the Server busy message so I deleted my cookies and logged back in and it's fine now.

[Zero]

Yep, same here... Looks like you've solved the problem, Shawn! :)

[popmusic_sux]

Originally posted by fretfire
I just got the Server busy message so I deleted my cookies and logged back in and it's fine now.

[cyberfret]

Originally posted by Zero
Yep, same here... Looks like you've solved the problem, Shawn! :)

Well the problem isn't solved, but at least we know a work around for the moment.....which is a good thing. I will contact the tech support people for the forum software again and see if they can fix the problem more permentantly.

--Shawn

[cyberfret]

For anyone that has seen the message, can you tell me what browser and version you are using. And also what operating system.

I have never seen the message on my computer, Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6. But I have on my wife's computer, Windows 98 and Internet Explorer 5.5.

Thanks
--Shawn

[fretfire]

I'm using XP Pro and IE 6.

[Hannu]

Windows NT, IE 6. Refreshing worked.

[Trey]

Deletin the cookies and loginng in works, but that still means you have to delete your cookies everytime you login because the site (atleast on my computer) doesnt work without cookies enabled. :mad:

[fizz]

Works like a charm.

[cyberfret]

Has any one seen the message after they have cleared their cookies? Meaning have you cleared your cookies and then seen the message a couple of days later. Or did a one time cookie cleaning solve the problem?

I have now changed the message that you see. So rather than saying the server is busy, it explains this cookie problem. And have include a link that should automatically clear your cookies for this forum. I would be curious to know if anyone has used that link and it has worked.

thanks
--Shawn

[popmusic_sux]

i cleared the cookies once and its letting me log in with cookies now, at least for the time being.

[Hannu]

I saw the new message but it didn't have the link back then.
This is what happened. I saw the message, cleared the cookies, was allowed to sing in. Then I accidentally closed cybefret, then I tried to go to the forums again, I saw the message again, cleared the cookies and could sign in again.
This happened before I wrote my post above. I haven't seen the message since.

[Claire]

i got the message once this morning, but didn't do anything about it, but i haven't had the problem again

[BloodXero]

havent had the message once. havent been here in a while though ... exams ya know.

[Zero]

I just got the message, for the first time in a while... but the link didn't work for me, so I just cleared my cookies manually, and then it worked fine.

[Hannu]

Here is another computer I've used.

Windows XP
Internet Explorer 6

The link doesnt refresh the cookies but after refreshing them manually it works again. The message comes every now and then.

[popmusic_sux]

i have to disable cookies manually as well, but then it seems to work fine