Various Forum Functions Broken?

[D-TX]

Seems like after the recent forum outages, various forum functions are broken.

For example, I get a "Database error" message if I click on any of these items:
"My Threads / Replies"
"Today's Posts"
"New Posts"
"Search > Go"

I've tried logging out, clearing browser cookies, and logging back in - and still get the same error.

Is anyone else seeing this sort of error with the forum?

Take Care & Be A Bare,
David

[rone]

I really miss today's posts and new posts. They aren't working at the moment. Patience needed?

[NakedGary]

Since changing servers the CFF forums continue to be very problematic and intermittent with database errors, and various functions not working. The forums seem to be bogged down sometimes not accessible at all due to server overload. As a result the traffic is down considerably. People just wont tolerate waiting minutes after hitting enter, or waiting then getting page not available, or errors.

I noticed the search function does not work at all, listing some sort of vBulletin database SQL error.

CFF administration and IT are troubleshooting the errors, slowdown, database errors, and server access affecting CFF and sometimes CFI.

Thanks for your input, noticed problems or functions not working properly reports.

Quote by D-TX
For example, I get a "Database error" message if I click on any of these items:

"My Threads / Replies"

"Today's Posts"

"New Posts"

"Search >

[Reg Barlow]

Database errors, and various functions continue to be intermittent, and the forums seem to be bogged down sometimes not accessible at all due to server overload. As a result the traffic is down, as people just wont tolerate waiting minutes after hitting enter, or waiting then getting page not available, or error.

I noticed the search function does not work at all, listing some sort of vBulletin database SQL error.

CFF administration and IT are troubleshooting the errors, slowdown, database errors, and server access affecting CFF and sometimes CFI.

Thanks for your input, noticed problems or functions not working properly notice and reports.

Thanks for telling us this. The only think missing is an idea of when normal services will resume? BTW I get database errors.

[tinner666]

The usability sure hasn't been the same since the improvements started. I don't come in as often because of this.

[EricNY]

Tinner,

The problems are not related to the change in forums. It has to do with the server that this site operates on.

There are many sites on this that are having the same problem.

[rone]

It's easy to see the lost users. Just look at the participation count when you connect. It's a shame.

[jon71]

It's good to know it's not just me. Is there a ball park as to when it will be fixed?

[Fuzzy Nuts]

Pardon my ignorance but if the problem is due to the server can not the server be changed?

[Boreas]

I know I am less interested in coming in here when I keep getting told there are database errors. At first I thought it was this elderly computer, but it is also happening on my more youthful work computer.

To add to Jon and Fuzzy Nuts' comments.....will this be fixed soon?

[NakedGary]

Its not a fault of vBulletin. vBulletin is the most popular community and forums software in use and considered very high performance with large forum and community databases.

Each application of vBulletin must be custom configured, and tailored to the load, demand, host and server configuration, as well as communications interface to the Internet.

Quote

The problems are not related to the change in forums. It has to do with the server that this site operates on.

There are many sites on this that are having the same problem.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

The many sites using or powered by vBulletin community & forum software are not experiencing the same problem as in the quote.

I assume that quote means the many sites on the same servers as CFF may be experiencing problems.

Any site which has 24,000 members in their database, and up to 400-500 on-line at one time using that database is considered high demand and requires high performance hosts, servers, communications performance, bandwidth, and configuration.

I'm sure that administration, and IT department are well qualified and doing all they can to configure vBulliten, the servers, host, and communications interface for optimum performance, continuity, demand, and access.

This process takes time, and is a process of elimination to configure, fine tune, and optimize the series chain of events to eliminate any weak links that can compound into complete overload, bog down and outage of the site, servers, and communications with the Internet.

Reference to the many technical vBulletin forums for optimization of vBulletin as per client and user needs:

Re: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/index.php

[EricNY]

The many sites using or powered by vBulletin community & forum software are not experiencing the same problem as in the quote.



This site is not powered by VBulletin.

VBulletin is merely the forum software. The sites that are having problems (including this one) are sites that are on the same server.

Currently the servers are being replaced and sites are being moved over to create room. It is not just CFI and CFF other sites that operate on the same server are having the same problems.

It is much bigger than "just clothes free"

[NakedGary]

ercNY

This site is not powered by VBulletin.

VBulletin is merely the forum software.

CFF forums are powered by VBulliten program which is installed and runs on servers with PHP and My SQL running various server operating systems. [In this case it use to be Unix/Apache]

Please note at the bottom of each forum page:

“Powered by vBulliten ® Version 3.6.8<O:p
Copyright © 20000 – 2007, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd
Copyright ©2007, ClothesFree International.”<O:p

As long as there are vBulliten SQL database issues and errors the Search functions and routines noted by users in this thread will be non functional.

The IT team is still optimizing the server and vBulliten configuration which is very complex and unique to each vBulliten application, database, and server configuration.

At this time there is no estimate as to when the vBulliten powered forums will be fully optimized or operational.

[walter05]

The issue can be summed up by what psychologists call "learned helplessness".

When one learns that the forums just don't work, one quits going to them.

There have been a lot of slowdowns and this has made it hard. However, it seems that on Thursday of each week, the system just fails.

This has encouraged me to also use it less and less.

Boreas;

Please know that traffic on a work computer can be tracked. This can be done from a router or server.

Please also delete any temporary files, cookies, etc. before you leave to protect your privacy.

[Boreas]

Walter, I am self-employed, so those are not issues for me. It is my computer, my Internet account etc.

Thanks for your concern.

[NakedGary]

At this time the vB SQL database errors seem to have been corrected and are working normally.

The search functions and routines mentioed by users as non operative are back up and running normally:

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">For example, I get a "Database error" message if I click on any of these items:
"My Threads / Replies"
"Today's Posts"
"New Posts"
"Search > Go"
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
F.Y.I.

[Boreas]

Much better thanks.

May they continue to work well.

[Sanslines]

This is what I see on the bottom of my page:

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2007, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. <!-- Do not remove this copyright notice -->
<!-- Do not remove or your scheduled tasks will cease to function --><!-- Do not remove or your scheduled tasks will cease to function -->Copyright ©2007, ClothesFree International (http://www.clothesfree.com/).


What Gary posted is this:

“Powered by vBulliten ® Version 3.6.8<O:p
Copyright © 20000 – 2007, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd
Copyright ©2007, ClothesFree International.”

Notice the difference between what I posted ie vBulletin versus what Gary posted ie vBulliten.

Assuming that there are no typos, why does it appear that I am using one system and Gary is using another?

This is the vBulletin website:

http://www.vbulletin.com/

I performed a search and can not find a comparable website for vBulliten.

After referencing the vBulletin on line manual, this is what I have found:

The first step towards running vBulletin after you have purchased a license is to download the latest vBulletin package, upload it to your web server and run the installer script.

The following documents will take you through this process step-by-step.
Note:
Before installing vBulletin you need to have PHP and MySQL and have created a database within the MySQL engine to hold vBulletin's data.

Also using the vBulletin Technical Manual as a reference and using the search words 'database limitations', this information is found:

Database Backup To perform a backup of your database, you can go to Maintenance > Database Backup. Warning:
Due to limitations with PHP, backups may not be complete on larger databases. Please ensure that the final line of your backup contains:

### VBULLETIN DATABASE DUMP COMPLETED ###</PRE>
If it does not, we recommend backing up using SSH and mysqldump.


Based upon my brief study of the vBulletin Technical Manual, I continue to believe that the problem with gaining access to this forum has more to do with server limitations rather then with vBulletin software. vBulletin software is such that certain features either work or do not work based upon how the software is initially set up. Software such as this generally does not work erratically hence why I believe that the presently used servers are not up to the task of handling the amount of traffic that there are being asked to handle.

[EricNY]

It seems there is some confusion....

This site as a whole runs on a server. Many other sites run on the same server. They all have been experiencing the same problems as this one.

The issues have nothing to do with VBulliten CFF bought a license to run VBuliten software for this forum.

A larger more powerful server has been put in place and site are being moved over to it systematicly

The problems that the site is haiving and the switch to the new forum software are pure coincidence.

[Sanslines]

Here is some related information concerning server limitations:


A Virtual Server is capable of handling 30,000 to 50,000 hits (assuming hits generally request about 5 kb of data) per day. That is not "visitors", rather hits or requests for files. For instance, if you have 5 Subhosted domain names, each which is trying to accommodate 10,000 hits per day (which really isn't that much if you have a graphically intensive page; one request for a .gif or .jpeg equals one hit!) there will likely be a problem. This "slowdown" will affect all of your clients on the Virtual Server you are using to Subhost.

When a slowdown occurs a wise Reseller will properly "manage" his or her Virtual Server by reducing the number of Subhosts on the Virtual Server by either upgrading one of the especially high traffic Virtual hosted sites to its own Virtual Server or by moving some Subhosts to a less busy Virtual Server. Either way, proper load balancing is a science that a Reseller must have a feel for in order to succeed with serious Virtual Subhosting.
A Virtual Server can only host a finite number of Virtual Subhosts due to performance reasons. Consider the following recommendations when deciding how many Subhosts to place on a single Virtual Server.
Server A (http://www.web-design.net/products/virtual.html): around 5 low volume subhosts

Server B (http://www.web-design.net/products/virtual.html): around 25 low volume subhosts

Server C (http://www.web-design.net/products/virtual.html): around 60 low volume subhosts


We cannot guarantee the number of Virtual Subhosts you will be able to host since each site uses a different amount of resources. It may be that you can only host one other Virtual Subhost before resources are exhausted on your Virtual Server. It is up to you to monitor Virtual Subhosts and upgrade high load Virtual Subhosts to their own Virtual Servers.

Virtual Subhosting obviously uses the resources of a single Virtual Server to accommodate the needs of multiple web sites. Among the resources that are shared is the single IP address that is associated with the Virtual Server. Search engine "spiders" which are not HTTP/1.1 compliant will not be able to index the sites. Most major spiders and search engines are now HTTP/1.1 compliant.
A Virtual Server can only support a single Digital Certificate. This can make the use of SSL difficult since all Subhosts must use the same Digital Certificate and only one domain name can be associated with a Digital Certificate.
A Virtual Subhost does not have telnet access to the Virtual Server.Even though this information is not necessary specific to the servers presently being used for this forum, the basic concepts still apply. These concepts involve initially gathering data by monitoring server traffic load. Then, based upon this information, traffic should be (re)allocated to additional servers to increase, improve, or maintain robust performance during peak loads.

[Croydon]

What is going on with this site? Last few days I have tried coming and the site is either very slow, not working at all. It is starting to be a pain as this has been going on for past 3 weeks or so.

I already see my visitation declining and I wouldn't be too surprise if that is the case with others.

[KNude]

Hey! The site is up today. Seems to be working in a reasonalbe manner. How long with this last? A few hours, a day? Hope this is the time it remains "fixed".

[popper]

If it's not broken, don't fix it?

[MrNaturist]

yes it is slow at times, so is everything else I try to do at times. If I cannot get to a particular post I want one way, I try another way. I don't post much because I generally don't have a polite opinion.
Seams to me, we should give the same patients in this case as we would in any other change in one's life. Though we don't like changes, they are part of life. Not all changes go smoothly, just look at the automotive industry for example. In most cases it takes them 2 to 3 years to work all the bugs out of new ideas. You do not see most people walking away from them because if it.