I must say that whatever happened this weekend was unrelated to our server. ISIS (the server this site is on) has been up and running strong for 52 days now.
When I first noticed the problem, I began verifying everything on the server to ensure that it was not a server related problem... And it wasn't. MySQL was still responding. We hadn't made any recent changes. The TWF database was still there. It still had the same password. I could easily query it from the server. Absolutely no changes anywhere on the server.
And to verify the Apache->MySQL connection, I verified that another VB board that we host on the same server was in deed working.
I have no idea what happened over the weekend, but we have done nothing before or after... So why it started working again is beyond me.
So the only other possible answers would be either 1) DNS problems, 2) your ISP's connection went down somewhere, or 3) the server was so overloaded it produced really long response times and people didn't feel like waiting. Also, there is a small problem. It says: "Thanks to Dynamic Internet Solutions and vBulletin for helping us reach registered users." The number is missing.
Actually, none of your three "only" options are even options. None of them have to do with the problem.
The problem was that VB was not querying the database, for whatever reason. DNS was fine. You could access the site, prooving that both DNS and your ISP were fine. As far as the server goes, I assure you it wasn't overloaded. There are under 10 sites on the server - the other 9 (including one VB the same size as TWF) were working properly.
I don't know what created this problem. JP swears he didn't change anything, so the problem is beyond me. I can however say that without a doubt, the problem was not related to our server. I verified *everything* to make sure it wasn't, and I am confident that my research was thorough enough to stand behind my opinion.
Vincent Puglia posted this at 06:54 — 30th August 2000.
I don't know the board's inner workings, so take the following as 'brainstorming' (or rambling).
Because the site came up, doesn't necessarily prove that the dbms was up (unless you build your pages from the same dbms, and even then, it only proves that a given table within the dbms was up).
Virus-free code doesn't simply decide to take a vacation.
In other words, if everything you say is true, there may be some passing of bad pointers, either because of an out-of-bounds array or some other bad address reference. Considering how unstructured and open VB is (in comparison to c/c++), it would be very easy to pass a bad pointer.
Vinny
Where the world once stood
the blades of grass cut me still
I only need to say that everything that I have said is in fact true. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't. Honesty is something that I hold very high.
In all reality, I agree that VB's code isn't just going to "take a vacation" but I do know that *a lot* is customizable via the control panel. No offense to JP but I could easily see him breaking it. Further, with all the changes that he has been working on recently, I just have to come to the conclusion that somewhere, something was done incorrectly that caused problems. Further, the fact that the site suddenly started working again with absolutely no help on my part also seems odd.
I was able to access the VB control panel and actually make changes to TWF.
The point is also that MySQL doesn't just decide to take a vacation and go un-noticed. To verify however that the Apache->MySQL connection was working properly, I created a simple PHP script from the TWF site that would access and query the database - it worked. The script accessed the database *exactly* like VB would (in terms of what the server sees - user information, who's accessing, what's accessing, etc).
I don't know what happened but I can tell you with 100% assurance that it wasn't server related and I will continue to stand behind that decision.
Ravi Pachai posted this at 13:51 — 30th August 2000.
I wasn't implying I didn't believe you. I was trying to understand how it could happen and point out some possible reasons. I wasn't pointing fingers.
In fact, I can undestand how you feel.
In the days of MS-DOS 3.1, I tested for PC Magazine a new backup recovery program that did its own compressed formatting, and somehow (probably through an EPROM), it changed my 360K floppy drive to 180K for hours, holding the new configuration even after shut downs. I know it did it. I also know software isn't supposed to effect hardware. But...
Finally, the fact that it came back on its own also seems to imply that a bad address could have been involved and was reset by someone hitting some link.
At any rate, thanks for your patience and honesty.
Vinny
Where the world once stood
the blades of grass cut me still
Denmark 3 posted this at 21:30 — 30th August 2000.
I do. Since I am in ultimate control of the servers, I want them to be running properly all the time. If there is a problem, I want it to be fixed. If there isn't, I don't want to be blamed for it.
Denmark 3 posted this at 04:56 — 1st September 2000.
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Anonymous posted this at 19:22 — 28th August 2000.
They have: 5,633 posts
Joined: Jan 1970
Took all the fun out of my weekend
Denmark 3 posted this at 20:39 — 28th August 2000.
They have: 881 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
It was out for a looong time. What happened?
Justin S posted this at 22:04 — 28th August 2000.
They have: 2,076 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
I missed it. I guess I should get back to visiting every few hours
Mike Fisher posted this at 22:40 — 28th August 2000.
They have: 429 posts
Joined: Jul 2000
Shhhh, Justin! The bores are out there! Don't let them know you're afraid of them!
Ravi Pachai posted this at 01:00 — 29th August 2000.
They have: 433 posts
Joined: Apr 2000
I wonder if JP really got all the emails it was suppose to dispatch.
Mike Fisher posted this at 02:52 — 29th August 2000.
They have: 429 posts
Joined: Jul 2000
[Waving hand over at Ravi.]
He's a wild one, yessir... he be da main threat in this house... we's gotta take him out quick.
Denmark 3 posted this at 04:19 — 29th August 2000.
They have: 881 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
JP woulda got a ton of e-mails. I tried to get to the site at least 10 times myself.
JP Stones posted this at 08:54 — 29th August 2000.
They have: 2,390 posts
Joined: Nov 1998
I was away with my girlfriend all weekend at the Notting Hill Carnival but when I cam back Monday all was working.
I'll find out what that problem was and post here.
Sorry about the problems this has caused.
JP
Chad Simper posted this at 13:19 — 29th August 2000.
He has: 424 posts
Joined: Mar 1999
Howdy!
I must say that whatever happened this weekend was unrelated to our server. ISIS (the server this site is on) has been up and running strong for 52 days now.
When I first noticed the problem, I began verifying everything on the server to ensure that it was not a server related problem... And it wasn't. MySQL was still responding. We hadn't made any recent changes. The TWF database was still there. It still had the same password. I could easily query it from the server. Absolutely no changes anywhere on the server.
And to verify the Apache->MySQL connection, I verified that another VB board that we host on the same server was in deed working.
I have no idea what happened over the weekend, but we have done nothing before or after... So why it started working again is beyond me.
Justin S posted this at 20:43 — 29th August 2000.
They have: 2,076 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
So the only other possible answers would be either 1) DNS problems, 2) your ISP's connection went down somewhere, or 3) the server was so overloaded it produced really long response times and people didn't feel like waiting. Also, there is a small problem. It says: "Thanks to Dynamic Internet Solutions and vBulletin for helping us reach registered users." The number is missing.
Justin Stayton - [email] [icq]
Chad Simper posted this at 06:15 — 30th August 2000.
He has: 424 posts
Joined: Mar 1999
Justin,
Actually, none of your three "only" options are even options. None of them have to do with the problem.
The problem was that VB was not querying the database, for whatever reason. DNS was fine. You could access the site, prooving that both DNS and your ISP were fine. As far as the server goes, I assure you it wasn't overloaded. There are under 10 sites on the server - the other 9 (including one VB the same size as TWF) were working properly.
I don't know what created this problem. JP swears he didn't change anything, so the problem is beyond me. I can however say that without a doubt, the problem was not related to our server. I verified *everything* to make sure it wasn't, and I am confident that my research was thorough enough to stand behind my opinion.
Vincent Puglia posted this at 06:54 — 30th August 2000.
They have: 634 posts
Joined: Dec 1999
Hi Chad,
I don't know the board's inner workings, so take the following as 'brainstorming' (or rambling).
Because the site came up, doesn't necessarily prove that the dbms was up (unless you build your pages from the same dbms, and even then, it only proves that a given table within the dbms was up).
Virus-free code doesn't simply decide to take a vacation.
In other words, if everything you say is true, there may be some passing of bad pointers, either because of an out-of-bounds array or some other bad address reference. Considering how unstructured and open VB is (in comparison to c/c++), it would be very easy to pass a bad pointer.
Vinny
Where the world once stood
the blades of grass cut me still
mjames posted this at 13:15 — 30th August 2000.
They have: 2,064 posts
Joined: Dec 1999
*gasp* that downtime was horrendus! I really missed TWF. Anyway, it's good to hear things are now working. I hope people still come back, though...
Chad Simper posted this at 13:26 — 30th August 2000.
He has: 424 posts
Joined: Mar 1999
I only need to say that everything that I have said is in fact true. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't. Honesty is something that I hold very high.
In all reality, I agree that VB's code isn't just going to "take a vacation" but I do know that *a lot* is customizable via the control panel. No offense to JP but I could easily see him breaking it. Further, with all the changes that he has been working on recently, I just have to come to the conclusion that somewhere, something was done incorrectly that caused problems. Further, the fact that the site suddenly started working again with absolutely no help on my part also seems odd.
I was able to access the VB control panel and actually make changes to TWF.
The point is also that MySQL doesn't just decide to take a vacation and go un-noticed. To verify however that the Apache->MySQL connection was working properly, I created a simple PHP script from the TWF site that would access and query the database - it worked. The script accessed the database *exactly* like VB would (in terms of what the server sees - user information, who's accessing, what's accessing, etc).
I don't know what happened but I can tell you with 100% assurance that it wasn't server related and I will continue to stand behind that decision.
Ravi Pachai posted this at 13:51 — 30th August 2000.
They have: 433 posts
Joined: Apr 2000
ok! we're just glad it's back now
.
Vincent Puglia posted this at 15:27 — 30th August 2000.
They have: 634 posts
Joined: Dec 1999
Hi Chad,
I wasn't implying I didn't believe you. I was trying to understand how it could happen and point out some possible reasons. I wasn't pointing fingers.
In fact, I can undestand how you feel.
In the days of MS-DOS 3.1, I tested for PC Magazine a new backup recovery program that did its own compressed formatting, and somehow (probably through an EPROM), it changed my 360K floppy drive to 180K for hours, holding the new configuration even after shut downs. I know it did it. I also know software isn't supposed to effect hardware. But...
Finally, the fact that it came back on its own also seems to imply that a bad address could have been involved and was reset by someone hitting some link.
At any rate, thanks for your patience and honesty.
Vinny
Where the world once stood
the blades of grass cut me still
Denmark 3 posted this at 21:30 — 30th August 2000.
They have: 881 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
Who cares if it was server related or not. I know, I don't.
Chad Simper posted this at 22:33 — 30th August 2000.
He has: 424 posts
Joined: Mar 1999
I do. Since I am in ultimate control of the servers, I want them to be running properly all the time. If there is a problem, I want it to be fixed. If there isn't, I don't want to be blamed for it.
Denmark 3 posted this at 04:56 — 1st September 2000.
They have: 881 posts
Joined: Feb 2000
Oh well, sorry.
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