When has site performance last been this bad?

[cotswoldsman]

Its just coincidence; and it wasn't working fine, when I started there were no emails being sent out.

Ah ok

[Guest]

You two three were sounding like a pair trio of Private Frazer clones !

 

I ain't wasting any more of my my Three feel at home allowance getting into a pointless debate with you John, Au revoir n all that..

I don't think either Dan or myself have ever suppressed the right of anyone to criticise. Admittedly if the site is flaky and underperforms, the ability to - alongside the ability to use it for everything else it should be doing - is affected. Indeed we welcome all feedback and its a valuable part of the information we have.

 

I've focused mainly on the technical aspects but over the past few weeks its become clear that there's simply not the performance available from the host, both server performance and skill/availability of their tech support team which is predominantly based overseas. Specifically, the disk speed needed to run a large database simply isn't there. Without a resolution of this in sight, we are moving hosts which while this will probably result in an amount of downtime, should be a one-off and from completion of migration onwards give a much more stable base to get on with more interesting work such as bringing new features and improvements.

Cheers Paul.

[nicknorman]

I wonder to what extent the disk usage is increased by the Google, Bing etc robots? How about adding a robots.txt with disallow, at least in the short term? OK this would stop Google etc showing up new threads but at least it might improve performance until the host migration is complete.

[Paul C]

That's not such a bad idea. I reckon nobody actually uses Bing search engine anyway, and he visits the site far too often. I've imposed a crawl delay on his visits. I'll let Google carry on for now though.

[Guest User]

I wonder to what extent the disk usage is increased by the Google, Bing etc robots? How about adding a robots.txt with disallow, at least in the short term? OK this would stop Google etc showing up new threads but at least it might improve performance until the host migration is complete.

 

 

That's not such a bad idea. I reckon nobody actually uses Bing search engine anyway, and he visits the site far too often. I've imposed a crawl delay on his visits. I'll let Google carry on for now though.

 

 

When I asked the same question a couple of days back, I was later told that the bots weren't likely to be having an adverse effect.

 

 

Looking at the full list of users currently online, there are many, many multiples of the Bing bot currently viewing the forum (along with slightly lesser numbers of Yahoo and Google bots) - is there any way to limit them if they're responsible for the slowness?

 

LC

[Paul C]

They shouldn't, and previously didn't.

[bassplayer]

Out of curiosity what's the RAM utilisation like when the disk is being hammered to death? If the RAM isn't big enough it will probably be doing a lot of unnecessary disk swapping...

[Guest User]

<casts a suspicious sideways glance at the bots>

[Paul C]

Out of curiosity what's the RAM utilisation like when the disk is being hammered to death? If the RAM isn't big enough it will probably be doing a lot of unnecessary disk swapping...

 

Memory and all other parameters are fine, its just disk utilisation which is (too) high. The frustration is compounded by the overseas tech support at the hosting company not even knowing the subtle difference between disk usage and utilisation.

[jenlyn]

 

Memory and all other parameters are fine, its just disk utilisation which is (too) high. The frustration is compounded by the overseas tech support at the hosting company not even knowing the subtle difference between disk usage and utilisation.

Or perhaps you struggling to get the information they need across?

I deal with techs abroad quite a lot, and although we both at times struggle with each other's language and tech terms, I have to admit that they are clever dudes.

I seem to remember a while back, you stated in quite an arrogant way, that you would not take advice from me regarding internet issues, hopefully you are not being that way with the "overseas" host.

Just adding my bit of feedback

[Paul C]

Or perhaps you struggling to get the information they need across?

I deal with techs abroad quite a lot, and although we both at times struggle with each other's language and tech terms, I have to admit that they are clever dudes.

I seem to remember a while back, you stated in quite an arrogant way, that you would not take advice from me regarding internet issues, hopefully you are not being that way with the "overseas" host.

Just adding my bit of feedback

 

My Indian is rubbish, I respect them for that they're speaking in a second language and they're simply 1st line support staff who are dealing with many many customers, of which we (technically, Dan, he is the one who actually pays the money to them) are just one. There's an escalation path too, which I occasionally contribute tech info/problems too but its more Dan's area since its to do with the decisions only he, not I, can make or are responsible for. If it were just a language barrier, or cultural differences, or the occasional misunderstanding with the hosting firm those types of issues can be dealt with. It is not. Once again I refer you to what Dan has said on the matter:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=76843&hl=

[bassplayer]

That's strange. Can get into posts from most smaller folders but the General Boating (largest) folder gives : Fatal error: Out of memory (allocated 1835008) (tried to allocate 196608 bytes) in /home/ggbqjfrf/public_html/forums/admin/sources/base/core.php on line 4736

[John V]

Perhaps a trip to the mirror for you?

 

Sorry gave up sailing those 50 years ago

[DHutch]

Its just coincidence; and it wasn't working fine, when I started there were no emails being sent out.

Also slow ViewNC performance, and sporadic 20-40 unexplaned hangs on around 5% of pages loads.

 

If not coincidece, it is at very least totally unforseen consciences that have come as a by product of making informed changes to try and solve pre-existing issues.

 

 

 

We have had 2.5 basically trouble free years from this host, which have in the main been cheap but effective. However they have always struggled to provide enough support for us given the time and skill set myself and Bernie/Paul have to put in. We are also increasingly convinceded that they have over-sold their products, which as a site that's now already close to outgrowing their largest VPS package effects us significantly.

 

We have always worked hard and done very well in terms of keeping running costs low, which allows us to run a free to use and add-free site solely of voluntary donations of money and time. However there are risks to this and the last 14days performance is one of thoses. Maybe we sail slightly two close to the wind, but its always easy to say that at times like this.

 

The new host is going to cost around twice a much, raising the cost of hosting from £44/month to around £80. Bringing our annual running costs up from around £750 to £1150.

I see this as the right step for the forum going forwards and still represents fantastic value for money for a site of this site.

 

 

Daniel

[DHutch]

As for dealing with over the current hosts technical team, I am copied in on all communication with the hosts and am perfectly happy with the way Paul has handled the situation. Alwaus clear, detailed, and perfectly respectfull.

 

In my work I work alongside colleagues in India on a daily basis, both in Pune only a few hundred miles from eUKhosts support centre, and in Delhi where I have lived for 8months. So while I also have almost no Indian, Hindi or Marathi, I consider myself fairly well placed. It is however still far from easy to discuss detailed technical issues with which you are not fully familiar, with someone who is working using their second language, is often dealing with more than one task at a time, while often also skirting and or going beyond what is included and or reasonable to expect from the support package offered.

 

Daniel

[DHutch]

Reporting issues is one thing, but try to have some empathy with those working hard on your behalf, don't just whinge and act like circling vultures waiting for the final death throes.

Fortunately the site staff have thick skins, and like myself, a passion for the forum and what it brings to so many people, which coupled with much words of support far our weighs the down sides. Social media is changing rapidly, but I don't think discussion forums have had their day yet, nor canal world.

 

 

Daniel

[Ange]

How are the coffers looking Daniel? Do we need a fundraising drive for the extra costs involved?

It's been a while since the forum accounts were last published and I can't remember how they were looking

[DHutch]

I will be honest, I need to do some paperwork and through the sites paypal and bank transactions before I know exactly myself.

 

Daniel

[bizzard]

What about using the same Host that Facebook uses, which never seems to fail, worse luck!!

[Guest]

What about using the same Host that Facebook uses, which never seems to fail, worse luck!!

Actually I think there have been a couple of occasions that Facebook has gone similarly wobbly but the back up systems they must have given its revenue seem pretty comprehensive so it doesn't go down for long.

[bizzard]

Actually I think there have been a couple of occasions that Facebook has gone similarly wobbly but the back up systems they must have given its revenue seem pretty comprehensive so it doesn't go down for long.

I see. Well, it needs to go wobbly for good, in my opinion. From what little I've seen of it, million upon millions of folk mostly talking drivel 24/7 on it. A very very large proportion of whom are supposed to be at work. If it were to fail for about a year or better still, entirely the country and indeed the world would almost certainly rise out of recession.

[larkshall]

Can I add Twitter to this please

[Guest]

Nobody is compelled to use, look at or visit any form of social media so I don't understand the problem with them.

 

As for lost productivity any savvy employer should simply block or restrict or at the very least monitor workers acces.

[bizzard]

I explained on another thread last week I think how I found my old school's website and posted a few comments on Sport, school dinners and punishments, anyhow, what I didn't realize was that it involved FB and to see my posts fully I had to sign up, and wow!! What an eye opener. Having a look around the site and within a few minutes nearly all my friends and relations had spotted me and start doing the friend thing. I shouldn't have used my correct name. Nearly all of them are younger than me and apart from a couple of housewives are all or should be at work, but according to my friends lists they seem to be on and off it every few minutes almost 24/7 and what drivel!.And these are just my folk. So there must also be millions doing the same throughout the country. If they're not using their company's computers to do it, I reckon they're doing FB secretly on their tablets under their desks all the time.

[Paul C]

I explained on another thread last week I think how I found my old school's website and posted a few comments on Sport, school dinners and punishments, anyhow, what I didn't realize was that it involved FB and to see my posts fully I had to sign up, and wow!! What an eye opener. Having a look around the site and within a few minutes nearly all my friends and relations had spotted me and start doing the friend thing. I shouldn't have used my correct name. Nearly all of them are younger than me and apart from a couple of housewives are all or should be at work, but according to my friends lists they seem to be on and off it every few minutes almost 24/7 and what drivel!.And these are just my folk. So there must also be millions doing the same throughout the country. If they're not using their company's computers to do it, I reckon they're doing FB secretly on their tablets under their desks all the time.

 

.....or you don't know what working hours they have.....