Way to Russia Talk Lounge

WayToRussia · Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:44 pm Post subject: Forum Error

Dear All,

Sometimes the forum goes down because of a bug in the software. Transporting it to another software is not an option, but I found a workaround. However, it may affect the speed with which the pages load. So, I wanted to ask you: do you prefer that such error doesn't happen again and the forum is always online, but it works a bit slower, or you prefer the current situation?

DITTRICH · Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:15 pm Post subject:

Better to have the forum available and slower.
Les

Fire_Goddess · Guest

It doesnt even go that fast now, so how could you tolerate it any slower? I certainly could not!

Fire_Goddess · Guest

Oh looks like im the only jerk who voted for speed. Laughing

bryak · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:17 am Post subject:

I find when it goes out it does so at the most inoportune times -- like this morning when the weekly chat was supposed to (???) happen. But whatever, we can live with it going byebye once in awhile so that people with slow connections (Fire_Goddess) can stand the lag.
My vote's to keep it how it is.

Fire_Goddess · Guest

But I dont have a slow connection my DSL works fine. Ive noticed that debug mode at weird times, suddenly it will say debug mode then i'll close the window and open a new one and go back to the site and there is no debugging going on, Then it will happen again, then i'll repeat what I did and it is clear again. Could it be my browser?

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1601

I don't think so. Basically 'debug mode', as far as I understand it, just means the database has ran out of space to log your session. So you probably went on WTR just as the last few rows of one of the tables in the database filled up so debug mode was on and off. (And don't forget a lot of other guests and 'spiders' are visiting the page too)

WayToRussia · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:56 pm Post subject:

At the moment the forum is configured in the way that once the table with sessions fills up, it's automatically emptied. That's why you sometimes may see the error message as well as be logged out occasionally. Just click Reload in your browser and it'll work fine. The workaround I have is to change the type of the table from HEAP (where all the data is stored in memory, causing it to fill up quickly) to normal MyISAM (or whatever it's called), where the data are stored on the disk. Because the forum will have to access the disk instead of the memory, it might lead to slightly slower speed.

I propose let's wait if it happens once again (because I always modify the code for better), then I'll do this final workaround. Ok?

DITTRICH · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:08 pm Post subject:

It seems strange that the sessions table should fill up in the first place - I assume this is the bug. Isn't there something that can remove session records automatically, rather than waiting until the table becomes full. Surely a script can be scheduled to run every hour and weed out session records that haven't been updated for >30 minutes (say). Of course I have no idea what DBMS you have, but it's not rocket science.
Les

yorbcbud · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:35 pm Post subject: Re: Forum Error

camarks · Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:12 pm Post subject:

I don't find the brief outages a problem at all. Operation of these forums is way out of my computer league, but I wonder if the slow option can be implemented selectively. If and when you know you will be gone for several days, leave us in safe-but-slow mode. Otherwise speed rules.

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 620 Location: Moscow

I've been getting the "session full/debug mode" message nearly every time I try to look at the forums in the last week or so. It's a real annoyance. And I think it has to stop a lot of newcomers from looking at the forums and posting.

I can't imagine why it would be better to have pages load faster when you can't get into the forums to begin with to see the pages at all. I'd certainly much rather have a slower load speed than no access at all to the forums, if that's the choice.

vitalsigns · Lounge Wizard Joined: 25 Dec 2004 Posts: 2784

Zach10791 · Moderator Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 816

I'm ok if it takes the pages a little longer to load veres being locked out of it all the time because of a software bug.

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 620 Location: Moscow

WTR, as you well know I have a lot of respect for you and your initiative and your intellect .....

But for months now the Forums have been inaccessible more often than they've been available, because of the program bug/glitch.

I see this as a real problem. I hope you see this in the capatialist sense of being a business and money loser. Big time.

What's the fix?