Posting Troubles

Jenn Kramer · March 7th, 2002, 11:24 AM

I think it has something to do with database corruption on this forum in particular. I'm posting to the Gl1 forum and it's lickety split. I'm guessing that this older version of vBulletin has a database corruption issue. Unfortunately, these problems aren't exactly easy to diagnose, and they're rarely the same thing twice. (And with JSP you'll probably have more problems with memory bloat than database speed.)

Jenn Kramer · March 7th, 2002, 11:46 AM

Dum de dum, fixing tables and breaking databases...

Chris Hurd · March 7th, 2002, 11:56 AM

Ladies and gentlemen, Jenn Kramer. Many thanks, Jenn...

John Locke · March 7th, 2002, 12:01 PM

Ditto, Jeff. Thanks...and thanks for the head up on issues that I should pass on to our programmers.

Ken Tanaka · March 7th, 2002, 12:19 PM

Jeff,
You're closest to the situation so take my suggestions for whatever they may be worth, perhaps nothing.

Before spending too much time trying to diagnose you might want to do a server restart. I know that you reported that the system is largely idle. But I have a suspicion that the message database's indexes, not the tables, may be contributing to the problem. If the indexes are maintained using ISAM or a close cousin (as many such products' indexes are) chances are that they are mainly resident in memory. The posting delay we're seeing is a typical symptom of a system having difficulty adding entries to an index. Restarting the server will clear memory and restarting the bbs may enable the indexes to be rebuilt from the tables.

Again, just an idea from afar. Thanks for your efforts on our behalf and good luck!

Jenn Kramer · March 7th, 2002, 12:28 PM

I already restarted MySQL several times and repaired the tables (and vBulletin seems to have some bugs there, too, the tables are a mess), to no avail. I'm hoping that the newer version of vBulletin has some fixes. I'm betting that they're trying to clean up the tables on every post, which is taking forever. Perhaps the new version either has a cleaner way of doing it, or doesn't do it at all. (But I haven't heard back from vBulletin yet.)

I did manage to dump all the tables to a backup, so if worst comes to worst I can just re-install from scratch.

Chris Hurd · March 7th, 2002, 01:43 PM

Seems to be working *much* better now... many thanks. This fix should hold until we're able to upgrade to the most recent version of the forum software (within the next week, hopefully).

Dan C. · March 7th, 2002, 01:51 PM

Much better!
Thanks Jeff, thanks Chris.

Ken Tanaka · March 7th, 2002, 02:09 PM

Very nice. Thank you, Jeff!

Vic Owen · March 7th, 2002, 06:54 PM

Hey, this isn't really a problem. I write my post, hit the Submit button, go to work, and when I come in the evening, it's posted! So.....is it not supposed to work that way? :)

Cheers

Adrian Douglas · March 7th, 2002, 07:12 PM

Faster than an aussie to a free beer. Thanks guys

March 7th, 2002, 11:56 AM	#18
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Ladies and gentlemen, Jenn Kramer. Many thanks, Jenn... __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

March 7th, 2002, 12:01 PM	#19
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Ditto, Jeff. Thanks...and thanks for the head up on issues that I should pass on to our programmers. __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

March 7th, 2002, 12:19 PM	#20
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Jeff, You're closest to the situation so take my suggestions for whatever they may be worth, perhaps nothing. Before spending too much time trying to diagnose you might want to do a server restart. I know that you reported that the system is largely idle. But I have a suspicion that the message database's indexes, not the tables, may be contributing to the problem. If the indexes are maintained using ISAM or a close cousin (as many such products' indexes are) chances are that they are mainly resident in memory. The posting delay we're seeing is a typical symptom of a system having difficulty adding entries to an index. Restarting the server will clear memory and restarting the bbs may enable the indexes to be rebuilt from the tables. Again, just an idea from afar. Thanks for your efforts on our behalf and good luck! __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

March 7th, 2002, 01:43 PM	#22
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Seems to be working much better now... many thanks. This fix should hold until we're able to upgrade to the most recent version of the forum software (within the next week, hopefully). __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

March 7th, 2002, 02:09 PM	#24
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Very nice. Thank you, Jeff! __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

March 7th, 2002, 11:24 AM	#16
Jenn Kramer Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 389 Images: 1	I think it has something to do with database corruption on this forum in particular. I'm posting to the Gl1 forum and it's lickety split. I'm guessing that this older version of vBulletin has a database corruption issue. Unfortunately, these problems aren't exactly easy to diagnose, and they're rarely the same thing twice. (And with JSP you'll probably have more problems with memory bloat than database speed.)

March 7th, 2002, 11:46 AM	#17
Jenn Kramer Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 389 Images: 1	Dum de dum, fixing tables and breaking databases...

March 7th, 2002, 12:28 PM	#21
Jenn Kramer Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 389 Images: 1	I already restarted MySQL several times and repaired the tables (and vBulletin seems to have some bugs there, too, the tables are a mess), to no avail. I'm hoping that the newer version of vBulletin has some fixes. I'm betting that they're trying to clean up the tables on every post, which is taking forever. Perhaps the new version either has a cleaner way of doing it, or doesn't do it at all. (But I haven't heard back from vBulletin yet.) I did manage to dump all the tables to a backup, so if worst comes to worst I can just re-install from scratch.

March 7th, 2002, 01:51 PM	#23
Dan C. Major Player Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Cheshire, England Posts: 105	Much better! Thanks Jeff, thanks Chris.

March 7th, 2002, 06:54 PM	#25
Vic Owen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 540	Hey, this isn't really a problem. I write my post, hit the Submit button, go to work, and when I come in the evening, it's posted! So.....is it not supposed to work that way? :) Cheers __________________ -- Vic Owen --

March 7th, 2002, 07:12 PM	#26
Adrian Douglas Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chigasaki, Japan. Posts: 1,660	Faster than an aussie to a free beer. Thanks guys __________________ Adrian DVInfo.net Search for quick answers Where to buy? From the best in the business...DVInfo.net sponsors