VBulletin Errors

**steveninstl** · 10-23-2007, 06:30 PM

Lately I've been getting a lot of VB errors. Any idea on the following example?

Database error in vBulletin :

mysql_connect() [<a href='function.mysql-connect'>function.mysql-connect</a>]: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2) /home/themesbb/public_html/t4bbforum/includes/class_core.php on line 274

MySQL Error :
Error Number :
Date : Tuesday, October 23rd 2007 @ 05:47:15 PM
Script : Demension Icon source? - Themes4BB.com Forums
Referrer : Theme Icons & Tools - Themes4BB.com Forums
IP Address : 208.188.194.93
Username :
Classname : vb_database

I've contacted my host several times, and the have bumped the number of connections to the MySQL up to 100 (the max) and I still get this error. And it always refers to the PHP line 274. I'm not a PHP expert, so I am not sure if the line is correct or not.

Any input would be appreciated.

Steve

**Luigi** · 10-24-2007, 09:12 PM

I'm surprise no one has come to the rescue yet. Sorry I can't offer any help, but did you get this fixed?

**Michael Biddle** · 10-24-2007, 09:33 PM

It is a host problem. Contact your host and give them the error.

**Yogesh Sarkar** · 10-25-2007, 04:30 AM

Problem with connecting to the MYSQL server, like Mike said, contact your host.

**steveninstl** · 10-25-2007, 05:50 AM

I've contacted my host SEVERAL times. Like I said before..they increased the number of connections to the max (100)..and I still receive this error now and then... It is really frustrating..

thanks for your input.

**Brandon Sheley** · 10-25-2007, 05:57 AM

I'd get a new host

Sorry, I'm sure this isn't what you wanted to hear, but that's the best answer I can give.

We use Fluid Hosting: FreeBSD and Windows Hosting if interested.

**eric** · 10-25-2007, 11:28 AM

It's not a problem of the number of connections. Mysql can have thousands a time if the server has resources. You're on a server that can't handle it anymore and general load is to high, and then server starts to limit all kinda services just to survive and the problem you have is one of the limitations when overloaded. What you can say as oversold hosting on that server. Time to move.

**Yogesh Sarkar** · 10-25-2007, 11:43 AM

How many users do you have online simultaneously? Have you installed any shoutbox hack or any other hacks recently?

In any case I agree with Brandon, its time to switch hosts. I am also switching hosts because my host have been having problems for past four days and that is enough for me!

**Luigi** · 10-25-2007, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eric

It's not a problem of the number of connections. Mysql can have thousands a time if the server has resources. You're on a server that can't handle it anymore and general load is to high, and then server starts to limit all kinda services just to survive and the problem you have is one of the limitations when overloaded. What you can say as oversold hosting on that server. Time to move.

Yup, can't agree more here. You're getting shortchanged here. What host are you running on? So I can run away from them! :burnout:

**steveninstl** · 10-26-2007, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yogesh Sarkar

How many users do you have online simultaneously? Have you installed any shoutbox hack or any other hacks recently?

In any case I agree with Brandon, its time to switch hosts. I am also switching hosts because my host have been having problems for past four days and that is enough for me!

I do have a shoutbox mod on my forum...could that be the issue? If so I will uninstall it. Having my forum up and running is more important than a shoutbox.

Thanks for the info!

Steve

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luigi

Yup, can't agree more here. You're getting shortchanged here. What host are you running on? So I can run away from them! :burnout:

3ix.org

and I'm running the Extreme package 500gig

**Ross** · 10-26-2007, 07:26 AM

I had a similar problem on Servage (when I was on shared hosting), after my site topped 100 members, my site was processing too many queries for shared hosting to handle and they cut you off (as you are limited to a certain amount of queries an hour on shared hosting). Your best bet would be to go the VPS route. HostICan - Web Hosting - FREE Domain, PHP, 2,500GB of bandwidth, and more... from $50

**Yogesh Sarkar** · 10-26-2007, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveninstl

I do have a shoutbox mod on my forum...could that be the issue? If so I will uninstall it. Having my forum up and running is more important than a shoutbox.

It could be, because shoutbox mods normally consume quite a bit of processing. It looks like your host is a reseller of hostdime and offers a bit outrageous packages i.e. oversells extensively. Normally it is better to stay away from hosts which offer tons of hosting space for few bucks a month!

**steveninstl** · 10-26-2007, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBI-Ross

I had a similar problem on Servage (when I was on shared hosting), after my site topped 100 members, my site was processing too many queries for shared hosting to handle and they cut you off (as you are limited to a certain amount of queries an hour on shared hosting). Your best bet would be to go the VPS route. HostICan - Web Hosting - FREE Domain, PHP, 2,500GB of bandwidth, and more... from $50

If I can find a package like I currently have (500 gig storage, unlimited bandwidth..emails..sql..) for about $8 a month (thats what I am paying - paid) I need the unlimited bandwidth...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yogesh Sarkar

It could be, because shoutbox mods normally consume quite a bit of processing. It looks like your host is a reseller of hostdime and offers a bit outrageous packages i.e. oversells extensively. Normally it is better to stay away from hosts which offer tons of hosting space for few bucks a month!

great...thanks. I will be removing shoutbox and see how that affects the server.

If I do end up switching hosts..wont i lose everything I currently have? Or can I save my SQL database and reimport it to a new host?

**Ross** · 10-26-2007, 07:56 AM

Sorry to say this but for $8 your not going to get a reliable host for a vBulletin forum. Your best bet is to remove any mods that put strain on your Database and just put up with the unable to connect messages you will get.

**Yogesh Sarkar** · 10-26-2007, 08:11 AM

Do you really need 500 gig storage and unlimited bandwidth?

Are you actually using even 1% of this?

Try to get a host which has more realistic packages, check out knownhost's shared hosting and reseller plans and like BBI-Ross said, remove mods which put extra strain on your database while you are hosted on a shared server.

**steveninstl** · 10-26-2007, 08:23 AM

well of course paying $8 is unrealistic..I'm paying $88 per year at once, not $8 a month.

And no..I am not currently using that much space, maybe 2 gig. When I switched my package over, I had the intention of hosting video, music and other large sized files. That has since changed. I think 10-20 gig would suffice.

I have disabled shoutbox. Lets see how that affects the server load. I really hate the idea of switching to another host..with fear that I'd lose my content that is already up there.

**Ross** · 10-26-2007, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveninstl

can I save my SQL database and reimport it to a new host?

Yes you can.

**noppid** · 10-26-2007, 08:27 AM

Your host is garbage. There is no such thing as unlimited anything.

A $50.00 VPS is not enough for a busy forum. Been there done that. vBulletin has, in many cases, a 10MB or more footprint per view. Do the math on 256MB of ram. Ignore burst, it's crap to use because at that point the paging is overwhelming.

The days of hobby forums are going by the wayside. It's becoming more of a necessity to monetize a forum all the time just to keep the hardware running let alone the admin costs.

Shared hosting and good running vBulletin forums are a myth.

To those that would disagree: I know, you have a 5$ shared account for your vBulletin and can't wait to tell me how wonderful it is. But please, spare me.

As for the shout box. The new posts query on vB can be a huge resource hog. It often looks at way too many table entries due to a complicated WHERE. I would think it's on the to do list for optimization. Point is, a shout box on forum wide, as many people do and think is cool, with a 10 second refresh times the number of visitors is a lot of hits. Do the math.

Lesson, ajax shout boxes sound cool, but are resource hogs. PERIOD.

**steveninstl** · 10-26-2007, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noppid

Your host is garbage. There is no such thing as unlimited anything.

A $50.00 VPS is not enough for a busy forum. Been there done that. vBulletin has, in many cases, a 10MB or more footprint per view. Do the math on 256MB of ram. Ignore burst, it's crap to use because at that point the paging is overwhelming.

The days of hobby forums are going by the wayside. It's becoming more of a necessity to monetize a forum all the time just to keep the hardware running let alone the admin costs.

You are correct.

What would you suggest for a host?

And I did start out with this forum as a hobby. Its turned into a second job sometimes.

Again..thanks for all the input.

Steve

**Ross** · 10-26-2007, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noppid

Lesson, ajax shout boxes sound cool, but are resource hogs. PERIOD.

Amen to that! I had one and learn't the lesson.

**Yogesh Sarkar** · 10-26-2007, 09:33 AM

I somewhat disagree with what you have said, there is no point going out and getting a dedicated server or even a VPS when starting out. Of course as the forum grows one should upgrade incrementally. But till you get some serious traffic, a shared hosting account is more than enough. My forum doesn’t really has that much traffic yet, however what ever traffic that does comes in gets efficiently served by my shared hosting account.

Bottom line is switching hosts isn’t that hard and one can easily do it during the lean period i.e. weekend nights without majority of users knowing about it and loosing any data. So why pay for resources you wont be consuming for sometime to come?

**noppid** · 10-26-2007, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBI-Ross

Amen to that! I had one and learn't the lesson.

Moreover, most judge overhead by a count of the queries a hack may do. They see one and think, no problem.

They see 2 or three and the hack must suck. But it's not that simple. You have to know what the query does and how often.

I can show you 5 queries in a row that out perform one query.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yogesh Sarkar

I somewhat disagree with what you have said, there is no point going out and getting a dedicated server or even a VPS when starting out. Of course as the forum grows one should upgrade incrementally. But till you get some serious traffic, a shared hosting account is more than enough. My forum doesn’t really has that much traffic yet, however what ever traffic that does comes in gets efficiently served by my shared hosting account.

Bottom line is switching hosts isn’t that hard and one can easily do it during the lean period i.e. weekend nights without majority of users knowing about it and loosing any data. So why pay for resources you wont be consuming for sometime to come?

I don't disagree. But in the context of this discussion, we are already past that point.

But the fact still remains. a 5$ or 8$ host is usually crap. They say unlimited and that is the first clue it's crap. They are usually some guy with a reseller account on an already oversold server.

Lesson: Choose wisely.

**Yogesh Sarkar** · 10-26-2007, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noppid

But the fact still remains. a 5$ or 8$ host is usually crap. They say unlimited and that is the first clue it's crap. They are usually some guy with a reseller account on an already oversold server.

Lesson: Choose wisely.

Obviously if some one is offering you unlimited or crazy amount of bandwidth and space for 5-8 dollars a month, they are promising you some thing that they cannot deliver and are thus overselling like crazy.

Having said that, there are few good hosts out there, who can offer you decent hosting for 5-8 bucks a month, of course they won't be able to promise you huge amount of space and bandwidth and of course you would still have to move your sites once you start receiving decent amount of regular traffic.

**noppid** · 10-26-2007, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yogesh Sarkar

Obviously if some one is offering you unlimited or crazy amount of bandwidth and space for 5-8 dollars a month, they are promising you some thing that they cannot deliver and are thus overselling like crazy.

Having said that, there are few good hosts out there, who can offer you decent hosting for 5-8 bucks a month, of course they won't be able to promise you huge amount of space and bandwidth and of course you would still have to move your sites once you start receiving decent amount of regular traffic.

I would say that qualifies your point. But unfortunately, and I can say this from both experience and inexperience, it's just hard to tell. Referrals are useless for the most part. Most are affiliate referrals with an agenda.

It's not impossible, it's just a jungle out there to navigate.

**Imperial** · 10-26-2007, 01:25 PM

Good lesson, always research your host before doing business with them.