Server Load Averages

[huskermax]

I am hitting 34.4 with 400 some users on the bbs. We have unlimited bandwidth and a dedicated server. But yet the BBS still slows down. It seems like when we have a mass connection the server can't take it and takes about an hour to catch back up. But the bbs is very slow during that time.

I am guessing this is all a server issue? Is there anything you can change at the server level that effects the BBS files?

My bbs is a paid bbs so the members are frustrated with the slow down.

[Videx]

There's certainly something wrong somewhere, because server load should never exceed 1.0 per cpu for very long. But you didn't even give us a link - are we supposed to just guess all day about what it could be?

[huskermax]

I am not sure were to link too? But here is the bbs.

http://www.huskermax.com/vbbs/forum.php

This is a sports site with Football being the most poplar. So during the football game is when the server slows down. there seems to be a mass connection at the start of the game and the bbs runs slow through out. the server load/bandwidth use shoots up. But when there is a slow run up to 400 connections the board does fine. It is this sudden mass connection I am guessing. Regardless it sounds like this should not be doing this. The whole website is getting about 100,000 page views a day.

I know 400 or more on the BBS but I can't tell how many people may be viewing the website.

What info is needed to help you help me figure this out?

[Brandon Sheley]

fyi... there is no such thing as "unlimited" anything when it comes to servers ;)
I'd look at getting a better host, you shouldn't pass 1 or even 2, and nowhere near 30!!
What are your server specks?
CPU, RAM etc..


Ps.. these are your stats

Threads
6,659
Posts
147,995
Members
720
and you get 400 on at ONE time?
sorry, but I don't really believe that
what is your session timeout set to?

[huskermax]

fyi... there is no such thing as "unlimited" anything when it comes to servers ;)
I'd look at getting a better host, you shouldn't pass 1 or even 2, and nowhere near 30!!
What are your server specks?
CPU, RAM etc..


Ps.. these are your stats

Threads
6,659
Posts
147,995
Members
720
and you get 400 on at ONE time?
sorry, but I don't really believe that
what is your session timeout set to?

During the football game we can 400 at one time. This bbs started in March. Most of the time it is 200.

We don't have the time out set.


I can't find how much RAM or CPU usage is allowed. But I can find the current load.

CPU is running just under 50%

Disk is running between 70-80%.

I am in System Health section of the cpanel for the server for the above info.

I can't figure out how to run the top command from cpanel. In system health I can see:

Show Current Running Processes

Show Current Disk Usage

Show Current CPU Usage

Background Process Killer

If you have not guessed I am just below clueless when it comes to servers stuff.:)

[Videx]

Unless you have a lot of modifications, you should probably be asking over at vb.com, not here. They have a whole separate Server Configuration (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?14-Server-Configuration) forum. Read through it before you post.

But running a server of your own is not for the clueless I'm afraid. To run a server with this type of popularity, you may very likely have to hire someone. It's only going to get harder as the traffic increases.

[huskermax]

Unless you have a lot of modifications, you should probably be asking over at vb.com, not here. They have a whole separate Server Configuration (http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?14-Server-Configuration) forum. Read through it before you post.

But running a server of your own is not for the clueless I'm afraid. To run a server with this type of popularity, you may very likely have to hire someone. It's only going to get harder as the traffic increases.

We use hostgator for the server but I am trying to figure out why the load is so high. I will read through the other form. thanks.

[Videx]

We use hostgator for the server ...Don't even get me started on HG. I tried to start a forum there last year and, with fewer than 2 members online the loads would regularly hit 4.0 per cpu, which tech support would try to tell me was 'acceptable'. Maybe to them it is! Often by the time I had responded to absurd claims like that the load had increased to 12 or more!

I'm sure they must have some good servers somewhere, because their forum had many satisfied customers. But gator155 wasn't one of them.

[huskermax]

Don't even get me started on HG. I tried to start a forum there last year and, with fewer than 2 members online the loads would regularly hit 4.0 per cpu, which tech support would try to tell me was 'acceptable'. Maybe to them it is! Often by the time I had responded to absurd claims like that the load had increased to 12 or more!

I'm sure they must have some good servers somewhere, because their forum had many satisfied customers. But gator155 wasn't one of them.

Any server company you recommend? The only time we have an issue is during the football game. But that is the most improtant time to not have server slow down. Thanks for you help.

This was my CPU usage about half hour ago with 300 users at 2.9.

9082 nobody 0
23.6
2.3 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL 8948 nobody 0
6.1
2.2 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL 8855 nobody 0
5.0
2.1 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL 8857 nobody 0
4.2
2.1 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL 8859 nobody 0
3.2
2.0 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL 12218 mysql 0
0.6
3.0 /usr/sbin/mysqld --basedir=/ --datadir=/var/lib/mysql --user=mysql --pid-file=/var/lib/mysql/huskermax.huskermax.com.pid --skip-external-locking 8279 root 19
0.1
0.0 [kipmi0] 8 root -5
0.0
0.0 [events/0] 9 root -5
0.0
0.0 [events/1] 10 root -5
0.0
0.0 [khelper] 11 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kthread] 15 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kblockd/0] 16 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kblockd/1] 17 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kacpid] 89 root -5
0.0
0.0 [cqueue/0] 90 root -5
0.0
0.0 [cqueue/1] 93 root -5
0.0
0.0 [khubd] 95 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kseriod] 163 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kswapd0] 164 root -5
0.0
0.0 [aio/0] 165 root -5
0.0
0.0 [aio/1] 328 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kpsmoused] 359 root -5
0.0
0.0 [ata/0] 360 root -5
0.0
0.0 [ata/1] 361 root -5
0.0
0.0 [ata_aux] 365 root -5
0.0
0.0 [scsi_eh_0] 366 root -5
0.0
0.0 [scsi_eh_1] 373 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kstriped] 386 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kjournald] 411 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kauditd] 1291 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kmpathd/0] 1292 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kmpathd/1] 1293 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kmpath_handlerd] 1326 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kjournald] 1328 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kjournald] 1330 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kjournald] 1332 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kjournald] 1334 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kjournald] 1336 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kjournald] 1616 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kondemand/0] 1617 root -5
0.0
0.0 [kondemand/1] 2213 root -5
0.0
0.0 [rpciod/0] 2214 root -5
0.0
0.0 [rpciod/1] 2288 dbus 0
0.0
0.0 dbus-daemon --system 2311 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/hcid 2400 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/acpid 2414 68 0
0.0
0.0 hald 2415 root 0
0.0
0.0 hald-runner 2423 68 0
0.0
0.0 hald-addon-acpi: listening on acpid socket /var/run/acpid.socket 2431 root 0
0.0
0.0 hald-addon-storage: polling /dev/scd0 2460 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/bin/hidd --server 2590 root 0
0.0
0.0 xinetd -stayalive -pidfile /var/run/xinetd.pid 2794 root 0
0.0
0.0 crond 3168 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/bin/perl /usr/local/bin/ipalert_statd 3249 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/smartd -q never 3252 root 0
0.0
0.0 /sbin/mingetty tty1 3253 root 0
0.0
0.0 /sbin/mingetty tty2 3254 root 0
0.0
0.0 /sbin/mingetty tty3 3255 root 0
0.0
0.0 /sbin/mingetty tty4 3258 root 0
0.0
0.0 /sbin/mingetty tty5 3264 root 0
0.0
0.0 /sbin/mingetty tty6 3265 root 0
0.0
0.0 /sbin/agetty -L 19200 ttyS0 vt100 3315 root 19
0.0
0.3 /usr/bin/python -tt /usr/sbin/yum-updatesd 3317 root 19
0.0
0.0 /usr/libexec/gam_server 4116 mailnull 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/exim -bd -q60m 4208 huskerma 0
0.0
0.0 pure-ftpd (IDLE) 4209 root 0
0.0
0.0 pure-ftpd (PRIV) 4342 root 0
0.0
0.0 queueprocd - wait to process a task 4353 root 0
0.0
0.1 tailwatchd 4357 root 0
0.0
0.0 cPhulkd - processor 4393 root 18
0.0
0.0 cpanellogd - sleeping for logs 4419 root 0
0.0
0.1 cpsrvd - waiting for connections 4495 root 0
0.0
0.1 cpdavd - accepting connections on 2077 and 2078 4636 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/courierlogger -pid=/var/run/imapd.pid -start -name=imapd /usr/lib/courier-imap/libexec/couriertcpd -address=0 -maxprocs=50 -maxperip=30 -nodnslookup -noidentlookup 143 /usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin/imaplogin /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/imapd Maildir 4637 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/lib/courier-imap/libexec/couriertcpd -address=0 -maxprocs=50 -maxperip=30 -nodnslookup -noidentlookup 143 /usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin/imaplogin /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/imapd Maildir 4643 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/courierlogger -pid=/var/run/imapd-ssl.pid -start -name=imapd-ssl /usr/lib/courier-imap/libexec/couriertcpd -address=0 -maxprocs=50 -maxperip=30 -nodnslookup -noidentlookup 993 /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/couriertls -server -tcpd /usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin/imaplogin /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/imapd Maildir 4644 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/lib/courier-imap/libexec/couriertcpd -address=0 -maxprocs=50 -maxperip=30 -nodnslookup -noidentlookup 993 /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/couriertls -server -tcpd /usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin/imaplogin /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/imapd Maildir 4649 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/courierlogger -pid=/var/run/pop3d.pid -start -name=pop3d /usr/lib/courier-imap/libexec/couriertcpd -address=0 -maxprocs=50 -maxperip=30 -nodnslookup -noidentlookup 110 /usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin/pop3login /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/pop3d Maildir 4650 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/lib/courier-imap/libexec/couriertcpd -address=0 -maxprocs=50 -maxperip=30 -nodnslookup -noidentlookup 110 /usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin/pop3login /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/pop3d Maildir 4655 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/courierlogger -pid=/var/run/pop3d-ssl.pid -start -name=pop3d-ssl /usr/lib/courier-imap/libexec/couriertcpd -address=0 -maxprocs=50 -maxperip=30 -nodnslookup -noidentlookup 995 /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/couriertls -server -tcpd /usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin/pop3login /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/pop3d Maildir 4656 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/lib/courier-imap/libexec/couriertcpd -address=0 -maxprocs=50 -maxperip=30 -nodnslookup -noidentlookup 995 /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/couriertls -server -tcpd /usr/lib/courier-imap/sbin/pop3login /usr/lib/courier-imap/bin/pop3d Maildir 4661 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/courierlogger -pid=/var/spool/authdaemon/pid -facility=mail -start /usr/libexec/courier-authlib/authdaemond 4662 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/libexec/courier-authlib/authdaemond 4663 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/libexec/courier-authlib/authdaemond 4664 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/libexec/courier-authlib/authdaemond 4665 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/libexec/courier-authlib/authdaemond 4666 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/libexec/courier-authlib/authdaemond 4667 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/libexec/courier-authlib/authdaemond 5035 root 0
0.0
0.0 /etc/authlib/authProg 5627 root 0
0.0
0.0 /etc/authlib/authProg 6151 huskerma 0
0.0
0.0 pure-ftpd (IDLE) 6152 root 0
0.0
0.0 pure-ftpd (PRIV) 7406 root 0
0.0
0.0 /etc/authlib/authProg 7687 root 0
0.0
0.0 /etc/authlib/authProg 7747 root 0
0.0
0.0 syslogd -m 0 7750 root 0
0.0
0.0 klogd -x 7919 root 0
0.0
0.0 /etc/authlib/authProg 8100 root -4
0.0
0.0 auditd 8102 root -8
0.0
0.0 /sbin/audispd 1 root 0
0.0
0.0 init [3] 8847 nobody 0
0.0
1.9 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL 8848 root 0
0.0
0.1 /usr/local/cpanel/bin/leechprotect 8854 root 0
0.0
1.9 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL 2 root -
0.0
0.0 [migration/0] 3 root 19
0.0
0.0 [ksoftirqd/0] 4 root -
0.0
0.0 [watchdog/0] 5 root -
0.0
0.0 [migration/1] 6 root 19
0.0
0.0 [ksoftirqd/1] 10477 named 0
0.0
0.1 /usr/sbin/named -u named 11519 root 0
0.0
0.2 whostmgrd - serving 75.186.2.114 11547 root 0
0.0
0.0 pure-ftpd (SERVER) 11549 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/pure-authd -s /var/run/ftpd.sock -r /usr/sbin/pureauth 12188 root 0
0.0
0.0 /bin/sh /usr/bin/mysqld_safe --datadir=/var/lib/mysql --pid-file=/var/lib/mysql/huskermax.huskermax.com.pid 7 root -
0.0
0.0 [watchdog/1] 12383 root 0
0.0
0.5 whostmgr2 - top ./top 12384 root 0
0.0
0.0 /bin/ps -ewwo pid,user,nice,pmem,pcpu,command 17958 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/sshd 19726 root 0
0.0
0.6 /usr/bin/spamd -d --allowed-ips=127.0.0.1 --pidfile=/var/run/spamd.pid --max-children=5 19746 root 0
0.0
0.6 spamd child 19747 root 0
0.0
0.5 spamd child 20232 root 0
0.0
0.0 automount 21335 root 0
0.0
0.0 pcscd 21362 avahi 0
0.0
0.0 avahi-daemon: running [huskermax.local] 21363 avahi 0
0.0
0.0 avahi-daemon: chroot helper 23821 root 0
0.0
0.0 [pdflush] 23826 root 0
0.0
0.0 [pdflush] 23890 root 0
0.0
0.0 cupsd 24808 root 0
0.0
0.0 rpc.idmapd 27418 root 0
0.0
2.0 /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -k start -DSSL 30268 root 0
0.0
0.0 /usr/sbin/atd

[Videx]

2.9 (per cpu?) isn't too bad for a rush. Assuming things lighten after that the server could still catch up.

But really I'm the wrong person to talk to, as I've always been on shared hosting.

[Brandon Sheley]

I would suggest asking in the server optimization section at vb.com as well ;)

I can't find how much RAM or CPU usage is allowed. But I can find the current load.

Mind if I ask why not?
If you're on a dedicated server, you should have access to the admin panel :|

[huskermax]

I would suggest asking in the server optimization section at vb.com as well ;)



Mind if I ask why not?
If you're on a dedicated server, you should have access to the admin panel :|

I found it. It is unlimited with the dedicated server....I guess I need to take that with a grain of salt.

I posted a thread on the other forum and had not had any action yet. Hostgator says it may be on the vbulletin end of things. (what a shock)

What I don't get is the bbs is fine and runs fine. But when the football games starts we have this mass connection that slows everything down. But like today I had 300 users on the bbs and it was fine with 2.9 load. But on game night with 400 users it is slow with crazy high server load.

[Gamelobby]

So is this not normal..?
Server Load Averages 4.81 5.49 4.54 | 17 Users Online (1 members and 16 guests)

Mine is always like that, should it be lower with little to zero activity.?
Are the guests causing a load.?


A friends site.. normal or..?
Server Load Averages 3.73 3.18 3.43 | 15 Users Online (3 members and 12 guests)

[Videx]

Mine is always like that, should it be lower with little to zero activity.?
Are the guests causing a load.??Looks like typically oversold shared servers. Guests shouldn't cause much load; they typically can't do anything but read.

[Gamelobby]

No doubt it is mainly a shared server issue, but i also share it with another one of my sites. lol
(one with better load avg's)

Anything i can do to try to lower the load.?
Or to see what might be causing it.?

Thanks

[Videx]

Just the usual. Disable all your mods, etc. You should browse over at vb.com unless you have a mod issue.

[Paul M]

Top should give you a clue as to whats eating your cpu.

[Gamelobby]

Top..?

[Videx]

If you have to ask what Top is, then I doubt it will help you much. If you can even manage to run it on a shared server - it requires SSH access and again, if you have to ask...

And since it would only show your own processes, it won't help find out who on the shared server is actually contributing to the load.

http://linux.about.com/od/commands/l/blcmdl1_top.htm