Server resourse issue with large forum
 

I have a site that has a small number of users but has been around for several years so we have a lot of posts. Here are the stats

Threads: 32,607, Posts: 547,854, Members: 2,235, Active Members: 201

I'm currently hosted by Rochen. About a week ago, my forum started getting really slow at certain times of the day. They tell me it's because I have too many posts and when someone does a search by clicking on "new posts" it overwhelms the server. Here are the specifics of what they are saying:
They've given me 48 hours to prune 75% of my posts, which I don't want to do because I don't want to lose them or move to another host.

Is there anything I can do to reduce the server load? Can posts be archived so they aren't part of a search query? Or is there a way to make searches only look at the last month or so of posts unless a user specifies otherwise?

Or do I need to move to a dedicated server? If so, any suggestions of who to go with?

thanks!

The host is blowing smoke up your rear end. Get yourself another one.

Thank you, Max. That's what I suspected. We've had no problems for years and it's not like traffic suddenly doubled. Would you be able to suggest anyone for me to move to? I'm really jammed with work right now and need to get this resolved quickly and simply.

Many hosts pull this crap with forum based vb sites, you would be better to find a private host or get a vps.

Oddly enough I have had very good service with GoDaddy for many years. I have been getting it via a reseller, http://www.domainspricedright.com

Never one issue and my board is comparable to yours in size and history.

If its a reseller from a customer of godaddy, thats a bit different than using on of godaddys vhosting accounts, which godaddy does the same thing to vb forums.

I have never had one problem at all, and the customer support people have been great. Been using this hosting for several sites and forums since 2004.

It's godaddy product and customer service, the reseller is just a friend who makes a tiny stipend and has nothing at all to do with the product or service. Not sure what "vhosting" is, but I have what they call the "Shared Deluxe." It's unlimited bandwidth, sites and storage, $60 annually.

FYI, I currently have a level 2 business acct with Rochen. Do I need something a lot more robust?

http://www.rochenhost.com/business-hosting

You are paying $155.40 annually for far, far less than I am getting for $60. Go to the link I gave you and check it out.

hey sorry Max but that turned out to be a nightmare. I talked to a salesperson on the phone, gave him all my specs (# of posts, databse size, users etc) and he assured me everything would be fine. Signed up for a 3 year plan and tried to import my VB database. Nothing seemed to be happening so I called tech support. The support person told me the maximum file size I could import is 8mg. My database is 800mg. He told me I could "break it down" but he couldn't tell me how to do it. I really need help here. Can anyone steer me to a reliable host where I can import this database and get my site up and running again?

Eight megabytes? Complete nonsense, the space is unlimited. Are you sure you were looking at the right hosting plan?

Eight HUNDRED megabytes isn't even a large amount of data, it's not even one gig! It's simply not large.

Here is your solution: Create a new database in the host, then import your SQL file to the new database.

Max, you can't import that large of a db file through phpmyadmin on their system, they have it limited.

They dont allow ssh either.

He could use bigbump to split it & import it.

They should of been kind enough to offer to import it for him, but at that point, i wouldnt waste my time with them either, they should have offered.

Eight megabytes qualifies as LARGE?

thank you, Snake. That is exactly the issue. It's not a problem with having a large database on their server. The problem was doing the import. Can you suggest a host that would either allow the import or do it for me? My traffic and # of users are low so I really don't think I need a dedicated server. I just don't want to deleted 75% of my posts because it's a history I'd like to preserve.

They would import the DB for you if you asked, and like Snake says they should have offered. Don't give up so easily, sounds like you're going to encounter the same issue with any shared hosting.

Yes, they consider it large because they over sell their vhosting servers on purpose.

Those limits help them oversell it, they dont have to worry about large accounts actually using things like unlimited disk space, which some offer, if they can deter you one way, then respond w/ a response in a support ticket that simply confuse novice website owners, it servers its purpose, ppl simply give up.

And apparently give up too easily.

Yup....

Hey SteveC, are your images in the file system instead of the database? Makes a big difference in db size.

I would suggest you find a real host. If you were happy with godaddy, you'll be ecstatic with a real host.

Please try innohost or for VPS, try prometeus. You'll love it. Prometeus are very cheap (for VPS and the quality they provide)

The OP never had godaddy, I have and do. And have had zero problems. I posted my specs and costs, I would appreciate you posting a comparison just for edification. Specs and cost on Prometeus, for example, please.

99% of the rants against godaddy are politically motivated.

Max, your account isnt a standard godaddy vhost account, thats something your not looking at, your on a reseller server, which is different, even though godaddy rep's service you, doesnt mean much, each case is different for someone speaking with them, ive spoken to a few of their rep's when working on a customers site hosted with them, 90% of their reps are tards & they dont have the technical skill to read beyond & help if its not on their TelePrompter.....

I don't know what a vhost is, as I explained before.

The server is the same one godaddy uses universally, secureserver dot net, the reseller as I said, has nothing to do with it. I get the same product and service I would get if I had signed up via the godaddy site. It's just the standard "deluxe shared" hosting godaddy offers via it's named site.

Now, about the comparison shopping? I want to see how much better the host you recommend is, please.

vhost = virtual hosted acct, not a vps.

The server wouldnt be the same, did you ask the guy who has the server if it has ram/cpu/disk i/o limits?

Godaddy limits everyones resources, the server your on may be serviced by godaddy rep's it doesnt mean its setup the same way as one of their customer vhost servers with resource limits applied to it.

That's, speculation. I have had no limits in the eight years I have had the service. I'm still politely waiting for the comparison you alluded to - I'm not shopping, understand. I just want to see details on the hosting you're recommending.

yes, I did that last week when the problems started.

Did you actually move all the old ones or just make the change effective to just new ones?

What if any difference did it make for SQL size?

Its not speculation, your comparing apples & oranges on two different account types.
"Shared Deluxe." It's unlimited bandwidth, sites and storage, $60 annually.

That which you posted isnt the same as a standard vhost package godaddy offers, nor is it on the same type of server.

You should actually ask your friend, not speculate like you are about knowing what his reseller server has limit wise for its customers, versus what godaddy does on its simple vhosted server for NON deluxe accounts.

I checked it, on godaddy's site. The packages are identical. Therefore it's not speculation.

Still, for some reason despite my politely asking several times, you fail to provide the comparison you asserted re: innhost and/or Prometeus. I am curious and interested to see the product/cost comparison.

Link or it ain't true! :D I am not trying to be contentious, I'm just curious to see.

i didnt ever mention either of those hosts, you might want to go back a page and see who actually posted those lol

The basic & deluxe packages are NOT identical.

It also doesnt mean that the servers each site are on are identical as to the way their limits are set up for each one.

My site is hosted on a prometeus.net VPS

There are the dedicated specs
4 CPU Core
3GB RAM
40GB HDD
4000 GB

Thats at 18$ per month.

@Max, what is unlimited? Nothing. Is money unlimited? Do you think if you suddenly started using 15TB transfer that godaddy will allow that under "unlimited"? Everyone has an acceptable usage policy. That goes for their CPU, RAM, I/O, Bandwidth, HDD etc. No HDD is unlimited. No bandwidth is unlimited. No CPU or RAM is unlimited.

If you think godaddy is a good host I really feel sorry for you. You obviously have not had the joyous experience of a good host with knowledgeable tech support, excellent hardware and generous hardware limits OR you just haven't hit the limit of their "unlimited". Quality comes with price and 60$ annually you won't get quality.

Ok, my bad. Hehe!

I never said that. I said the deluxe hosting I have from the reseller is the exact same package godaddy offers from its site, for those who want the deluxe hosting package. And it's called shared deluxe there too.

They are identical in every way.

@SteveC

I can help you move your hosting. You do not need to prune a thing. I've sent you a PM and hopefully you will read it and get back to me.

Reading your stats, VPS might be your best solution

You are paying $216 annually, I am paying $60.

I have had ZERO problems and have had the service for EIGHT YEARS. I am hosting three sites on the same package, $60 bucks a year. can you add sites to yours?

My hosting is unlimited storage and bandwidth. As advertised and paid for. I've got no gripes with the product or the service, or the price. I think it's INSANE to pay so much for hosting, it boggles the mind..

I can add however many sites I like to my VPS until the VPS struggles to either cope (which I'm sure I could host a large number of sites before it does). godaddy probably limits your site to about 150-250 mb RAM, some low amounts of CPU units too. My site consumes about 1.5GB RAM at peak and transfers 200GB per month.

People pay a much larger amount for hosting and it comes with hosting popular and active sites.

Your 60$ with a host such as crocweb or innohosting would be much better spent but that's just my opinion. Those hosts don't lure customers with the promise of "unlimited". Nothing is unlimited Max.

I've had no problems. I also don't have a political bias against godaddy.

I suppose I'm just too small to ever have challenged the "unlimited" claim. I only have 4,000 members on my forum, only 300 or so are daily active. My size and load is comparable to what the OP posted, this is why I am sure he is having "problems" because his host is blowing smoke up his ass. Mine doesn't do that, at least never to me.

Well I'm not politically biased towards or against godaddy. They are fine as a domain registrar however in terms of hosting, just terrible in my experience (have hosted before).

You probably know more about this than I do, I've only been at it for eleven years, wallowing in darkness and being just incredibly lucky..:D

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. betterthanyours was able to help me and he did a great job. I highly recommend him.

If you're paying more than $60 annually to host the tiny forum you have, which is comparable to mine, you haven't been helped.