Server Crash: 08 January 2010

Forum News, Announcements and any issues you're having with the forum

Moderator: myglaren

andmcit
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Post by andmcit »

Incidentally as I type this on:

http://fcf.shalish.co.uk/forum/posting. ... ly&t=29288

the same thread IS displaying as the correct url on my iPhone. Is this now a broswer issue at my end or still a hosting issue?

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/

still fires up with the:
The webserver hosting both www.bxclub.co.uk and www.frenchcarforum.co.uk and their associated forums has been suffering severe unreliability problems since early January. The issues remain despite intense correspondence with the host, Webfusion.

etc etc...


CitroJim, 23 January 2009

Andrew
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Xaccers
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Post by Xaccers »

Sounds like your DNS cache needs flushing.

In windows, open a command prompt and run the following:
ipconfig /flushdns

On a Mac it depends on your OS version apparently (*bites tongue*)

Tiger and below run the following command at the prompt:
lookupd -flushcache


For Leopard:
dscacheutil -flushcache

For how to do it:

Open up the application called “Terminal”
then (without the quotes) type “dscacheutil -flushcache”
press enter
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
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HDI
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Post by HDI »

Ooooo , sounds like you may know the answer to this one.
I'm running Vista , yes I know !!
My preference is to put the laptop into standby instead of fully turning off because I'm sick of waiting for windows to boot up and I like to start from where I stopped the previous session !! Thing is , as days go by it gets slower and slower coming out of standby and going into standby , browser window refreshes take ages , and the hardrive seems to be running at the slightest key stroke or function !
The only way to clear it seems to be turning off and restarting ! Seems to defeat the object of standby to me !!
Any ideas please ?
Now using '00 Xantia LX HDI, pov spec :(
My past Citroens :-
'00 Xantia SX HDI, now dead due to accident :(
'99 Xantia HDI 110 Exclusive, RIP :(
'97 Xantia TD SX
'96 Xantia TD LX
'96 ZX TD
'89 BX TD
'88 AX GT
'79 CX2400 Pallas (scrapped :( )
& a couple of Peugeots !
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CitroJim
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Post by CitroJim »

HDI wrote:Ooooo , sounds like you may know the answer to this one.
I'm sure Xac will HDI :D

I'd like to say a massive thanks to Xac for all his hard work today. He has worked hard to come up with a good solution to our hosting problems. Basically Xac is now hosting the forums from his server. His is a bit more potent than mine and he has a faster uplink on his broadband which helps to give speed. My server is now the forum email server and host for my own websites along with a backup store.

Xac called me this morning with an idea and early this evening that idea had become a reality :D Excellent!

Xac and I are now technically supporting the forums as a team and in order that Xac can do his work effectively, he has admin rights on the forum.

Tomorrow I shall be onto Webfusion to cancel the old webserver and look for some compensation. Xac has shown here that we don't really need it but if we do at any time in the future for whatever reason, the market will be well researched before committing to anything.

Again, thanks Xac \:D/ =D> =D> =D> \:D/ Saviour of the forums!
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
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Post by pug_owner2002 »

Thank you Xac and Jim!!

Keep up the good work.
R Reg Phase 2 306 DTurbo (Blaze Yellow) (Sold)
X Reg Phase 3 306 1.4 LX (Sold)
03 Renault Scenic Dynamique +
03 Seat Leon 1.9 TDi
52 Nissan Almera 1.8 sport+
HDI
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Post by HDI »

Big cheers to u both , I love it when a plan comes together !!
Now using '00 Xantia LX HDI, pov spec :(
My past Citroens :-
'00 Xantia SX HDI, now dead due to accident :(
'99 Xantia HDI 110 Exclusive, RIP :(
'97 Xantia TD SX
'96 Xantia TD LX
'96 ZX TD
'89 BX TD
'88 AX GT
'79 CX2400 Pallas (scrapped :( )
& a couple of Peugeots !
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2013 2.0 HDi 163 C5 Exclusive Tourer
2003 2.0 HDi 110 C5 Exclusive Estate (Gone)
2001 2.0 HDi 90 Xsara Estate (Gone)
x 1369

Post by Paul-R »

Congrats and welcome back.

I've been away this weekend and only tried twice to log on (both failed!) so the loss was not too palpable.

Still, normality has been restored. Much praise to Xac.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
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Xaccers
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Post by Xaccers »

HDI wrote:Ooooo , sounds like you may know the answer to this one.
I'm running Vista , yes I know !!
My preference is to put the laptop into standby instead of fully turning off because I'm sick of waiting for windows to boot up and I like to start from where I stopped the previous session !! Thing is , as days go by it gets slower and slower coming out of standby and going into standby , browser window refreshes take ages , and the hardrive seems to be running at the slightest key stroke or function !
The only way to clear it seems to be turning off and restarting ! Seems to defeat the object of standby to me !!
Any ideas please ?
Basically, the longer you have programs (including the operating system) running, the more memory they take up, and the slower the computer gets.
Servers are designed to run for months or even years between reboots, this is why they generally have shed loads of RAM, and a lot of effort is put into keeping programs reasonably efficient, hence why server versions of windows cost a lot more than home versions.
Home versions are expected to be rebooted regularly, so fewer resources are put into keeping their memory clean.
There are some things users should do however that they are not likely to know about.
1. Delete your temporary internet files via your browser
2. Delete the contents of the temp folders. There are several, the main ones are in C:\temp and for each user account in XP C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp and in Vista/Windows7 C:\users\username\AppData\Temp
Anything in use will not allow you do delete it, in Vista/W7 you have the option to skip and do the same for any other files, one advantage they have over XP.
3. Defrag your hard drive. The Vista defragger is pretty pants, but if you google it, you can find the command prompt version which although not brilliant in that it doesn't give you a progress guide, but it does the job.
4. Increase your page file to 4096MB.
5. Increase your RAM, you want 1GB minimum, preferably 2GB.
6. Make sure your service packs and hotfixes are up to date.
7. Reboot. I know you don't want to, but you really should. At least once every couple of days.

Another thing, if you use Office applications, either leave them open when you shut down, or wait a few minutes after closing them. If they're open when windows shuts down, it knows about them and knows to wait for them to close fully, whereas if you close office then windows, windows doesn't know the office processes haven't finished shutting down and so cuts them off, leaving temporary files behind.
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
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Xantidote
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Post by Xantidote »

:D :D :D :D :D :D

Well done Jim and Xac - great to see FCF on-line again

:D :D :D :D :D :D
Martin

1995 Xantia TDLX (deceased :( )
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Post by Xaccers »

Don't celebrate just yet.
I was testing the FTP transfer of the database backups, and the host PC rebooted.
It may be unrelated, going to try it again.
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
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Post by Xaccers »

Yup, won't be doing it that way again!
:oops:
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
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Post by KP »

Jim,

If i can get hold of a very good newish Dell server with lots of storage(circa 700+gig in total) would you want it so it can perform as your backup server?

obivously it would come with something like 2k3 installed as per the licence that it was sold with :) but im sure i could get it as cheap for you as one of the laptops :)
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CitroJim
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x 6160
Contact:

Post by CitroJim »

KP wrote:Jim,

If i can get hold of a very good newish Dell server with lots of storage(circa 700+gig in total) would you want it so it can perform as your backup server?
Will,

I'd be VERY interested indeed :D My old Compaq ML350 is starting to show it's age a bit but not quite as much as the hard disks in it..

Yes please...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
HDI
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Post by HDI »

Xac wrote:Basically, the longer you have programs (including the operating system) running, the more memory they take up, and the slower the computer gets.
Servers are designed to run for months or even years between reboots, this is why they generally have shed loads of RAM, and a lot of effort is put into keeping programs reasonably efficient, hence why server versions of windows cost a lot more than home versions.
Home versions are expected to be rebooted regularly, so fewer resources are put into keeping their memory clean.
There are some things users should do however that they are not likely to know about.
1. Delete your temporary internet files via your browser
2. Delete the contents of the temp folders. There are several, the main ones are in C:\temp and for each user account in XP C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp and in Vista/Windows7 C:\users\username\AppData\Temp
Anything in use will not allow you do delete it, in Vista/W7 you have the option to skip and do the same for any other files, one advantage they have over XP.
3. Defrag your hard drive. The Vista defragger is pretty pants, but if you google it, you can find the command prompt version which although not brilliant in that it doesn't give you a progress guide, but it does the job.
4. Increase your page file to 4096MB.
5. Increase your RAM, you want 1GB minimum, preferably 2GB.
6. Make sure your service packs and hotfixes are up to date.
7. Reboot. I know you don't want to, but you really should. At least once every couple of days.

Another thing, if you use Office applications, either leave them open when you shut down, or wait a few minutes after closing them. If they're open when windows shuts down, it knows about them and knows to wait for them to close fully, whereas if you close office then windows, windows doesn't know the office processes haven't finished shutting down and so cuts them off, leaving temporary files behind.
Cheers for that. There are a couple of things in there I didn't know about. Have been intending to increase RAM from 1 to 2 gig , I'll sort that out now.
Now using '00 Xantia LX HDI, pov spec :(
My past Citroens :-
'00 Xantia SX HDI, now dead due to accident :(
'99 Xantia HDI 110 Exclusive, RIP :(
'97 Xantia TD SX
'96 Xantia TD LX
'96 ZX TD
'89 BX TD
'88 AX GT
'79 CX2400 Pallas (scrapped :( )
& a couple of Peugeots !
KP
Posts: 3980
Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 12:11
Location: Warrington
My Cars:
x 27

Post by KP »

Will do Jim :)

If you need any discs in the meantime PM me the type you need and i'll see if i can find some.

Also if your unsure about some i can heartily reccomend Spintrite :)

Best program ever and my own record is 8days for a thorough level 4 scan :D saved the disc and it went back into service for many moons after going back out :)
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