Chat is broken right now.

[PalmerTech]

Hello,


I apologize, but I was forced to suspend the script "/home/palmer/public_html/phpBB3/chat/index.php" as it was the sheer number of requests to this script overloaded Apache, causing issues for the rest of the sites on the server.

Please be aware that this is not a CPU issue, but a traffic issue. The traffic incoming to this domain is causing Apache to become overloaded with requests, causing other sites on this server to load very slow, and the load to climb on the server.

Unfortunately I do not have any specific recommendations for this script, however, in general, you would need to find a way to lower the amount of requests for this domain. We do not believe this to be an attack, as there are no patterns to the traffic.

This might also be the right time to upgrade your account to a VPS or a dedicated solution, as your site may have simply outgrown our shared environment.

This comes less than two months after our last server upgrade, not too much fun. We are going to look into it, and see if perhaps modifications can be made that will allow us to continue using our Ajax chat, or if we will have to resort to another route, such as another chat, off-site chat, or upgrading to a VPS or dedicated server like Hostgator wants us to.

In the meanwhile, please use http://tinychat.com/modretrowebchat

 

[Basement_Modder]

Perhaps it would help if we got rid of all the extra sound effects, /[random words] commands, and the pokemon stuff. I know its fun, but it creates lag and adds memory.

 

[Zero]

Wow, that sucks. Couldn't we just have an IRC chat or get someone to host the chat separately for us (Toasty? ) ? TinyChat is pretty horrible for text chat.

 

[robm]

LOL, thought Beta permabanned me there for a while.

 

[Aux]

Perhaps it would help if we got rid of all the extra sound effects, /[random words] commands, and the pokemon stuff. I know its fun, but it creates lag and adds memory.

Doesn't do any of that to the server, that stuff's 100% clientside. Ajaxchat only talks to the server (generates traffic) when sending a message or checking for updates to the conversation. The problem is when we get 10+ people in there, all hammering the server every 2 seconds or what have you looking for updates to the conversation. It's a limitation of the technology. Ideally, everyone's client would sit around waiting for the server to say "HAY NEW MESSAGE HERE YA GO" but HTTP can't do that, instead, every client has to query the server every 2 seconds asking "GOT ANYTHING NEW? HOW ABOUT NOW? ...NOW? ...MAYBE?" and the server slowly cries itself to sleep.

A stateful chat (Ruby mebbe?) might help, but it might just be that their server can't handle a service like this. That might be why they don't allow IRC servers on shared hosts.

 

[Hackerbilly]

dang it now i can't chat i am on my 3ds stealing wifi from the neighbors and now i can't chat tiny chat won't let me unless i have adobe flash player

 

[βeta]

I can host chat independently when I get back to school. That's like a month away though.

 

[bic]

I looked into this sort of thing a couple months ago, here's my general findings:

The problem with VPS hosting is it gets really expensive if you need a decent plan. Dedicated servers are even more expensive than that. With Hostgator for example, $20/mo gets you a VPS running at 512mhz and 384 MB of RAM and 250 gigs of monthly bandwidth.

Colocation (renting space in a datacenter) is relatively cheap month-to-month, but the price of admission is very high because you have to purchase the server hardware yourself. (Rack mount servers are bloody expensive unless you buy an old off-lease refurb.) There are places that will colocate a Mac Mini starting around $40/mo, but the reputable ones have bandwidth caps that charge you per gig if you go over. There are "real" colocation places scattered all over the place, but they generally don't publish prices on their websites since they cater to enterprises looking for centralized off-site backup solutions and set rates on a case-by-case basis according to each outfit's power and space needs. Another downside is if your server dies, you're SOL and have to either go visit it or have the company ship it back to you so it can be fixed. (Many colocation companies also offer on-site troubleshooting services for a mechanic's fee. This is less of an issue with a Mac Mini than a 4U rackmount server, if only because a smaller computer means cheaper shipping.)

Of course there's always the old "somebody runs server software on a spare machine at their house" option. It's effective, but ghetto. The internal network on their end needs to be set up properly, and they have to sign up with a Dynamic DNS service so the outside world has a set address to enter as their actual connection bounces around different IP addresses as the ISP assigns them. One thing to look out for is the ISP's policies; some are more lenient than others when it comes to running servers on residential connections.

The advantage to these options is you can usually run the software of your choice on them. Given enough CPU power, bandwidth, and RAM, you can run IRC, TeamSpeak, Minecraft, Source Dedicated Server... Pretty much anything the OS you've got can run. It all depends on what you want to do and what fits the budget.

Colocating a refurbished and upgraded Mac Mini is probably the cheapest way to get your own server out in the world, depending on how cheap you can find one.

Palmer, what's MR's average bandwidth use per month, give or take?

 

[ShockSlayer]

lol da chat broke

I like beta's idea. He should just host errything once he gets to college. TF2, minecraft, modretro, [other option].



No but seriously.

Also we could just not have chat.

SS

 

[Gyroninja]

dang it now i can't chat i am on my 3ds stealing wifi from the neighbors and now i can't chat tiny chat won't let me unless i have adobe flash player

same accept thing but not steeling wifi. I modretro on my 3ds so I don't make it look like I am spending time on a computer.

 

[bud]

LOL we're like MBB now

 

[Antome]

Ideally, everyone's client would sit around waiting for the server to say "HAY NEW MESSAGE HERE YA GO" but HTTP can't do that, instead, every client has to query the server every 2 seconds asking "GOT ANYTHING NEW? HOW ABOUT NOW? ...NOW? ...MAYBE?" and the server slowly cries itself to sleep.

So is it possible to modify the script to query every say, 4-5 seconds then?
It could get a little finicky in large conversations, but all in all it would help server load, right?

 

[Aux]

Ideally, everyone's client would sit around waiting for the server to say "HAY NEW MESSAGE HERE YA GO" but HTTP can't do that, instead, every client has to query the server every 2 seconds asking "GOT ANYTHING NEW? HOW ABOUT NOW? ...NOW? ...MAYBE?" and the server slowly cries itself to sleep.

So is it possible to modify the script to query every say, 4-5 seconds then?
It could get a little finicky in large conversations, but all in all it would help server load, right?

Definitely. AjaxChat knows it hammers servers, it totally lets you do that. It would get dicey in large conversations, but if we want to use AjaxChat in the meantime, our only option is to lower the update time to an interval that doesn't get rapey.

 

[DcMc]

I may be able to help host. I have a server that's not doing anything right now but downloading torrents every once in awhile. Oh and I have a 35 mbit connection. The server is a dell precision 670 w/ 2x xeons and 4 gigs of ram.

 

[PalmerTech]

Long, helpful post, as usual /snip

Palmer, what's MR's average bandwidth use per month, give or take?

It depends on the month, but generally between 25 and 35gb a month.

Right now, I am considering several options, for chat as well as MR in general:

1) Have Beta host at his university
2) Host it myself, I have a 29mbps/16mbps connection, but I need to research what Verizon thinks of hosting
3) Upgrade yet again to a VPS, raise money?

I would prefer to put colocation as a last resort, since it would be pretty pricey in comparison to our other choices. Of course, we could also just forgo the pain of a dedicated site, and move to the inherent security and reliability of FreeForums!

 

[DNT]

Nah palmer, Just let me host the site, My ISP gives me an Download speed of 0.20 MB/s and an upload of 0.02mb/s.
They also block servers on port 80, so just make it "http://www.modretro.com:60"
Oh, and it'll be hosted on an original Xbox.

 

[Antome]

Long, helpful post, as usual /snip

Palmer, what's MR's average bandwidth use per month, give or take?

It depends on the month, but generally between 25 and 35gb a month.

Right now, I am considering several options, for chat as well as MR in general:

1) Have Beta host at his university
2) Host it myself, I have a 29mbps/16mbps connection, but I need to research what Verizon thinks of hosting
3) Upgrade yet again to a VPS, raise money?

Well, once the store is set up, and the portal, and the other things various people hare are theoretically working on, we can definitely raise more money.

 

[XCVG]

Leave the forums as-is, but move the chat to one of those chat sites. Maybe that one that lets you draw?

SteamDNT, I'm better equipped than you to handle a server, and I have no spare PC plus my internet connection is absolute flax.

 

[DNT]

SteamDNT, I'm better equipped than you to handle a server, and I have no spare PC plus my internet connection is absolute flux.

I was referring to palmer mentioning Freeforums.
It was a joke.

 

[ShockSlayer]

Yeah, was just about to post that.

LOL we're like MBB now

Last time I checked(5 minutes ago) they had a functioning Ajax Chat...and it was pretty well populated too. And I think they are on freeforums, and no problems that I've heard of.

What are you talking about?

SS