Internal Server Error: Process limit exceeded for uid 10662

[esa]

I have searched for specific information regarding this topic, but couldn't find anything directly related to a specific UID error number. Forgive me if I am asking a question easy to find the answer to.

What is this error number? I believe the problem to be database related, but my host reports to errors in that realm. I have attempted to repair the forum settings with the "repair_settingsa.php" tool, but I would receive the same error when trying to execute the file.

Is the database corrupted? Do I need to start over (delete the database and recreate it), and if so, will all my mebership data be erased?

Any help would be rewarded with a HUGE thanks from me.


Cheers,
Andy

[[Unknown]]

This isn't anything generated by the forum software.

It sounds like you're getting error messages from Apache when trying to access any PHP file; is this true?  Do HTML files work?  Have you tried switching between 755 and 777 in the chmod permissions?

Do you have a control panel of any sort?  Does your host offer phpMyAdmin?  Does it even work?

Did you make any changes before this happened?  Install any mods?  Did your host do anything before this time?  Upgrade something, install something, change settings...?

Internal Server Errors (HTTP 500) are generally created by Apache, which is the web server.  I've never seen the UID thing in the message, so I can't comment on it.  However, if this is for all PHP files, it probably means the database is just fine (which means nothing is lost because everything else is recoverable, except attachments which shouldn't be lost either.)

-[Unknown]

[esa]

Well, I do have phpmyadmin, which I have inspected, but since I'm not exactly experienced with it, it's largely a foreign language to me. (I admit my ignorance) I am able to access the server's other html/flash webpages, but not anything to do with my forum directory. I also did not change or do anything to the forum, and nobody did, as this happened to my forum while I was, and am still, away from home.

As far as changing the chmod from 755 to 777 I tried that, and at that point the server's error message stated that global write permissions are not allowed.

BTW--Thanks so much for the fast reply. Your help is GREATLY appreciated.
**also, the error says: "Internal Server Error- Process limit exceeded for uid 10662."**


Andy

[[Unknown]]

Aha!

Process limit exceeded explains it away to me.

What that means is the following:
  - your host runs PHP in CGI mode, which is less efficient but potentially safer if a bug in PHP is encountered... and runs PHP as a different uid.
  - your account on the server has the uid 10662.
  - every time a PHP file is requested, a new process (php) is created to generate the response - this process is created with uid 10662.
  - your host limits the number of processes one account can have open on the server at once.
  - your site or forum is more active now than your host has set to allow, thus.

Or something like that.  Personally, I would solve this by configuring and optimizing the server to reduce the usage of new processes and length they last.

However, if this is the case... you should usually be able to access your forum *sometimes* unless it is being DoS'd or DDoS'd.  Can you at all?

-[Unknown]

[esa]

I, nor any of my members are able to access it at any time. Sorry for my continued ignorance, but what does DoS'd or DDoS'd mean??

Also, could you please offer any suggestions as to exactly how to configure my server to limit the length of processes and restrict their creation. I have no idea how to do this. I have an Apache host, and its control panel is whatever Globat uses....some version of cPanel maybe??

Thanks so much!!!
Andy

[Oldiesmann]

DoS = Denial of Service
DDoS = Distributed Denial of Service

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack for more info.

[Unknown] should be able to help you with the server configuration. Globat uses their own control panel application ("Globat Command Console^TM" as they call it...).

[[Unknown]]

Strange, if no one can access it.  Where has the limit came from?

I noticed one of my assumptions was flawed; it may be that all users on the server have uid 10662 and that may be why you have the problem.

In any case, your host is the one to fix this.  I would personally suggest the following steps, to start:
  - use PHP in a sapi (server API) mode, such as mod_php (directly integrated into Apache, same process.)
  - install a bytecode cacher/optimizer for PHP, such as eAccelerator.
  - if necessary, optimize MySQL's my.cnf configuration such that the right amount of memory is allocated to it.

This will probably decrease memory usage and overall server load by a lot (and has for many people) assuming there is moderate PHP usage on the server.

I would also suggest removing or raising the process limit, but then they may have that to encourage you to pay more for a less limited plan.

-[Unknown]

[esa]

I will try those suggestions and contact globat to find out what the "deal" is when I'm home in a few days.

Thank you all for the help!!

Andy