Author Topic: README: Checklist for performance problems (Read 335691 times)

[Unknown] · « **on:** September 19, 2005, 02:58:57 AM »

If you're having performance problems (or just want your forum to run faster), you'll want to go through the following steps to try to track them down:

If you're using SMF 1.0.x, make sure the "Check avatar size every time it's displayed" setting is off. This setting was removed in 1.1.
Do you have APC or another optimizer installed?
Do you have a lot of posts? If so, have you converted any of your tables to InnoDB?
Have MySQL's settings been tweaked to optimize memory usage and general efficiency?
If you're not on a dedicated server, are you sure others on your server aren't hurting your forum's performance? If you're not ready for a dedicated server now, think about planning for one when your forum gets to a certain size.
Once you're satisfied of (or properly confused with) the above, if you're still having problems... simply create a new topic in this board, with the status.php file attached uploaded to your server, and some indication of peak times, what your problems are, and what you've done about them so far.

This is currently an incomplete list (although it contains the most important points.) More detailed information is in the works.

-[Unknown]

Please read this thread before posting about performance issues

Joshua Dickerson · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2005, 06:18:38 AM »

There are some other things that are very important. I think performance should be addressed from the lowest level (the kernel) up (SMF):

Start with a good server. If you are using shared hosting, check load averages. Make your host give you the information that you need. You also want to know MySQL, Apache, PHP, and kernel version. Along with how many accounts are on the server and other usage statistics. This is KEY for shared hosting. If you are using dedicated, shop around and go with what is best.
Ensure your operating system is up-to-date and optimized. Windows has shown to not be as good in terms of performance for Apache or MySQL
Use Apache 2 and optimize it. Still doing my own research on different MPMs so I can't really suggest which one would be best for each situation. Although, they are different ones for different server usage. Do some research
Use a later version of MySQL. There are perfomance enhancements with every new version.
Get PHP 5! Its been stable for quite some time now. Run the php.ini-recommended (just erase the '-recommended'). I recommend turning on display_errors and turning off error_logging. Unless you want to stick with the errors going straight to logs.

Now there is PHP ~~5.1~~ 5.2!! If you aren't using PHP 5, you need to be.
It's finally official, MySQL 5 is GA (MySQL's way of saying stable). Get it! There are a lot of things that will make SMF run better. Like the ability to use key parts. Hopefully someone will come up with a mod to use MySQL 5 and the PHP mysqli lib to their fullest. *nudge*

If you have any other scripts running, try to optimize them or get the developers to optimize them. I see a lot of really bad PHP programming out there.

Joshua Dickerson · « **Reply #2 on:** December 13, 2005, 12:00:54 PM »

btw, I edited the status.php script to view phpinfo(). To view it ... http://www.YOUR-SITE-GOES-HERE.com/YOUR%20PATH/status.php?php in other words place '?php' after status.php

Valodim · « **Reply #3 on:** October 09, 2006, 02:55:42 PM »

One more thing:
If your forum has many (1k+) attachments, be sure to disable the attachment dir size limit! the filesize check needs to iterate all files in your attachment dir everytime someone uploads a file, which can take quite a lot of time for big attachment dirs.

[hint]that routine needs some updating, anyways...[/hint]

Daniel15 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 27, 2006, 07:47:02 AM »

What's the 'Opened vs. Open tables:' mean? The value on my web host is 170.085 (which looks high, considering it says '(should be <= 80)'. Actually, what does all the MySQL stuff mean?

Haha, AMD can't spell. Supposedly, my web host has a "AMD Athlon(tm) Prosussor"

hartiberlin · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:09:26 AM »

Quote from: Valodim on October 09, 2006, 02:55:42 PM

One more thing:
If your forum has many (1k+) attachments, be sure to disable the attachment dir size limit! the filesize check needs to iterate all files in your attachment dir everytime someone uploads a file, which can take quite a lot of time for big attachment dirs.

Where do I have to change this
disable the attachment dir size limit
setting ?
Is it somewhere in the admin panel ?

Many thanks.

STS · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2006, 09:52:00 AM »

Quote from: hartiberlin on November 15, 2006, 03:09:26 AM

Where do I have to change this
disable the attachment dir size limit
setting ?
Is it somewhere in the admin panel ?

Many thanks.

I believe this is it.

Admin Panel > Attatchments and Avatars > Max attachment folder space:

Hope that helps.

Enc0der · « **Reply #7 on:** November 29, 2006, 12:55:23 AM »

but how can we disable it? setting it to zero? or keeping it empty ("") ?

thanks

shirster · « **Reply #8 on:** December 14, 2006, 01:17:37 PM »

I THINK it'll be fine just leaving it empty. I cannot be 100% sure that it was the cause but after I deleted whatever number that was there my forum is running much much faster.

Again, I'm not 100% sure, but I'm really happy now

tatore · « **Reply #9 on:** December 24, 2006, 03:00:24 PM »

That's my response.
http://www.discuspassion.net/forum/status.php
http://www.discuspassion.net/forum/status.php?php

since I've installed smf I've got always connection problems with database..
If some of you is able to explain if it depends from my forum or mysql or the connection between them, please..I'm here.
Lots of users are not pres4ent anymore for the connection problems..

tatore · « **Reply #10 on:** January 01, 2007, 08:11:05 AM »

I'd like to know, with your experience, if I have to change server or ask for more band.
I'm on servage.net
Please, let me know, that my forum goes down every 5 minutes.

Ben_S · « **Reply #11 on:** January 01, 2007, 10:50:09 AM »

To be honest, with the stupidly oversold packages they have, you shouldn't expect it not to go down every five minutes.

tatore · « **Reply #12 on:** January 01, 2007, 01:49:38 PM »

my goodness...what a bad new.
I've changed database to have smf software as a solid forum, changed server to have something better than the past and after 3 months of changes, studies and I don't know how many other things (I've never seen a php code, but I've arranged in the best way many things), now I have to plan seriusly to change server...

Please, suggest me something (host) that will never give to me so many troubles. My users are bored, and I write here to understand what's up and on my forum to giustify the crashes...so tired

Ben_S · « **Reply #13 on:** January 01, 2007, 02:43:10 PM »

I'd probably look at either charlottezweb or montecarlohosting. I don't endorse either however so if it all goes wrong, don't blame me. Take a look in the Hosts and Hosting board.

tatore · « **Reply #14 on:** January 01, 2007, 03:04:13 PM »

No, Ben

I want to thank you for your answers...
It's silly to look for solutions if the problem is far from codes. I would have a confirming, and you gave it. So thank you again

KGIII · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2007, 08:53:17 PM »

tatore,

I am just following up with some of the older posts and wanted to ask if you were able to move to a different host and to ensure that everything was going smoothly for you now. If it isn't then what sort of difficulties are you still having?

texasflats · « **Reply #16 on:** February 04, 2007, 06:15:29 PM »

I was having the same issues, lots of "unable to connect to database" error messages. So I set up an account at http://charlottezweb.com/ [nofollow]

I've only been there several days but it's been a breathe of fresh air. Jason is always willing to help and my forum is working as it should.

Rob · « **Reply #17 on:** February 09, 2007, 02:13:20 PM »

Where can I download status.php? It isn't in the attachments anymore. THANKS

Rob

Ben_S · « **Reply #18 on:** February 09, 2007, 02:35:55 PM »

It's still attached to the first post.

Rob · « **Reply #19 on:** February 09, 2007, 03:07:25 PM »

It makes a difference if I am logged in. THANKS

Rob

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Author Topic: README: Checklist for performance problems (Read 335691 times)