SMF was unable to connect to the database

[bb99]

After yesterday my webhosting server down, now is server up but my smf forum 2.0.15 is down with this error:

Connection Problems
Sorry, SMF was unable to connect to the database. This may be caused by the server being busy. Please try again later.

But my others 3 smf forum which are older version SMF 2.0.13 have no problem and are runnning after the server is up.

Anyone can please help me in this as my smf has been down for 24 hours and the web hosting is not able to help in to get it connect.

I have ask for a website restore but it didnt help.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Have you checked the database credentials in Settings.php?

[Just Another Member]

Please tell me you aren't with GoDaddy. I'm gonna start calling that place "Who's Ya Momma!"


Let's look at your problem from a logical standpoint. You had 4 forums that worked fine. Your host went down. (Why? Who broke what?)

Now the hosting service is back up, but 3 of 4 of your forums work. I suspect you didn't change your files. Why would you? The most logical conclusion is that your MySQL server for that database is down.

Write yourself a little snippet of code, go find an example on PHP.NET or one of the coding sites, how to connect to a database. Maybe call it test.php. Put in some debugging statements. See what stage it fails at.


Another idea, use your phpMyAdmin control panel. Is the database working there? What, your host doesn't provide one?


I always install my own phpMyAdmin, I never used the hosts one. (I have a dedicated server now.) You can install PMA on a subdomain and configure it to connect to your database.

If you cannot access your database via your Cpanel and same if you install PMA then my best guess is that your database server is pooched. Or your database.

Take your last database backup and load it to a different, new database server. Change your config settings to point to the new MySQL database. That's what I'd do.

I think your hosting provider screwed the pooch on your database. Come on. Tell Suzy who your hosting provider is.

[bb99]

i am with site5.com

[bb99]

I dont know about Settings.php , how to check ?

I am a noob for this smf and php things

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Settings.php is in your forum root, it contains the info your forum needs to connect to the database -

Code Select Expand



########## Database Info ##########
$db_type = 'mysql';
$db_server = 'xxxxxxxxx';
$db_name = 'xxxxxxxxx';
$db_user = 'xxxxxxxxx';
$db_passwd = 'xxxxxxxx';
$ssi_db_user = '';
$ssi_db_passwd = '';
$db_prefix = 'smf_';
$db_persist = 0;
$db_error_send = 0;



You can view and modify it in a text editor.

[bb99]

All 4 smf forum are in different cpanel but same hosting. 3 are 2.0.13 , this 1 got problem is 2.0.15 and with ssl.

[Just Another Member]

Shouldn't be any diff between 2.0.13 and 2.0.15 AFAIK.

[bb99]

Now the problem and reply from the webhosting after 30 hours of downtime:

Yourdomain.com is loading the error 'SMF was unable to connect to the database.' since the database user yourdata_smf1 already has more than 'max_user_connections' active connections. Since you are on shared server we cannot increase 'max_user_connections'. Also, it is not possible to change the server php version to 5.6. I would suggest you to sign up for a new VPS plan and we can help you in migrating the domain and website files. Please refer the link at https://www.site5.com/vps/ for VPS plan.

What should i do ?

[bb99]

will this things happen with your hosting for asking for upgrade ?

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

Seems like you are in a tight spot, changing plan or changing hosts is pretty much the only way out so that this will not happen again.

[Just Another Member]

I don't understand how things were working fine on 4 forums before the provider had their problems, and now they fixed their problems and only 3 forums are working.

That just makes no sense. And furthermore, forums such as SMF are very light users in terms of file space and database space unless there are lots of big attachments. I've had up to 12-15 forums operating simultaneously on a single, modest shared hosting plan with no problem. I can't imagine any hosting provider having resource problems with just 4 forums unless their server is totally pooched.

[Pause]

I can't imagine any hosting provider having resource problems with just 4 forums unless their server is totally pooched.

Site5 is one of the many brands owned by EIG (Endurance International Group), so that should explain it.

I'd suggest it is probably best for OP to pick a new host, but to be careful not to go to another EIG brand (see https://researchasahobby.com/full-list-eig-hosting-companies-brands/).

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

It makes a lot of sense in my opinion. The host is telling the DB has more connections than allowed, and further connections at this time will not be opened.
This would either mean that those 4 forums do not count towards the same limit, or the limit simply is only visible on one at the moment but the problem actually touches them all.

SMF is basically first and foremost a database UI, and database operations are it's core, so a badly configured database can ruin everything.
More often than not, when these issues first arise - it is sadly something one must usually either solve with their host, or change to a better host at some point.

[bb99]

I am under their hostPro+Turbo with Unlimited cPanel Accounts. Each are with their own seperated cPanel.

That smf forum only have around 3132 Page Views and 2,170 Unique Visits per day.

Is that so much to have this problem ?

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

Well, Site5 is what I'd call an overseller. They advertise their unmetered disk space and bandwidth, but leave out the fact that their TOS states  for example "CPU/Memory/Resource Abuse - Consuming excessive amount of server resources causing server performance issues" is prohibited, and never explain what they mean with this.

https://www.site5.com/legal/acceptable-use-policy/

[bb99]

You see, this is what i got an reply from them:

Hello,

Thank you for your update.

We don't limit based on day/week/month, and as long as usage is fair to everyone else on the shared server. However, as per our resource usage agreements, usage shall not exceed:

10% CPU Usage
5% Memory Usage or 512 MB Memory
50 Running Processes
15 Minute Max Execution Time
150,000 Total Inodes
500 outgoing email messages per 60 minute period (all excess messages will be discarded and not delivered)

For more information, please refer the link: https://www.site5.com/legal/resource-usage/

If you have any further queries, please feel free to contact us. We are available 24x7.

Lol. It takes half a day to get a reply.

[bb99]

At least give a warming first, an not down the website.

[Aleksi "Lex" Kilpinen]

When you still can, backup everything you have there - and I'd suggest start looking for a decent host.

[bb99]

Now i have a big problem. I cannot download MySQL Database.

I saw the database in phpmyadmin, but when i go to cpanel MySQL® Databases.

My Database size is 0mb . Is the database gone ?