If you're using PHP as CGI, could you...

[Journey]

If your vB is using PHP as CGI, could you post a link to your forum so I can see how fast it loads, etc? I was told in my previous post that it would be slower this way, but I wondering just *how* slow.

Also, if you've been getting complaints about your forum being "server intensive" from your web host (I'll be on a shared server), could you tell me about that, too? I'm not sure which messaging software to use... I won't have heavy usage, but I want something that looks nice. :)

Thanks for your help!
Dianna

[Martin]

dianna, I'm running NT (for about another week) with 100 concurrent users on most of the time. my forum is running in CGI mode.

a couple of things to take into consideration is that my board is fairly heavily trafficed and I'm having a problem with one of the banner ad companies I use right now.

Also, I have over 300k posts and 30k threads, so that adds a little load.

If your community is small, it shouldn't have nearly the effect mine does.

[Journey]

Thanks so much for your response. Your forum seems relatively slow, but with your usage, it doesn't seem crawlingly slow. Maybe this software will work fine with my situation after all. Hopefully more folks will respond and I'll have more information to base my decision on. Thanks again for your help.

Warmly,
Dianna

[Martin]

the best thing to do would be to go to NuSphere and download their precompiled software bundle and switch your server over to Apache instead of IIS. PHP will run as a module then, and your speed should increase significantly.

I would have done that, but I knew my days on that server were limited by the time I found about nusphere.

[Journey]

Martin, I don't have my own server... I'm going through a web hosting company. :(

That's why I'm concerned about the load on the server. Would you recommend that I use different bb software since I'm going through a host? Or will vB be okay?

Thanks again for all your help.

Dianna

[Martin]

if you're going through a hosting service, I would recommend vB. there is really nothing close in comparison for low server loads and I'm sure they have everything tweaked properly to run PHP and mySQL :)

[werehere]

Journey,

What kind of traffic do you expect to receive?

Posts per day
impressions per day
etc...

:)

[Martin]

addendum to above:

when your contract expires, move to a *nix based hosting company :)

[Journey]

Originally posted by werehere
Journey,

What kind of traffic do you expect to receive?

Posts per day
impressions per day
etc...

:)

I'm guessing here, but I would say less than 100 of each... maybe from 50-100. (It's going to be for a very specific population).

Dianna

[werehere]

I know this is probably just a miscommunication, but you say less than 100 of each?

I can understand less than 100 posts per day, but less than 100 impressions per day?

If that is true, you should not have a problem with any host! ;)

[Journey]

Originally posted by werehere
I know this is probably just a miscommunication, but you say less than 100 of each?

I can understand less than 100 posts per day, but less than 100 impressions per day?

If that is true, you should not have a problem with any host! ;)

I may be misunderstanding what you mean by impressions. But in case I'm underestimating (although I do think under 100 posts per day would be accurate for at least the first several months of my forum's life), could you give me a guestimate of how many posts/how much activity would become too much for PHP as CGI?

You've all been very kind and I appreciate your answers to my very uneducated questions. :)

Dianna

[chrispadfield]

newbie question.. how do you tell if php is running in cgi mode or as an apache module???

[Journey]

Originally posted by chrispadfield
newbie question.. how do you tell if php is running in cgi mode or as an apache module???

Chris, I have no clue. ;) The only way I know that I would need to set up my vB that way is because my host only runs PHP as CGI and it's stated in their "paperwork".

I'm sure the other folks can answer your question, though.

Dianna

[Kier]

To find out if your PHP module is running as CGI or a SAPI module, simply upload a PHP file to your server that contains the following:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>

The first block of variables (next to the PHP logo) will tell you whether you are running in CGI mode or not.

[chrispadfield]

System Linux ns.techuk.com 2.2.12-20 #1 Mon Sep 27 10:25:54 EDT 1999 i686 unknown
Build Date Sep 2 2000
Configure Command './configure' '--prefix=/usr/local/php4' '--with-apxs=/usr/sbin/apxs' '--with-pgsql=/usr/include/pgsql' '--with-mysql=/usr/local/MySQL'
Server API Apache
Virtual Directory Support disabled
Configuration File (php.ini) Path /usr/local/lib
ZEND_DEBUG disabled
Thread Safety disabled


i assume that means it it an apache module?

[Kier]

Yes it does. If Server API had said 'CGI' then that's what it would have been...