Venturesonline and vBulletin 3.0.0

[Cold Steel]

My account was suspended for hours today due to "heavy incoming requests swamping the server." Apparently, "httpd processes responding to unknown queries for this site were causing massive I/O issues on the server."

After some back and forth with support, I get this:

Thanks for notifying us of the upgrade to VB 3.0. We experienced a similar issue on another of our shared servers with a customer that upgraded to VB 3.0 as well. In order for us to reinstate your site, we'll need you to disable your forum and downgrade VB back to the previous version. As long as this stabilizes your site and there are no further impact to [shared reseller server], your site will remain unsuspended. Has anyone else had this experience on VO with vB3?

[Zachery]

Well they should be aware, its impossible to "downgrade" you would need to rever to a backup before you went to vB3.

[eva2000]

My account was suspended for hours today due to "heavy incoming requests swamping the server." Apparently, "httpd processes responding to unknown queries for this site were causing massive I/O issues on the server."

After some back and forth with support, I get this:

Has anyone else had this experience on VO with vB3?
what hosting plann and server specs ? scsi/ide disk ? ? how many sites share that server ?

how large is your forum ?

[Cold Steel]

I am on BR4000. The server is configured with Raid5. I don't know how many sites share the server. My forum is not big, and there usually isn't more than 20 (guests, members, spiders) on at once. It's usually closer to five people on at once.

Server specs below, taken from WHM.


Processor Info

Processor #1 Vendor: GenuineIntel
Processor #1 Name: Intel(R) Pentium(R) III CPU family 1266MHz
Processor #1 speed: 1266.099 MHz
Processor #1 cache size: 512 KB

Processor #2 Vendor: GenuineIntel
Processor #2 Name: Intel(R) Pentium(R) III CPU family 1266MHz
Processor #2 speed: 1266.099 MHz
Processor #2 cache size: 512 KB


Memory Information
Memory: 4011128k/4063168k available (2272k kernel code, 51652k reserved, 569k data, 372k init, 3145664k highmem)


System Information
Linux *.vosn.net 2.4.25 #1 SMP Thu Feb 19 17:00:15 MST 2004 i686 unknown


Physical Drives
hdc: CDU5211, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
hdc: attached ide-cdrom driver.
hdc: ATAPI 52X CD-ROM drive, 120kB Cache, (U)DMA


Current Memory Usage
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 4011500 3886172 125328 0 309140 2775628
-/+ buffers/cache: 801404 3210096
Swap: 2097136 2896 2094240
Total: 6108636 3889068 2219568


Current Disk Usage
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda5 2.0G 876M 1.0G 46% /
/dev/sda1 38M 20M 16M 54% /boot
/dev/sda9 173G 31G 133G 19% /home
none 1.9G 0 1.9G 0% /dev/shm
/dev/sda2 1011M 272M 688M 29% /tmp
/dev/sda7 58G 11G 44G 19% /usr
/dev/sda6 58G 6.1G 48G 12% /var

[eva2000]

make sure pconnect is disbaled in vB config.php

really hard to say the rest without knowing VO's server mysql/php settings and what their resource limits are

btw, what VO plan are you on and how much you're paying ?

[Cold Steel]

Persistent connections are disabled.

Does this help at all?

mysql
MySQL Support | enabled
Active Persistent Links 2
Active Links 2
Client API version 3.23.49
MYSQL_MODULE_TYPE builtin
MYSQL_SOCKET /var/tmp/mysql.sock
MYSQL_INCLUDE no value
MYSQL_LIBS no value

Directive | Local Value | Master Value
mysql.allow_persistent On On
mysql.connect_timeout 60 60
mysql.default_host no value no value
mysql.default_password no value no value
mysql.default_port no value no value
mysql.default_socket no value no value
mysql.default_user no value no value
mysql.max_links Unlimited Unlimited
mysql.max_persistent Unlimited Unlimited
mysql.trace_mode Off Off

I'm on BR4000 and paying ~$45 a month.

[attroll]

I use to be on Venturesonline and I had Shared Virtual Hosting Package. It was a V500 account. I upgraded to VB3 RC2 while I was on ventures and did not have a problem. I moved to a differnt company due to my growing bandwidth and Ventures wanting to much money for their packages. But I did like the support I got from them and never had any problems. Oh yes I did have some high server load issues with them but I found out it was because I was on a shared server. I did not upgrade to VB3 Gold until after the move. I don't know if this helps any. But I thought I would let you know.

[gopherhockey]

My account was suspended for hours today due to "heavy incoming requests swamping the server." Apparently, "httpd processes responding to unknown queries for this site were causing massive I/O issues on the server."

After some back and forth with support, I get this:

Has anyone else had this experience on VO with vB3?
I just had this happen to me today. (sorry about the double post, I started a thread then found this one)

I'm on a V500 server, ran vb 2.8 just fine, but now after 3.0 they say I "have to go" and aren't even suggesting an alternative on their site. They also cannot confirm or tell me what exactly they are seeing as far as traffic patterns. My log shows normal hits, they claim its in the millions. We have maybe 15-30 users on max, but only briefly. We only have 660 members and 18,000 posts (since November 2002). Thats small, is it not?

I do not care for their policy of simply suspending my service without warning. I also do not care that they say they have no ability to help me determine what these "hits" are... my logs don't show a problem, but they are convinced I have one. They seem unwilling to work with me or give me enough time on my site to look around and fix or try to determine what the issue is. They are demanding I shut my forums down and leave them down....

I cannot believe this type of customer service exists. I want to be fair though and work with them on this, but I'm not getting help.

Who would have known upgrading to vb3 would get me cut off from my host... a host that comes highly regarded from many others in the vb community. Perhaps this is changing?

See my other thread if you have any suggestions where I can move...

[attroll]

I just went to your web site. I can not see what there problem is. When I was with them I had a bigger membership list then you have right now. When I was on Venturesonline I had 2,000 members and an average of 30 to 40 people online and over 1,500 photos in my photo gallery. I left of my own free will. So I don't understand why they are making you turn you forums off when you are smaller then I was. Please keep us informrd if they give you any other reason.

P.S. I really like you web site. You have set it up real well. I might steel a couple ideas I got from yours and put them on mine. I like the top 10 stats. Did you get that fomr VB.ORG?

[gopherhockey]

I just went to your web site. I can not see what there problem is. When I was with them I had a bigger membership list then you have right now. When I was on Venturesonline I had 2,000 members and an average of 30 to 40 people online and over 1,500 photos in my photo gallery. I left of my own free will. So I don't understand why they are making you turn you forums off when you are smaller then I was. Please keep us informrd if they give you any other reason.

P.S. I really like you web site. You have set it up real well. I might steel a couple ideas I got from yours and put them on mine. I like the top 10 stats. Did you get that fomr VB.ORG?
Yea, my experience with venturesonline.com had been just fine up until last week... then out of the blue I'm told to leave. Still no word as to why, no proof as to what was wrong with my system. My guess is they had a problem with their "moria" server and reacted without thinking... who knows.

Oh, and yes - feel free to grab ideas etc. I did get the top 10 off vb.org, then tinkered with it to change a few things. ;)

I'm now on a new host... costs me $10 less a month and is faaassssttt compared to VO. I shoulda switched sooner, but what a pain. Luckily the new host had the same home path so switching was real simple.

I also am getting much better customer service on the new system. They respond to helpdesk posts right away, even send personal email and give suggestions. VO can.... aw, I won't say it. hehe

[Shining Arcanine]

Persistent connections are disabled.

Does this help at all?

mysql
MySQL Support | enabled
Active Persistent Links 2
Active Links 2
Client API version 3.23.49
MYSQL_MODULE_TYPE builtin
MYSQL_SOCKET /var/tmp/mysql.sock
MYSQL_INCLUDE no value
MYSQL_LIBS no value

Directive | Local Value | Master Value
mysql.allow_persistent On On
mysql.connect_timeout 60 60
mysql.default_host no value no value
mysql.default_password no value no value
mysql.default_port no value no value
mysql.default_socket no value no value
mysql.default_user no value no value
mysql.max_links Unlimited Unlimited
mysql.max_persistent Unlimited Unlimited
mysql.trace_mode Off Off

I'm on BR4000 and paying ~$45 a month.
I think that is a rip off, try this host:

http://www.asmallorange.com/

With the Large plan, you can get 2.5GB of space and 60GB of bandwidth with WHM for $25 a month if you add reselling ($5 per a month on top of the plan's $20 per a month) to the plan.

I am been hosted with them and my experience has been positive so far.

[amykhar]

They booted be as well in late February. I ended up going to webhostingtalk.com and filling out their form. Got a much better price from http://www.ultraunix.net and haven't looked back. Service has been great, and my site is just as fast as it ever was on VO.

[Wayne Luke]

Ventures Online has gone through two mergers in the last year. As a result, it appears they are changing policies and reducing services in places in order to streamling their customer base. This is rather unfortunate as they used to be one of the best hosting providers available.

Hopefully after this period of transition, the company can stabilize and return to the service they provided before. This depends on which of the merged companies' primaries are more in control though.

[marc49]

I too have been given the "you must shut down your board" statement from VO.. My site was even suspended. I am on the v500 plan and I still have 90 mb of storage left and have yet to hit the 20gb transfer threshold. When I presented this to them, they said it's because I have "5.5 million" hits a month. When I agreed to shut down the board I got access again and I looked at my webalizer stats, I have been at 5.5 or more pretty much since I started back in mid 2003.. Why now?? We have over 4000 users, but we average about 30-40 users at any time. I don't consider that a big board.. but they're saying I must go dedicated...

[attroll]

I too have been given the "you must shut down your board" statement from VO.. My site was even suspended. I am on the v500 plan and I still have 90 mb of storage left and have yet to hit the 20gb transfer threshold. When I presented this to them, they said it's because I have "5.5 million" hits a month. When I agreed to shut down the board I got access again and I looked at my webalizer stats, I have been at 5.5 or more pretty much since I started back in mid 2003.. Why now?? We have over 4000 users, but we average about 30-40 users at any time. I don't consider that a big board.. but they're saying I must go dedicated...
There just trying to get you to go dedicated so they can get more money out of you. They told me I needed to go dedicated also. But they did not force me to. I guess I left before I was forced it looks like. I still am not dedicated and I am runing with very little problems at all and I am not using VO.

[J.R. Rogers]

I, too, was bascially kicked out of VO after two years of hosting with them. I upgraded to VB 3.0 and suddenly, when their server started experiencing problems, they suspended my account without warning and told me to uninstall vB3 or leave. Funny thing was, I had never had any problems up until that point, had never gotten near my bandwidth limit, etc. Plus, I was on their fastest quad processor shared server on a BR3000 account. They said that my site was producing like 9 times the "allotted dynamic hits". Whatever. Really sad... they were once a good company. Ever since they merged, they went downhill fast. Ohwell. I have my own dedicated server now through another hosting provider... funny thing is, I've never seen beyond 50% CPU utilization on my little Celeron scooter. :rolleyes: JR

[Shining Arcanine]

How many hits do you get per a month?

[Wayne Luke]

I too have been given the "you must shut down your board" statement from VO.. My site was even suspended. I am on the v500 plan and I still have 90 mb of storage left and have yet to hit the 20gb transfer threshold. When I presented this to them, they said it's because I have "5.5 million" hits a month. When I agreed to shut down the board I got access again and I looked at my webalizer stats, I have been at 5.5 or more pretty much since I started back in mid 2003.. Why now?? We have over 4000 users, but we average about 30-40 users at any time. I don't consider that a big board.. but they're saying I must go dedicated...
It is because they merged with two other companies. Many of the people who were at Ventures Online are now gone and more strict policies have been put into place with the acknowledgement of said new policies being your continued payment for service.

It is no longer a company that I would recommend to anyone. They used to be the best about 18 months ago.

[bigsnowdog]

It is because they merged with two other companies. Many of the people who were at Ventures Online are now gone and more strict policies have been put into place with the acknowledgement of said new policies being your continued payment for service.

It is no longer a company that I would recommend to anyone. They used to be the best about 18 months ago.

Who do you feel is the best now, or what several hosts do you feel are the best now?

[DarknessDivine]

I know you aren't asking me but check out surpasshosting.com...I host there and no problems that haven't been resolved and support is great..heck they even have a support forum which is ran using vBulletin...

[banjolawyer]

I came to this forum to get new host ideas. I was not surprised to see threads about recent bad experiences with VO. Since their acquisition by data393, I have been very disappointed with the service.