Action.php

[Bluemax]

Gents when I got in from work this morning I was notified by my server Powweb.com that my service for two phpvms websites was suspended. This is the email:

I just recently added the aval site to the server the phpvms site has been running for a year with no issues. I was told here on the forums that you could have multiple phpvms accouts on a server. They in an attempt to reactivate these accounts their going to delete the action.php files. What are these files doing that is overloading a server that I have unlimited bandwidth with.

Hello,

We have noticed that the files '/aval//action.php/ ' and '/phpvms/action.php/' are causing server and network heavy load.

The web server had to serve all those requests. Since that files are huge, each request was consuming a lot of outgoing bandwidth which means, the server was overloaded and hence, it could not serve other webpage requests. Hence, we have suspended website and CGI functionality for your account.

You need to delete all the loading files so that server load can be reduced. Please look into this and take relevant actions, so that the files from your web directory will not overload our servers.

Please reply to this email with the resolution, so that we can assist you further.

Sincerely,

Rita Pena

Support Specialist

03:00 Update

Hello,

Thank you for contacting support.

Per your request, I have unsuspended the website and CGI functionality for your account 'bluemax'. Please take necessary action which we have mentioned in the previous email.

We do apologize for any inconvenience, as we do appreciate your business.

If you have any further questions, please update the Support Console.

Sincerely,

Samuel Kim

Support Specialist

[mark1million]

Action.php is one of the main files for phpVMS, put simply, without it phpvms will not run.

The file defines the modules path and the config files, also teh location of teh skins files so that file is used on every call which is why your host is complaining.

Quite simply get a new host, if they are complaining about usage then the servers are over crowded and you are being restricted far too much to compensate for other sites on your server.

[Bluemax]

Action.php is one of the main files for phpVMS, put simply, without it phpvms will not run.

The file defines the modules path and the config files, also teh location of teh skins files so that file is used on every call which is why your host is complaining.

Quite simply get a new host, if they are complaining about usage then the servers are over crowded and you are being restricted far too much to compensate for other sites on your server.

I have an unused server. I can move the AVAL site to the other server but have no clue how to back up the database and move it ( I can back it up, but not re-install it) the other server is iPage.com I have two sepprate accounts on that server. At the moment they have reactivated the account but shut down the CGI functions. What a nightmare.

[mark1million]

Ok well its 8:30 here and i need to get out to work, im about later on and can help if you still need me.

Basically just download all your files and then upload to the new server, then do a database dump of your existing db, import that to your new mysql db and then edit the local.config.php file with your new connection information.

You will need to update the dns to your new server which can take up to 24 hours but is usually quicker than that, the only other thing to watch is your directory permissions, just make sure the correct directories have the correct permissions.

PHP Version (5 required)

Site Configuration File core/local.config.php is writeable!

Directories and Files: core/pages is writeable!

core/cache is writeable!

core/logs is writeable!

lib/rss is writeable!

lib/avatars is writeable!

lib/signatures is writeable

Folders need to be 777 and LIB RSS FILES NEED TO BE 766

[simpilot]

I have a hosting client that used to be on PowWeb as well and had trouble with timeouts and such when database queries got heavy and when the were more than a few pilots connected through ACARS (which uses the action.php route exclusivly). If you do the whois for your domain (usavamc.com);

http://whois.domaintools.com/usavamc.com

It shows 10,371 other sites hosted on your server, a bit much for my taste but that is how some hosts pack clients onto a server hoping that the vast majority will be low use sites and never be an issue. Unfortunatly this usually gets them into the situation of having to limit customers use of the server resources, as they have done to you.

Mark I believe is spot on in recommending another host, one good host can replace all your shared plans with other providers.

[Nabeel]

10k!? Holy cow!

If you're moving your site, before you actually move anything, you need to do a few things (if you're also moving your domain to point to a new server)

- Set your domain's DNS TTL down to 5 minutes. Wait 24 hours for that change to propagate.

- During that 24 hours you can move your files over.

- Backup your site. Shut down the old site with a "moving" message. You might want to include "if you see this page, update your DNS since you're pointing to the old server"

- Change DNS/nameservers to the new host

- Wait 5 minutes, move your database over, as well as any files that may have changed

- Open your new site,

- Change TTL values back to the defaults/recommended

That should hopefully minimize your downtime. If your usage is high, I'd highly recommend going with a managed VPS provider; you'll like have the same issues on another shared host

[Bluemax]

10k!? Holy cow!

If you're moving your site, before you actually move anything, you need to do a few things (if you're also moving your domain to point to a new server)

- Set your domain's DNS TTL down to 5 minutes. Wait 24 hours for that change to propagate.

- During that 24 hours you can move your files over.

- Backup your site. Shut down the old site with a "moving" message. You might want to include "if you see this page, update your DNS since you're pointing to the old server"

- Change DNS/nameservers to the new host

- Wait 5 minutes, move your database over, as well as any files that may have changed

- Open your new site,

- Change TTL values back to the defaults/recommended

That should hopefully minimize your downtime. If your usage is high, I'd highly recommend going with a managed VPS provider; you'll like have the same issues on another shared host

Gents, I appreciate the response from all of you. usavamc.com has been on this server since July 2010 and we have been very active as our rating at VA Central is 24. We never had an issue. I just added the American Airlines Lite just a couple weeks ago to the same account. So between the two, seems to be the issue. We were about to consolidate members of USAvAMC to our USAvSAC account on iPAge and remove that account all together (AMC) the AVAL account was going to remain on this server, but I can move it two a separate account on iPage. When this aired last weekend it attracted 84 members in three days but only 22 have actually become active.

All your suggestions are understood, but I'm not experienced in what your suggesting I do. I have been doing static sites for years and only got into php with the advent of phpvms a couple years ago. So at the moment I stuck between a rock and a hard place. But whatever I do I will have to do soon. I have notified members of both site not to use their kacars until further notice. The sites are back up but they are expecting me to correct the problem. I can't remove the action.php this is paramont to destroying the sites. So I'm on the way to my server.

[flyalaska]

I have been told that action.php has a large load amount too.

[Bluemax]

10k!? Holy cow!

If you're moving your site, before you actually move anything, you need to do a few things (if you're also moving your domain to point to a new server)

- Set your domain's DNS TTL down to 5 minutes. Wait 24 hours for that change to propagate.

- During that 24 hours you can move your files over.

- Backup your site. Shut down the old site with a "moving" message. You might want to include "if you see this page, update your DNS since you're pointing to the old server"

- Change DNS/nameservers to the new host

- Wait 5 minutes, move your database over, as well as any files that may have changed

- Open your new site,

- Change TTL values back to the defaults/recommended

That should hopefully minimize your downtime. If your usage is high, I'd highly recommend going with a managed VPS provider; you'll like have the same issues on another shared host

1:00pm update: Got off the phone with server tech. He suggest that I optimize my tables, is this the same feature built into the admin panel under the maintenance settings? or is this something I need to do on the server itself?

[flyalaska]

I have optimized my tables, doesn't seem to work for my problems.

[mark1million]

The problem is the amount of resources available to scripts in your shared server, there is just too many sites fighting for resources.

If you need help setting up on a new box im now in for the rest of the night and off work tomorrow.

[Bluemax]

The problem is the amount of resources available to scripts in your shared server, there is just too many sites fighting for resources.

If you need help setting up on a new box im now in for the rest of the night and off work tomorrow.

Mark, I would like to chat with you. if you could provide me an email address please send to dezaleski@optimum.net. I don't want to drag this out on the forum, I always seem to get myself in trouble if I hang around here to long.