I need some objective forum error troubleshooting advice

[crossovernetwork]

I know that this probably isn't the right place to do this, but I'd really like some impartial advice with troubleshooting a vB/MySQL/hosting issue. I'm getting a LOT of vB database error emails with the "too many connections" error. my host says that this value in my.cnf hasn't changed from their fixed shared server value, which is 25. Initially they were coming at specific times (such as 02.02 am) but now seem to be coming several times a day. I had maybe two database hiccups in the two years since I started using the host (hostgator) both times were "MySQL Server Has Gone Away" which I took to mean database server rebooting. Throughout that time I started on 3.7.2 and gradually upgraded, ending with 3.8.6 running a lot of vb.org mods.
The errors have only happened since I upgraded to 4.0.3 and now I'm in the position that host is blaming vB, vB is blaming host/mySQL.

I'm the first to admit I'm a bit out of my depth with some of this stuff, so I'm looking for advice on where to start digging to get to the bottom of this, at least unti xenForo goes Gold In terms of 4.0.3 mods I was running an antispam and a lower breadcrumbs mod, plus tapatalk plugin. (I've just in the last hour disabled vbstopforumspam and lowerbreadcrumbs. tapatalk is still running).
I'm getting a bit frustrated to wake up every morning to see 30 or more vB error emails in my inbox...

 

[Ingenious]

Could it be other busy users on the same database (if it's shared)? Issues at set times can also quite often be someone is running an intensive script like a back up or search or archive or something. When I hosted with 1&1 which is a shared service things would run fine for a while then it would all slow down or I'd get these errors. So, I created a new mysql database and did a back up and restore to "switch" my forum over to it (new database url, login, password etc) - the idea being that a newly created database would be on a newer database server. Things would then run great for a while.

It might be that vB4 runs a few more database queries and it's pushed things over the edge. You might have been close to the limits of your host anyway.

I do sympathise with you being stuck in the middle of the host blaming the software and the software blaming the host. I'm afraid in most cases neither can be bothered to get involved much and you're left with a forum that doesn't quite work properly.

 

[Walter]

Is this a dedicated server or a VPS or are you on a shared server?
25 connections is a pretty low value....

 

[Elizabeth]

Something you might want to consider are your plugins..any ones recently added?
 
Disable any you recently added and go without for a few days/week and see what happens. If it keeps happening, turn it back on and try a different one.
 
Liz

 

[crossovernetwork]

I've not added any plugins recently. It started happening a few weeks ago. I'm on a shared server with hostgator.
hostgator seem to think the queries are taking longer, or timing out causing their monitor to kill the queries.
I ran fine for over two years with 3.7.2 up to 3.8.6. and there's no increase in active users at any one time as far as I can see.

 

[Jethro]

I've not added any plugins recently. It started happening a few weeks ago. I'm on a shared server with hostgator.
hostgator seem to think the queries are taking longer, or timing out causing their monitor to kill the queries.
I ran fine for over two years with 3.7.2 up to 3.8.6. and there's no increase in active users at any one time as far as I can see.

Also on hostgator with a shared situation and not getting the issue. Normally "too many connections" is a MySQL issue which is pretty self explanatory, hostgator may need to look at the traffic on the server your site is hosted on.