John - Forum problem - empty threads

[jim mcnamara]

Today, I've encountered several empty threads - threads that were started by a poster - with no content showing.

Then there are threads like 172117 that have an answer ONLY.

Something serious is wrong - Have you guys updated the software lately?

See also thread 172055

[Beacon]

Look below!
Could have something to do with karl's changes!

[rjlohan]

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...89#post1004489


Here's another one. I've seen another earlier today.

[Pix]

I've had this problem a couple of times when I've created new threads

[chrisjk]

*respectfully directs people to http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...286#post994690 and says nothing*

[jim mcnamara]

Chris - I repectfully disagree -

That is called database or file contention - Apache and other db servers have locking to control that. If you use it properly. In other words, it should not happen. That it does means somebody needs to look at some code.

The fact that it has happened literally dozens of times today, with light loads, means that somebody probably did change something - for the worse.

Could you imagine a medical records database with all your personal medical records blank? I don't think so.... it doesn't happen. We have a lot of web-based servers that handle quadruple the loads they ever experience here - 2000 concurrent users. Some of our tables have 100+ million rows. No data corruption. No contention issues. We use Apache servers on someLinux boxes and two HPUX boxes.

[chrisjk]

This is not a question of record locking; the server simply doesn't do anything so further requests to insert records are not processed.

The server has not been responding a lot today. Do you not think that during some of those freezes, people have been clicking Submit New Thread? I should think so since it happens for a good few minutes at a time and quite regularly. It is no coincidence that we get a rash of blank threads after a major freeze, I saw one or two myself after having to wait 5 minutes for it to show me Chit Chat.

The threads are stored in a table, called unsurprisingly, thread. In this table, are a few details about the thread, such as the subject, the userid of the person who created it etc. There is also a table called post. This, as the name suggests, holds all the posts. When you click Submit New Thread, two things happen. The first is that a record is inserted into the thread table. The second, is that the actual contents of your initial post are inserted into the post table, with associated threadid etc.

forumdisplay.php lists all the records in the thread table that have a matching forum id. showthread.php lists all the posts that have a certain thread id. It does not take Einstien to conclude that the blank threads are caused by the server completing the first record insertion into the thread table, but not the insertion into the post table.

That is the only reasonable explanation short of John himself going through the database deleting initial posts himself.

[Pix]

Originally posted by chrisjk
*respectfully directs people to http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...286#post994690 and says nothing*

awww, I was expecting a sarcastic comment

[chrisjk]

sorry to disappoint you hun

I'm rather bemused nobody can see this; it's so simple. I've just gotten a load of 404 server not responding crap, why is it so hard to believe that if it won't serve a page to you it also won't ask MySQL to insert a god damn record.

[Pix]

Erm...cos I'm stupid?!?

[chrisjk]

you are far from stupid