HTTP 500's

Yeah me too

HTTP Error 500.13 - Server error: Web server is too busy.

I bet some nasty piece of work is attacking gamedev.net with a DoS attack.

More like people are actually accessing the site. As far as I know, it's not a new problem. At least, I've seen this and other errors regularly for as long back as I can remember. The server software just doesn't seem to be designed to scale very well. (Either that, or the site is much more popular than I'd expected)

IIRC the explanation for it a few weeks ago was that one of their servers was coughing it's last breaths. Perhaps it's taking a little longer in it's death throws...

I got "locked out" for about 30 minutes this morning due to 500's. I get them regularly, but todays was by far the worst period.

I pointed it out to the Powers That Be on the off-chance they didn't already know about it.

Jack

Quote:

Original post by Spoonbender The server software just doesn't seem to be designed to scale very well.

It's a combination of that, and a failing DB server. We're working on fixes for both.

Yeah, I remember last year the same thin happened... It's just something we have to endure and things will get better.

Quote:

Original post by Myopic Rhino Quote: Original post by Spoonbender The server software just doesn't seem to be designed to scale very well. It's a combination of that, and a failing DB server. We're working on fixes for both.

Well, I don't know about other people, but if GDNet were to offer a contribution link, I would be more than happy to throw something towards the cost of the new system.

Quote:

Original post by Spoonbender The server software just doesn't seem to be designed to scale very well.

Are you referring to Microsoft IIS, or something else custom that isn't scaling properly?

Can't believe that GameDev's been running IIS all this time, and this is the first time this problem's appeared.

When I tried to access this thread in the morning I got a 500 and continued to until I had to leave when my keyboarding class ended. :S

Quote:

HTTP Error 500.13 - Server error: Web server is too busy ... Refresh the page ... try again later ...

I think they should change the message for it. The default message I see says I should refresh the page, ensuring the server has extra load, but doesn't explain why.

Here is my suggestion for a new default error message:

Error 500.13: Server Too Busy -- Please hit refresh a few times so we can convince management to buy us some nicer hardware.

Quote:

Original post by frob Quote: HTTP Error 500.13 - Server error: Web server is too busy ... Refresh the page ... try again later ... I think they should change the message for it. The default message I see says I should refresh the page, ensuring the server has extra load, but doesn't explain why. Here is my suggestion for a new default error message: Error 500.13: Server Too Busy -- Please hit refresh a few times so we can convince management to buy us some nicer hardware.

Or, better yet, have the error page serve up a meta refresh or something. [grin]

Quote:

Original post by ukdeveloper Quote: Original post by Spoonbender The server software just doesn't seem to be designed to scale very well. Are you referring to Microsoft IIS, or something else custom that isn't scaling properly?

Our own software (i.e. the ASP pages that make up the site).

Quote:

Can't believe that GameDev's been running IIS all this time, and this is the first time this problem's appeared.

As far as I know, we've never had any problems with IIS - ever. Issues with a couple of the components we've plugged into it, sure, but never with IIS itself.

In any event, it's getting worse now.

Here's my informal research:


Poor database.

110 people are using the forums - Current Server Time - 2:37:49 PM - 5/19/2006

Granted, that's not the number of people viewing pages at the site, but ...

I can't believe it's purely an issue of server load, because it runs perfectly for several months, and then suddenly breaks for a few days. This begs two questions: why would the server load suddenly increase enough, and for several days at a time, for the site to break, and why wouldn't people realize more quickly that the site is broken and stop coming, causing server load to decrease again?

Quote:

Original post by cowsarenotevil I can't believe it's purely an issue of server load, because it runs perfectly for several months, and then suddenly breaks for a few days. This begs two questions: why would the server load suddenly increase enough, and for several days at a time, for the site to break, and why wouldn't people realize more quickly that the site is broken and stop coming, causing server load to decrease again?

Sometimes, it gets worse. Didn't you hit reload a few times ?

Anyway, I believe Dave/Michalson said it was a [few] dying servers.

Looks like there is a little more load on the site than last time I checked:
'Quick Stats' on the index page says 3161 people viewing the site.

those 500's seem to come in bursts though, this morning I couldn't access the site at all, just constant errors, while this afternoon I am getting about every other link.

Quote:

Original post by LessBread 110 people are using the forums - Current Server Time - 2:37:49 PM - 5/19/2006 Granted, that's not the number of people viewing pages at the site, but ...

I assume that's the number of currently logged in users. Doesn't say how many unregistered people there are accessing the forums. Or as you say the rest of the site.

Government agency trying to shut the site down anyone?

Damn that Hayden... [grin]