HELP!! POWWEB took me offline!!

[bplinson]

I need some help. Powweb took my site down saying that it is using too many resources. I run a PHPnuke 7.1 (with security fixes) website at www.xlforum.org.

It has gotten quite large.

I talked talked with tech support and they said that I probably have too much content on the website.

Problem is that I need to get onto the website to reduce the content.

They also said that scripts my modules.php is causing the problem. I have not modified this file and as far as I cna tell it has not ben changed.

Has anyone else experienced this and if so how did you fix it??

Here is the message I reiceved from POWWEB which does not really tell me much.

From: "PowWeb Admin" <admin@powweb.com>
Subject: Package Service HTTP (394440) Disabled

Your scripts were causing extremely high server load.

last pid: 34527_ load averages: 97.81, 69.24, 47.26 up 0+06:44:58 14:45:46
426 processes: 140 running, 279 sleeping, 7 zombie

Mem: 1695M Active, 1510M Inact, 292M Wired, 147M Cache, 199M Buf, 129M Free
Swap: 2048M Total, 8K Used, 2048M Free


PID USERNAME PRI NICE SIZE RES STATE C TIME WCPU CPU COMMAND
34440 xlforum 64 0 14904K 11116K RUN 0 0:01 5.52% 2.78% php
34079 xlforum 64 0 14812K 11184K RUN 0 0:01 3.13% 2.64% php
34185 xlforum 64 0 14976K 11396K RUN 1 0:01 2.79% 2.20% php
34263 xlforum 64 0 14908K 11136K RUN 0 0:01 2.62% 1.90% php
34451 xlforum -6 0 14936K 11244K pipdwt 3 0:01 3.98% 1.90% php
34166 xlforum 64 0 14464K 10844K RUN 0 0:01 2.08% 1.66% php
34221 xlforum 64 0 15416K 11712K RUN 0 0:01 2.04% 1.56% php
34215 xlforum 64 0 14736K 11044K RUN 0 0:01 1.88% 1.46% php
33977 xlforum 63 0 14908K 11132K RUN 0 0:01 1.56% 1.42% php
34218 xlforum 64 0 14788K 11092K RUN 0 0:01 1.66% 1.27% php
34460 xlforum 64 0 13968K 10212K RUN 0 0:00 2.70% 1.22% php
34413 xlforum 64 0 13728K 10096K RUN 0 0:01 1.96% 1.12% php
34452 xlforum 64 0 14724K 11032K RUN 0 0:01 2.25% 1.07% php
34449 xlforum 64 0 14976K 11084K RUN 0 0:01 2.25% 1.07% php
34450 xlforum 64 0 14192K 10452K RUN 0 0:00 2.25% 1.07% php
34203 xlforum 62 0 14936K 11244K RUN 0 0:01 1.24% 0.98% php
34183 xlforum 63 0 15216K 11396K RUN 0 0:01 1.22% 0.98% php
34297 xlforum 64 0 14428K 10820K CPU1 1 0:01 1.30% 0.93% php
34194 xlforum 62 0 14780K 11088K RUN 0 0:01 1.18% 0.93% php
34210 xlforum 62 0 14752K 11064K RUN 0 0:01 1.19% 0.93% php
34200 xlforum 63 0 14452K 10740K RUN 1 0:01 1.18% 0.93% php
34383 xlforum 63 0 13368K 9724K RUN 0 0:01 1.51% 0.93% php
34429 xlforum 64 0 13460K 9776K RUN 0 0:00 1.76% 0.93% php
34477 xlforum 2 0 13792K 9972K sbwait 0 0:00 2.19% 0.93% php

xlforum 33971 7.7 0.3 14796 11216 ?? R 2:44PM 0:01.26 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34117 5.0 0.2 10696 6084 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.09 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34113 5.1 0.2 11400 7632 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.13 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34057 5.3 0.3 13740 9968 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.32 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33992 5.5 0.3 15068 11416 ?? R 2:44PM 0:01.17 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33788 3.9 0.3 15184 11500 ?? R 2:44PM 0:01.03 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34091 3.5 0.2 12100 8328 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.15 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34054 3.5 0.2 13576 9784 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.30 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33950 4.0 0.3 14468 10852 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.77 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33943 3.3 0.3 14812 11192 ?? R 2:44PM 0:01.10 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33838 4.2 0.3 14836 11196 ?? R 2:44PM 0:01.12 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34088 2.8 0.2 11076 6720 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.11 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34090 1.8 0.1 10708 5748 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.08 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34093 1.8 0.1 10716 5744 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.05 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33959 1.3 0.3 13740 9968 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.30 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34100 2.1 0.2 10900 6544 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.10 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33726 2.6 0.3 15552 11840 ?? R 2:44PM 0:01.05 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33736 2.5 0.3 14996 11312 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.80 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33968 1.6 0.2 13120 9412 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.23 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33744 2.6 0.3 15304 11560 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.90 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34108 1.5 0.2 10736 6272 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.08 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33972 1.5 0.2 13120 9412 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.24 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33977 1.8 0.3 13740 9968 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.30 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33745 1.9 0.3 15532 11856 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.78 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33979 1.4 0.2 13576 9776 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.28 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33758 2.5 0.3 15304 11560 ?? R 2:44PM 0:01.06 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33799 2.2 0.3 15532 11856 ?? S 2:44PM 0:00.76 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34019 1.4 0.2 13272 9584 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.32 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33801 1.5 0.3 15036 11348 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.70 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33803 1.8 0.3 14784 11092 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.71 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34042 2.4 0.2 12820 9128 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.18 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33808 1.9 0.3 14736 11044 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.62 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34047 1.3 0.2 12036 8236 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.13 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34055 2.4 0.2 12116 8392 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.15 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33826 2.0 0.3 14380 10772 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.59 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34060 2.0 0.2 12252 8528 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.13 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34065 2.7 0.2 12400 8644 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.15 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33845 2.5 0.3 14760 11076 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.73 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34079 3.2 0.2 11400 7632 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.12 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33901 2.5 0.3 14796 11112 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.70 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34083 2.5 0.2 10772 6344 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.10 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33767 1.8 0.3 14648 10924 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.77 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33769 2.4 0.3 15052 11336 ?? S 2:44PM 0:00.78 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33793 2.3 0.3 15092 11340 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.76 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33797 1.7 0.3 15532 11856 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.73 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34016 3.0 0.3 13516 9892 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.44 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33987 1.1 0.2 13220 9540 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.22 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34071 1.1 0.1 10696 5760 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.08 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34031 1.2 0.2 12136 8404 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.16 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33966 1.0 0.2 13576 9784 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.29 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 33986 1.0 0.2 13284 9604 ?? R 2:44PM 0:00.22 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34013 0.5 0.2 12400 8644 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.15 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34036 1.0 0.2 12196 8468 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.15 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34078 0.4 0.1 10728 5572 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.04 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34092 0.0 0.1 3432 2424 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.02 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php
xlforum 34097 0.0 0.2 11236 7296 ?? R 2:45PM 0:00.11 /usr/local/bin/php modules.php

[Jade Dragon]

phpNuke is created by one person with few contributions from outsiders. The code has now long since been riddled with security holes and problems that even I have started to lead people away from it. I say that as I've done some tutorial and doc contributions that were submitted to nuke cops. ;)

That said I don't believe that one person can work through all the files to fix the security holes. In fact most the the holes are contributions from outside people.

But since you have it running here's what is happening.

The modules.php is the go-between your main portal and the different modules on your site. They just cannot see the pass through variables to tell you which module is running amuck.

Why your site is disabled is that there are quite a few modules that are written very poorly. This caused the processes to hang or not close out properly, eating up more & more resources.

I have only breifly been looking at phpNuke since 6.5 and In my opinion this has only gotten worse.

What you need to do is contact support to have them reenable your site then turn off any extra modules you have running. THe most notable ones are chats and stats, who's online, last thread posted. Not being able to look at your site I don't know what you have installed.

Your best move is to look at another application and see if there are any database conversions. phpNuke is a resource hog and there's not to much you can do to get around it.

Unfortunately I haven't had the time to look at any other CMS applications, I'm sure there are others here who could recommend something a bit more stable.

=)
Jade

[bplinson]

I think I found the problem.

I installed the newest verison of PROTECTOR four days ago. It is a module that lets you ban people form the website and does a great job.

The problem is that is VERY resource intensive.

I installed it four days ago and my DB size increased 4MB or 20% overnight. This is becuase it puts EVERY IP address that enters your the into a table and if you start banning people (I have banned two members) then it checks that table ever time someone logs in to see if the IP address is banned.

I was able to get back into the website at www.xlforum.org.secure.powwweb.com/index.php and modified som eof the PROTECTOR settings.

I then wne tinto the DB via myphpadmin and deleted all entires in the PROTECTOR iplist table.

Then I set Protector to delete the IP address of any ANONYMOUS user daily (I think most of the entries were from anonymous).

Protector also has a function where to can delete inactive users. I deleted alll members who have not logged on with in the last 100 days, and got rid of 504 inactive members. They can still come back in but will have to register.

Hopefully I will not run into the problem again or I will have to remove PROTECTOR. That would suck cause there is really no other way I have foud to ban people from a PHPNuke website.

Or I will have to find a different host provider that can handle the load. I would hate to leave POWWEB but I need a dependable solution.

[bplinson]

I just spoke with MISTER the developer of PROTECTOR.

He told me to disable the page tracking function of PROTECTOR since is filling up DBs.

With the page tracking function you can see the pages that users have been going to on the website. I had set mine to 100 page history.

Apparently it is suppose to clean the table up when a user goes over the set number of pages it has tracked but it is not doing that. It just keeps going, and going, and going, and etc... just like the Energizer bunny!!!

He is working on a fix.

The POWWEB online help guy Winston said we would reactivate my site now that I have hopefully worked out the problem but now even he is having problems!!!

In ops I show HTTP as green but still the site is down. Winston said he will get the porlbme sent to the admins and hopefully I will be back up today.

What sucks is I have about 1000 members who are probably wondering WTF is happening and I have no way to tell them, put up a redirect, or screen telling them that it will be back up soon. All they are seeing is that wonderful www.powweb10.com and IP address screen..