Need Help ASAP: High website traffic error message

13 posts by 4 authors in: Forums > CMS Builder
Last Post: February 22, 2016   (RSS)

By wizzle - December 3, 2015

My client's site is www.bigironchl.com

For the past 2 weeks or so we have been getting the following error pretty frequently as we click through links on the site and also in the cmsb menu.

-----------------------------

Hello, Website Visitors!
We are temporarily experiencing high website traffic or technical difficulties. Please bookmark this page and come back later.

Do you run this website?
We were unable to connect to the database, possibly because:

  1. Your database settings are incorrect (check in /data/settings.dat.php)
  2. Your database server is down or overloaded (check with your host)

The database error given was:
Can't connect to MySQL server on 'mysql' (60)

-------------------------------

I have searched the forums and found the other discussions about this, but none of the solutions have been able to help me.  I double checked the permissions (although somehow I still suspect his is the problem).  My client is getting a bit aggravated so I could really use some help quickly.

As a side note:  he uses Yahoo Small Business for hosting... which recently got change to Aabaco Small business.  I thought that perhaps the transition caused the problem, but after seeing the error here on the forums, I think it is still related to cmsb.

I also uploaded the database testing file that Damon posted.  It's here http://bigironchl.com/mysql_connections_test.php

Greg Williams

By wizzle - December 3, 2015

I guess I should clarify...   the website is active and the database is running.  I seem to be able to fully use CMSB..  But as I click around the links on the site, about 10% of the time I get the error message listed above.  It also happens as I am clicking around the CMSB menu.

Greg Williams

By Dave - December 4, 2015 - edited: December 4, 2015

Hi Wizzle, 

Check Max Connections" under: Admin > General > Database Server (at the bottom of the page).

For example, on our website it shows:

Database Server: MySQL v5.6.23 (Max Connections: 151)

If it's too low you might be getting more traffic than your host allows.

Dave Edis - Senior Developer

interactivetools.com

By wizzle - December 4, 2015

Apache/1.3.37 
PHP Version PHP v5.3.6 - phpinfo >>

 Database Server MySQL v5.1.55 (Max Connections: 151)

I had already looked at this, but I really don't know if 151 is low or not.   This site is a local business that teaches classes on the weekends... I can't imagine that it would have more traffic than the hosting account can handle.  Any other ideas I should try?

Client is getting really irritated.  The problem may be that Yahoo Small Business just converted over to become Aabaco small business, but my client is convinced that it has something to do with cmsb.

Greg Williams

By wizzle - December 7, 2015

ok Thanks!!!

I just sent the 2nd level support request.

Greg Williams

By Dave - December 7, 2015

Hi Wizzle, 

Also,  have you checked with your host about this issue?  A quick google search shows other people on the same host with the same error.

A quick way to demonstrate it is related the to MySQL is to have a standalone script that does nothing but try to connect to MySQL.  Here's a test script that checks that.  Try running it when MySQL is down for the CMS and see what results you get: 

<?php // _test_mysql.php
  $hostname   = "localhost";
  $mysql_user = "dbuser";
  $mysql_pass = "password"; 
  $link       = mysql_connect($hostname, $mysql_user, $mysql_pass);
  if (!$link) { echo('Could not connect to MySQL: ' . mysql_error()); }
  else { echo 'Connection OK'; }
?> 

Hope that helps!

Dave Edis - Senior Developer

interactivetools.com

By wizzle - December 7, 2015

Seems like that's the issue Dave.  Thanks for that quick script.  I got "Connection OK" most of the time, but every few reloads I get "Could not connect to MySQL: Can't connect to MySQL server on 'mysql' (60)"

I guess it's time to convince the client to move to a new web host.  He has been doing his own website via yahoo small business web building app for years and he's afraid that if he ditches yahoo as his host then he will lose search rankings.  

Greg Williams

By Dave - December 7, 2015

Have you tried contacting their hosting support yet?  You could try sending them a link to that test script and let them know about the error it returns.  That might be able to help them isolate the issue.  But if that doesn't work, then yes, switching hosts will be the only remaining option.

Dave Edis - Senior Developer

interactivetools.com

By wizzle - December 7, 2015

I called the other day... after waiting on hold for 35 minutes, the guy tried to convince me that the problem was the internet connection at my house...  after I showed him how that can't possibly be the case, he then jumped onto "it must be the cms you are using and we don't do support for 3rd party software".

I suppose now that I can show direct problems with connect to the mysql I should call them again and give it one more shot.

Greg Williams