This is what I just got when trying to open some MPSIMS threads. I figured that it might happen to more people than just me, so why don’t y’all explain the reason here. Is it a bandwith problem? Server problem? What gives?
It’s done this to me a few times this week, but not when opening threads, just after Submit Reply. It hangs up, and then this screen comes up.
I’m assuming it’s just a traffic jam. Does it really send an automatic e-mail to the techs, or is that just to make us feel better, so WE don’t?
Hey Coldy, I was having the same problems in GQ also. It would hang for awhile (then I would go to another web site for a bit) and start to work again.
FTR, I got that message when I clicked on “message boards” from the homepage.
Tinker
That message means we have exceeded the threshold for users; we have more than 100 posters at a time attempting to post to the board.
Consider it a form of flood control. And do your friends a favor; if you’re not going to be on the board for a bit, go to the first page of the SDMB and LOG OUT. (It’s easy to log back in when you return.)
Jerry said this would take some adjusting, I’ll drop him a note so he knows what’s up.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
Only 100 at a time? Why, that would mean <name deleted> and all his sock puppets could take up the entire board all by themselves!!
Seriously: that does answer my question. But is the limit going to remain 100, or was this just a test to see how much was needed?
Jerry can explain it better, but apparently this is a setting that takes adjustment; you want enough access so that people can read and post easily . . . too little doesn’t work, but too much doesn’t either. It’s a bandwith issue.
Might also have something to do with the T1 installation, lemme see what’s up with that too.
Needless to say, we are still adjusting.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
Given the slow response time of the board (no offense intended) and my own impatience, I generally keep several instances of my browser open at once, and switch to the next instance while the previous is chugging away. Will this cause difficulties?
for the time being, could I convince you to only be logged in in one of those browser windows? I think the software doesn’t care too much how many times it’s being looked at (which is more of a thin pipe/fat pipe issue which we’re currently resolving) but cares deeply how many logged in people it’s keeping track of.
I think (subject to correction) that if you are logged in multiple times, it tracks your permissions and other stats multiple times. It is the upper limit of that tracking that currently maxes out at 100.
While you’re checking with the tech folks, would you mind seeing how this impacts us non-cookie users.
Bill
Well, when I have several windows open at once, in several different forums, I think it logs me in on each one (I have my password set to automatically come up.) I didn’t know you had to specifically log OFF.
Lately, having more than one window open only means you get to watch two blue thermometers chug away. Big whoop. I am getting a lot of reading done, catching up on old columns.
Also: having now spent the day observing exactly what Coldfire was talking about, 
I would like to suggest to the techs that they change the brand of Dixie cup they’re using for their cup & string information transfer system. Whatever it is, isn’t working. :rolleyes:
100 posts is not enough, IMHO.
And you know it’s YOUR responsibility to provide ME with the best in quality entertainment…your boss is gonna hear about this…I know people in high places…don’t think you’ve heard the last of this… <<< exit, grumbling >>>
(but not seriously 
)
While I could increase the number of connections above the default 100 that would only make the message board slower than it currently is. Instead, I’ve made some recommended changes to hopefully increase overall performance. If after these changes there appears to be a marked improvement in board speed then I’ll look into allowing greater access. It’s all a balancing act. You can have fast response with limited access or you can have slow response with lots of access or you can have something in between. The size of the pie stays the same. Slice it however you wish.
I’m looking on the brighter side. 13 days without a single message board restart. We’re making progress.
Finally, not to dash anyone’s hopes but I’m speculating that the new T1 on the horizon is not going to have a large impact on the message board speed. I don’t know that for a fact but at the moment our performance bottleneck seems to be the server processing time, not bandwidth on the T1.
I’m not sure how to distinguish a “logged in” session from a “logged out” session (since I’m a cookie user). But I’ll keep it to two (three while I’m posting to a long thread) unless I hear otherwise.
**If logouts are needed, the button should be more visible, probably up high next to profile,register,faq, and search, on every page. **
I didn’t even realize there *was *a logout.
Why? I never return to the forum menu.
Once I’m started, I go from one forum to the next directly via the pull-down.
Logouts are not necessary. The 100 simultaneous connections to the database refers more to the system being set up to handle 100 different transactions at the same time. Such as 60 people doing forum or thread displays, 30 people posting replies, and 10 people creating new threads all at the same time. When you’re reading or typing there is no database connection so it doesn’t matter if you are logged in or logged out. Just being logged in does not allocate you one of the database connections. It’s when you are clicking on a hyperlink or submitting a reply or thread that you are allocated one of the 100 database connections until your action has completed.
Jerry
A-ha! So it is not how many windows people have open, but how many things people have “clicked on” at the same time! It makes a lot more sense now. Thanks, Jerry.
I vote for the faster board. 100 “connections” seems like a fine number at this level of board traffic. I have gotten the “too many connections” message a couple of times, now, but I have just re-tried whatever it is that I was trying to do and it worked fine. It seems like an acceptable trade-off for a faster board.