Hey everyone.. hope you can help me with this. 

Today is the 2nd month anniversary of my forum.. and its going very well, except that it has been running extreamly slow the past couple days.  BoRg is looking into it for me, as I am hosted with Web Wizing..

anyway, yesterday he suggested I "compact and repair" my database.. I did that.  (didn't know how, but seemed to figure it out)  but here is my concern.. my database went from 9.05mb down to 8.65mb  BUT.. is that a lot?  I have been trying to figure out if the database size is the reason for my forum running slow.. but have seen some other databases smaller, some larger. 

LIke I said, this is only our second month.. if the data base is causing it to slow down this much in just two months.. what will happen in a year.. shucks.. it might take you a year to even post on it!

My members are all complaining because they can't access it.. and don't want to have this problem anymore, so if there is something I can do to fix it.. then I would love to know.

also.. I am not wanting to delete any posts, because the nature of our forum is to load it up with information of any kind related to dieting, so that others can come along and do searches for it. 

I appreciate all the help you can give!!  thanks!

THANKS ljamal!  I appreciate your help!!

I have just searched the forum for info about upgrading to SQL but unfortunatly, I don't even know what it is.. and the people who were asking about it all seemed to know what it meant.. so that didnt' help me at all..

Can you tell me what it would take to upgrade.. ie.. the amount of work & the cost that might be involved.

I know the forum seems to run really fast most of the time.. but then early in our mornings, it won't budge.  I sat for 6 hours today trying to post ONE thing!!  most people are just leaving    I have put so much money into this already, but I wanted this to be a great site and think it is.. but it really needs to move

thanks again for your help

Hey ljamal.. off topic question here.. but do you look anything like that avatar? 

Ok.. I am a dumb-head about this.  I have just done search after search to see what I need.  so thanks for your reply.  I have Web Wiz in the "Business Plan".. but nowhere does it say anything about SQL.    

If WWH supports SQL, would I have to purchase a program to actually access it from here?  (never mind the cost, if any to WWH, I'll ask BoRg about that.. if/when the time comes)

but with my database under 9mb.. and only 88 users, is this really necessary?  I guess we will need it in the future anyway.. just trying to keep this cost effective too.   

GUESS WHO??!!  

thought you got rid of me hua?! 

OK.. here's another question! 

If it's an Access DB problem... then would there be a reason why it works GREAT most of the time.. and really bad sometimes? 

My Moderator and I watch the Matrixstats, and can see who's on.. and right now we have 10 active sessions.. and things are running perfectly.

now.. last night, my moderator was on at 2:15am, with only one other person.. and things were going along just fine.. till BAMB!  it just shut down.. and she couldn't open another page!

I get up at 5am.. and it wasn't doing well.. took me hours to even open a page!  most of the time it's slow early till about 10am.. but today the slow down was almost till about 4pm.

I know BoRg has posted he uses SQL.. and I am assuming he hosts his own forums.. but yet I don't find anything that says he offers SQL.. so can I assume that I can't get it on my WebWiz host?!  or is that something that is on a "per case" basis usually?

sorry for all the lame questions.. I just have to get this forum running smoothly. 

OH.. and "LOVE" the self portrait! 

Here's what I look like..       and sometimes I even look like   

Access sucks, lets face it. I have no end of trouble with file locks etc and it slows down just like yours whittibo ( but not as badly), It would be nice if we could use a free database like MySQL on MS hosting, as this database is like SQL server, its fast and more importantly FREE!

BriToN

Access certainly isn't the db of choice for High Volume sites, but isn't actually that bad.  Even using the basic Access drivers.

Are you using the Access 2000 or 2002 db and have you tried using alternative drivers.

Before migrating from Access to SQL, my site had over 10,000 posts and over 2,000 members.  Daily posting was around the 150-200 mark with anything up to 30 members online at a time.  Not the biggest WWG site but still quite a volume.

The site had absolutely no problems at all and performance was quite reasonable.  Other sites using the same db server had a lot of problems though.  We were continually knocking them out as they were using older drivers.  This was the reason for migrating to SQL, certainly not performance. 

What connection string did you use for access 2002 database  tmcquinlan ?

Because the one that comes with the forum is giving me trouble. (OLEDB)

BriToN

I was actually using the "basic" driver "DRIVER={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)}".

I did try to use the Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 driver, but it gave me a few problems and I just switched back to the basic.  I had converted my db to Access2002 though.

BTW.  I'm using the forum through MadDogs Portal.  Shouldn't have any impact on the drivers though

Thanks for the continued responses.. unfortunatly I am lost!

What I would like to know is..

What "things" increase the size of your database?  What are we doing that is making my db grow so quickly?  (that we could stop doing to make this problem better.)

BoRg did get back to me and said "There seems to be a problem with win 2003 when combined with Access databases and ASP, the problem is still trying to be resolved with Microsoft but hopefully should be done soon."  and "the database size is getting to the stage now where other users on the same server as yourself will start to suffer as well as your database will be dominating server resources."  I don't want to make things worse.. but don't really know how to make them better.

BoRg suggests to delete posts.. but I only have 3600 posts.. that doesn't seem like an unusually high amount of posts.. and if I delete posts.. then when we post more.. I will have to delete more?!

Last week when I compacted the db, I went from 9.05 down to 8.6 but now I am back up to 11.3 already! 

My members are posting images (not hosted by the forum)  is that contributing to the db size?

It seems as though I will have to switch to another host that provides SQL..  can anyone suggest a host I can check into?

How hard is it going to be to change my db over?  What do I need to know?  Will I be able to do it or do I have to have someone do it? 

sorry for all the questions.. but my members are just getting a little ticked.. and I need to resolve this. 

thanks so much!!

Bunce wrote: Is there a specific reason that this small increase in size is a problem?

well.. what happened in my case is my forum was so slow that my members couldn't post.. we were having to copy our posts before we submitted them because in most cases, the forum would time out and we would lose our post.. so we would at least have it copied to just paste back on. 

all the advice I found said that my database was getting to large.. so when I compacted it, from 9 down to 8.6 that didn't do much good.. then a week later it was up to 11+   and if it was slow at 9.. and growing at that rate.. I figured we were in for trouble.

ask023 wrote: Could you tell me please, is it serious that 10Mb - Access DB may be slow down my forum?? If I'm going to have 100-200 active users and my DB will be 10-15Mb, am I MUST to upgrade to MS SQL?? Thank you very much for reply! If yes (I have to move to SQL ASAP), could you tell me please, were slowing downs noticed in MS SQL DB? What version (7/2000) should I use under Win2003?

all I can tell you is in my case.. the larger database size seemed to make a huge difference.  If you go to  my forum at http://www.chubbuddies.com - www.chubbuddies.com (it's being moved now so might be down)  but there are so many posts on there from members complaining about not being able to get in.. or losing their posts.. or the forum running too slow.. etc.. so it was in my best interest to move to SQL server now because I anticipate growth to continue.

I researched SQL servers, and wanted one that was famiular with WWF because I may need a lot of help.. and I found that BoRg uses GearHost for this forum.. and I took a look at their prices and they are VERY competitive.. a lot cheaper then most other servers I found that offer the exact same thing or less!

Please check them out if you are going to change.. I have been in contact with Ryan (the CEO/founder) at GearHost.. and he is a wonderful man to work with.. I found him to be extreamly helpful and very kind.  I hate to move from WWH because I wanted to give BoRg at least some type of business since the forum is free.. but as it turns out I need to move..  

So anyone needing SQL server, take a look at GearHost.. and tell them that BoRg sent you because I think he may benefit from it!? 

Whittibo,

Are you saying that gearhost can convert your forums (MS Access) database into a SQL format without losing any data, passwords, posts or features? 

Is it MySQl or MsSql?

Thanks

czechmate

Well.. I guess time will tell?!   

While searching WWF for answers on this, I found many posts that say Access has a feature to convert your database, but I didn't want to mess with it because I have ZERO experience with databases.  I talked with GearHost and for $10 more, he said he would convert it for me. 

I paid for the platnium account which comes with a MsSQL and I think 4 MySQL (but from reading here, the forum isn't compatable with MySQL without a lot of work)  Or you can get their gold account and add a MsSQL for only $6.00 more a month. 

I transferred my database to them yesterday.. then he downloaded another copy of it himself (as a back up for me) and when I go into my control area I see the MsSQL database there. 

Unfortunatly, BoRg is gone till Monday, so I can't have him redirect my domain name.  GearHost was supposed to do something temp. to redirect my domain to my GearHost account.. but I haven't heard if it's done yet or not.

but it didn't seem to be a problem for them to transfer everything to MsSQL.  I wanted something that would give us loads of room to grow because in 2 months.. this is my second upgrade already!  Guess we are a popular board!!  And we rate very high in the search engines already.. it's WAY COOL!!

Thanks for the info!

czechmate

hi guys?

i've used this forum on our office intranet and still using access for database, the question is : how to convert my access to MSSQL?, our office server has MSSQL installed.

thanks before

diarief.. I dont' know anything about it other then what I have read here.  I pulled a thread for you.. I hope it will be helpful!

http://forums.webwiz.net/forum_posts.asp?TID=1535&KW=mssql+from+access - click here..

If you do a search for database, mssql and access you should be able to find some really great info.. (look in the message field not the topic field when searching, you'll find more threads)

good luck to you! 

BTW, I think WWH is a reseller of GearHost...

Bliss.. in a post I made on the last page I said

whittibo wrote: So anyone needing SQL server, take a look at GearHost.. and tell them that BoRg sent you because I think he may benefit from it!?

From what I understand (which may or may not be completely accurate)  BoRg has this forum ran on the GearHost server so he can use SQL.  I personally have my site located on HIS server which is Web Wiz.. (he doesn't host this forum because he can't run SQL)

On the GearHost site, it clearly is stated that if you tell them "who referred you" you get a free month hosting!  THat's why I said "tell them BoRg sent you".. (see my quote above)  I personally have NO PROBLEM with BoRg gaining SOMETHING for all the work he does to give us a free forum!  I know everyone else feels the same. 

I personally have over $400 into my forum, where members can come for free.  I have an affiliate link to a "offshore pharmacy" that if my members use that link, and purchase from that pharmacy, I too get a 'kick back'..  but my members don't mind supporting the forum in that manner.  1. because they KNOW I earn money off it.  2. because they can't find cheaper meds without a prescription. 

So even if BoRg is a reseller of GearHost.. .. then SO WHAT??   I don't mean to be rude or anything.. I just personally want to help where I can.. especially if it doesn't cost me any extra..