I'm starting a new thread with this latest saga of the server crashing--anybody else experiencing the same problems? Suggested solutions?

Hostony replaced a failed hard drive earlier this week and reinstalled the server. Many items are newer versions (e.g., MySQL is now 4.1.x, HELM 3.2.6, etc.). While it took several days to get this "working", they succeeded. I did lose several days of email but that is another topic.

My Web site code (mostly ASP classic, some ASP.NET, and using MySQL) has worked on the server several weeks without any crashes or problems whatsoever. Now, either it or the server has a problem. (Hostony moved me to the current server several weeks ago because their upgrades or other changes there were causing IIS - ODBC - MySQL connection to fail. Never found the problem but I did a file-by-file review of my code against W3C validator. Since the problem resolved itself once the code was move to the new server it was apparent that the problem was on the old server.

Now, this morning, I find the server down again. No only are my Web sites reporting error connecting:

Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'

[MySQL][ODBC 3.51 Driver]Can't connect to MySQL server on 'localhost' (10061)

/includes/common_mysql.asp, line 2


But I can NOT open admin.[domainname].com or access MySQL through MySQL Administrator (1.0.21).

This is a very frustrating problem. Previously the server would crash one or more times each day. I am afraid this is now going to be happening on the new installed server. Hostony has variously reported in the past that the problem was caused by other users on the server, then in subsequent times often suggested that it was only my instance on IIS that had the problem.

My database connection and code are pretty straight forward. I have a log showing user action (e.g., page accessed) and there has been no consistency on when/where the problem occured. Traffic on my Web sites is VERY low.

I don't want to just vent about the problem, I want to find a solution. I can't find anything in my code to cause this problem. Oh, by the way, it works and has always worked on my own server, NEVER causing a single crash of IIS, ODBC, or MySQL.

Has or is anyone experiencing similar problems and do you have any suggestions on how best to approach resolving it?

This has been a VERY frustrating week. My domains have been mostly down with MySQL connection error since just after 12 GMT; little response or update from Hostony. I still cannot log into MySQL. Tickets are unanswered at this moment.

MAthew, we are investigating the issue from our side as well. Our DC have promised to resolve the issue within a 2-hours term.

The server is still DOWN. Now 24 hours and really since LAST Tuesday!!!

Chat is again away, there has been no update on tickets in nearly 24 hours! The claims of 1-2 hours to resolve this have come and gone.

I am VERY concerned (1) that Hostony apparently does NOT have access and control of its servers, (2) that they do not respond to tickets and keep customers updated on status, (3) tht Hostony is NOT available to assist customers, (4) that their reports of upgrades and drive failures is inconsistent with reality.

The latter leaves me to wonder about what is going on. My domains, database, and mail are on 70.85.212.154, 70.85.212.155, and 70.85.212.156. Other than the report that a drive quit and had to be replaced, the several reports of upgrades (though Hostony did upgrade these) listed OTHER servers.

My sites have effectively been down with minor exception since Tuesday morning. My business is dead in the water. While I don't want to find a new company to host my domains and I have been patient through many problems in the past I am VERY concerned. I have no confidence on my email to/from and my customers can't access my Web sites and conduct business.

Hostony needs to work on their communications with customers, provide transparency on problems and ugrades, and do more to resolve problems in a timely manner. What is their escalation procedure? At what point do they swap servers or something while they repair, reconfigure, and troubleshoot down equipment. Also, why hasn't there been a detailed checklist of what is being upgraded? I'd be fired on my consulting projects if I went around upgrading and changing things ad hoc, which is what appears to be going on. Can Hostony tell us exactly what changed, can they back out a change if it breaks things?

I am trying to be calm here but I am VERY upset and concerned over the continued downtime and lack of communications and resolution.

You are not alone, Matthew. You can check out my postings in the "Mail" section, where it's now been over two WEEKS since my email lists have been available. If they can't keep a listserver running (or find a way to get that customer onto a system with a running listserver), how do you expect web services to be reliable?

All kinds of recent postings up and down this forum indicate a pattern of sudden interruptions that take hours or days to "fix", then go down again. I fear that the situation here is out of control. This (right now) is no better than that high school kid down the block with a server in his basement. I have been with Hostony for years, quite happily until recently, and it appears that steady growth in business without the requisite growth in management resources has finally caused this company's customer service to implode.

Where is sales and billing through all of this? Shouldn't they be trying to keep us satisfied somehow if tech support can't do the job?

I am not trying to drag Hostony through the mud because of some beef I had over some small matter. I am really just trying to let you know that you are not alone, and letting Hostony understand my feelings (and thereby perhaps the general feelings of many of their customers).

SERVICE HERE MUST TAKE A SUDDEN AND DRASTIC TURN FOR THE BETTER AT ONCE!

Dear Matthew,
we've responded to your ticket and live chat is online.

Yes, Chat on line but I'm being told there "I can say you nothing new". The ticket (11863) says problem fixed but obviously when I attempt to access my Web site it is NOT. Chat did confirm this but nothing more. This is rediculous!!!

We've responded to your trouble ticket

Responded, Yes. But Fixed No.

your site is up and running at the moment.
Please tell me the sites that are down.

We must be on the same server. I have been down for almost five days now. It has really hurt me. I was told it would be fixed in two hours. That was almost five days ago. I hate to be such a pest, but 5 days! Any hosting provider can rebuild a machine and recover a backup in less than one day. It makes me wonder if maybe their security failed and a virus destroyed all of our data or maybe they just are not on top of things, maybe just not enough servers. I have been with them almost 2 years. I really like the prices, I have not had any service complaints, but now this. I am torn between finding another hosting provider. I guess it depends on what they do to make it up to us.

Patiently waiting,
Al
spacedust

I like that earlier comment "your site is up and running at the moment". It must have been a very short moment. Every time I check the Web sites they are DOWN. In the latest check I get a simple "Service Unavailable" error.

Don't know what has gone wrong with the re-install after replacing the failed hard drive but it surely is as bad as a dead hard drive. It is now approaching a full week that the domains have been down!

Maybe start over?! Can't be any worse than the current mess!

Ending ANOTHER day with the server down. I'll give credit that it was up most of the day but it is now down, Chat is unavailable, my email has not been responded to, and my ticket update has not been addressed.

The server is up and Live Chat is avaliable.

Matthew, i can access all of your website's except this one http://www.myunintendedconsequences.com

i had also some troubles this morning but everything a-OK now.

Everything is DOWN again. What is going on? The server is unstable--one minute up and the next down. I am tired of trying to reach Hostony, being told it is now up again, only to see it go down again.