Database error + slow forums

[kalniel]

I'm repeatedly getting a Database error when attempting to access the photo-a-day thread. Error:

Database error
The HEXUS Community Discussion Forums database has encountered a problem.
Please try the following:

Load the page again by clicking the Refresh button in your web browser.
Open the forums.hexus.net home page, then try to open another page.
Click the Back button to try another link.

The forums.hexus.net forum technical staff have been notified of the error, though you may contact them if the problem persists.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

URL:
http://forums.hexus.net/photography-...ml#post2381733

The forums are also grindingly slow at the moment.

[Rob_B]

Yup same here in that thread.

[blueball]

+1 on that

[g8ina]

agreed, glad it's not just me !

Ive also forwarded this thread to admins to have a look.

[Jonatron]

What's Steve done now?

[Steve]

Hmmm, why would one thread by really slow? I'll take a quick look.

[Steve]

OK, it should be better, but not optimal, for now.

I will work with Jon on fixing this!

[kalniel]

Confirmed able to view the thread now, thanks.

[Steve]

Well, I've now taken some extra steps to sort this out.

We now have more than TWO MILLION rows in our post table. Some queries on it are slowing down. Over the past day I redirected forum database traffic to another server until I had a chance to look more closely. Tweaking some server tunables helped a little but not much. It seems newer versions of vB have some new indices, so I spotted one that would make a difference and added it in.

Jon also did some general optimisations to other hexus database stuff to lighten the load a little.

So remember, guys, people work hard to keep a 12 year old site running