Can't open admin/categories.php - times out

[mikeel100]

Searched forums for 1.5.5a categories.php and 1.5.5a catalog/categories and didn't get any returns...apologies if this is a duplicate.

I upgraded from 1.5.5 to 1.5.5a 3 days ago on Godaddy shared Linux Economy servers.

PHP version 5.4 (that is as high as they are going on Economy hosting). I created a new database as well and have not transferred any CUSTOMIZATION files (except my admin program which updates my 114,000 product catalog).

I can not get admin/catalog/ categories/products (categories.php) to open...the server is timing out. I can get in through the back door of Products Viewed but it is extremely slow and I can not get to the top level.

I also had to rewrite my update program to handle smaller chunks of data because of server time out issues...all was working well in 1.5.0-5 until I installed the 1.5.5a upgrade.

Here are my custom php5.ini settings (the same settings I used in 1.5.0-5 with the exception of adding max_input_vars = 2000 - suggested by Godaddy support)

date.timezone = America/Phoenix
max_input_time = 240
max_input_vars = 2000
max_execution_time = 300
file_uploads = On
post_max_size = 320M
upload_max_filesize = 256M
memory_limit = 384M
session.referer_check =
register_globals=off
magic_quotes_gpc=off

My cache method is set to 'file' and I verified date changes in the cache folder after accessing admin and the catalog.

Gzip is on and verified in php info file.

I tried swapping to the 1.5.4 admin/categories.php file...no joy

Please help...thank you.

[mikeel100]

Forgot to mention...

I ran a GTmetrix site speed test on the link to admin/categories.php and it said the page loaded in 1.3 seconds (renamed admin folder afterwards(.

My browsers are a recently updated Chrome on Windows 10 and Edge...neither one works for admin/catalog/categories/products.

[mikeel100]

Just did a clean install of 1.5.5a on a new database and with sample products...

admin/catalog/categories/products opens fine...but I have 114,000 + products.

Will uninstall my admin script files and recopy the 1.5.5a files to the server and see what happens.

[mikeel100]

Reinstalled 1.5.5a, removed my admin script files, and admin/categories.php opened on the first attempt (very slowly) then all attempts after that timed out.

I tried clearing the browser cache but it does not help.

I'm out of ideas...anyone?

I'll be back at it Monday...got a wedding to go to.

Thanks for any help.

[DrByte]

The first thing that strikes me is the random wildcard of the "admin scripts that load your products". I suspect the data may not be being populated into the database properly, so indexes and relationships are off, thus the performance is hindered.

[mikeel100]

Thanks...but I'm not sure how to check the "indexes and relationship" you are referring to.

Would resetting the database tables help?

My 1.5.5a catalog is a copy of the products (SKU) and categories / categories_descriptions I was using successfully in 1.5.0 - 5. My custom scripts simply align the data feed with zc database.

I have the same total number (of products) in the meta_tags_description, products, products_description, and products_to_categories, featured, and specials tables.

My categories, categories_description, and meta_tag_categories description numbers are in agreement as well. I don't use attributes...so not of that applies.

I'll do some searching and reading on indexes and relationship and see if I can figure anything out.

In my original post, I indicated I had changed my session folder in my configure files and all was working fine...the dates for the session names were changing every time I accessed admin or the catalog.

However, I noticed this weekend that there is a session folder setting in admin that did not match the configure.php files. I tried changing admin to match my config files but it kept changing back to the default zencart cache folder whenever I would try to change it to a folder above my html (public access). The admin setting now matches the default cache folder in the configure.php files but I would really like to be able to set the cache folder above the public access since that is one of the recommended security measures I have read about in the forums. I'll see if I can manually set that in the db.

Thanks for your help.

[mikeel100]

More info...

I "checked" my MYSQL tables in phpMyAdmin and all were okay (none needed repair).

I also verified that all master_categories_ids were in products to categories and that there are no products in the top level.

Don't know what else to do?

[DrByte]

I'm not sure how to check the "indexes and relationship" you are referring to.

I'm referring to how all the tables relate to each other using keys like products_id so each record knows who its counterparts are. Most people have no idea about the relationships between the tables and think it's basically just a 2-dimensional spreadsheet, but it's much more than that. Perhaps you've already checked the integrity of all those. In that case none of the performance issues you mention make any sense ... or at least point away from ZC or the db as being the problem source.

Would resetting the database tables help?

Only if you've had bad imports and the ids (referred to above) are out of sync.

In my original post, I indicated I had changed my session folder in my configure files and all was working fine...the dates for the session names were changing every time I accessed admin or the catalog.

I'm assuming by "original post" you mean some other completely different post, ie: a different conversation than the one we're having here.

However, I noticed this weekend that there is a session folder setting in admin that did not match the configure.php files. I tried changing admin to match my config files but it kept changing back to the default zencart cache folder whenever I would try to change it to a folder above my html (public access). The admin setting now matches the default cache folder in the configure.php files but I would really like to be able to set the cache folder above the public access since that is one of the recommended security measures I have read about in the forums. I'll see if I can manually set that in the db.

ZC does auto-reset the foldername in the admin (and database) by reading the DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE setting from your configure.php files and using that value. Provided the folder exists. If you want to move that folder elsewhere, move the folder first, edit its path in both configure.php files, and then your Admin should auto-update as long as it's valid.
But this is a separate discussion that would be better had in the original thread where you started it ... else it's got no value to anyone else and makes it a lot harder to provide continuity in any answers given to you.

[mikeel100]

I just changed the configure.php files cache method to "database" and was able to access admin/catalog/categories/products...3 times in a row. However, it still takes over 2 minutes to show the categories/folders. I have 1841 categories/subcategories.

...tried the "none" chache method and couldn't access categories.

...tried the "file" cache method and couldn't access categories.

ZC does auto-reset the foldername in the admin (and database) by reading the DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE setting from your configure.php files and using that value. Provided the folder exists. If you want to move that folder elsewhere, move the folder first, edit its path in both configure.php files, and then your Admin should auto-update as long as it's valid.
But this is a separate discussion that would be better had in the original thread where you started it ... else it's got no value to anyone else and makes it a lot harder to provide continuity in any answers given to you.

Sorry, but Zencart is not auto-resetting the database by reading the DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE from the configure file. I've tried numerous times (in the correct order) and the only way to change the database to match the configure file is to use phpmyadmin and manually change it.

If you will read my original post, you will see that the new cache folders were created before I changed the configure.php DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE (because I verified that the dates were changing on the session file names).
Which, BTW, makes no sense because I had not yet changed my admin/session file directory to match the configure.php file settings.

What I said in the very first post in this thread:

My cache method is set to 'file' and I verified date changes in the cache folder after accessing admin and the catalog.

Not trying to argue with you or be difficult...I just want my store back in the efficient working order it was in in 1.5.4.

The reason I piggy-backed off of the thread you moved this from is because I suspected my problem had to do with 1.5.5 to 1.5.5a transition.

Are you going to move this back to the original thread I had it posted in?

Thanks again for your help.

[mikeel100]

If you want to move that folder elsewhere, move the folder first, edit its path in both configure.php files, and then your Admin should auto-update as long as it's valid.

Do you mean...move the default cache folder supplied with zencart? I see it has a .gitignore and .htaccess file within it.

I have been trying to use a zc_cache folder above my html directory without these files in them.