Slow site before & after 1.3.7 upgrade

[Ajeh]

A server is a physical computer that hosts 1 to many web sites ...

Some can host 1000s just fine and others can only host 1 ...

The difference being what the "load" is that each of the domain(s) place on the server ...

If there are 100s to 1000s of domains on a server, the load can increase until all domains run slow ...

If 1 particular domain utilizes an excessive amount of load on the server than all the others are affected ...

Usually the problem is that a server is hosting too many domains and all told, this creates an excessive load on a server ...

Most hosting sites will move domains that use an excessive amount of load to a different server so that the rest of the domains will not suffer ...

Other hosts keep on loading more and more domains until the server is overcrowded ... this overcrowding maintains a constant overloaded condition ...

If you are on a server that is overloaded then your hosting site can:

1 optimize the server better for better performance

2 move the "heavy" load domains else where

3 move you to a less overloaded server

If they will not or cannot, then you need to look into a better hosting solution ...

If you are the cause of the overload then it is up to you to obtain a hosting solution that can manage your needs ...

Most sites, unless you have 100s of categories and 1000s of products and 1000s of attributes are not "too much" for a properly configured server ...

So, the "overload" is caused by the hosting site themselves and how they are managing their servers ...

Looking at your site, you don't have enough there to make for an undo load to the server ... therefor you are most likely on an overloaded server vs the cause of an overloaded server ...

[inovermyhead]

Thank you for the reply, it helps me understand better. I GUARANTEE that our sites aren't the cause of the overload <grin>, at least not yet.

Since the host appears to be noncommital about helping on this, we will be moving to a Zen certified as soon as we can get 1.3.7 on CreekTree implemented and a host lined up.

Many thanks for all your efforts (and to all the Zen crew!)

inovermyhead

[Ajeh]

You are most welcome ... and good luck with your site!!

May you one day be the actual cause of the server overload ...

[inovermyhead]

Just to keep you all posted, our www.creektree.net shop has been upgraded from 1.2.4 to 1.3.7 (with minimal muss and fuss, thanks Zen crew!), and both CreekTreeUSA and Wizards Whimsy (www.wizardswhimsy.com) have been migrated to a Zen Certified host (thank you, Merlin!) ...

If you recall, the CreekTreeUSA shop was experiencing 5 to 6 second parse time on the main page, 12 to 15 second parse time on the "Hummingbird Feeder" product list, and we were getting no cooperation from the host in getting that resolved.

Since the migration, the parse time on the main page and the "Hummingbird Feeder" product list have been consistently under .3 seconds (Note ... that's 3/10ths pf a second, not 3 seconds!).

So, you were correct, Ajeh, our former host just didn't have the server configured right, or the server was 'way overloaded.

Thanks to all for the good advice.

[Ajeh]

Now that is a happy site ...