[Ro]

I am sure that you are all aware that we have been experiencing a great deal of challenge keeping the board up and running. This is what is going on...

The forum/gallery is a massive database. A database has tables in which it stores information. The forum/gallery has a large number of tables.

For an extended period of time, we have had morning table crashes. The crashes keep happening during the early morning hours. When they occur, support fixes the broken table and gets us back online. They keep trying various fixes to prevent the tables from crashing. Once the fix is implemented, we hope the fix works. Unfortunately, we have no way to know if it has or has not worked other than to sit back, wait, and see the table crashing stops.

The support guy - Mark H - who has been working on this issue exclusively, has been more than helpful and responsive. He is getting as frustrated as we are about it. Just when he think he has solved it, a new table - one that hadn't previously been affected - will crash and he is sent back to the beginning.

On Saturday, he even took the unusual step of rebuilding the entire database. We all though that surely, that would end the crashing.

But it didn't.

He is committed to figuring it out. I think he is at the point where prayers in his behalf would be helpful. There has to be something unusual - something that he has never seen before - that is happening. He is an expert on this particular platform we are running and so the fact that he hasn't been able to solve it yet, tells me that he is facing a new problem.

Meanwhile, I appreciate your support and patience during this time. As many of you know, I would normally send out bulletins in our newsletter list about what is happening. I like to communicate rather than have people wondering.

This time, we aren't sure what is happening and I have felt it would be counter-productive to draw daily attention to the issue, particularly since I don't have any valuable information. Most people do not understand that what happens on the forum/gallery is completely unrelated to what happens elsewhere on our website and it is important that we not scare our customers away.

Here's why the forum/gallery is unrelated to the rest of the company:

Scrap Girls has four servers that are hosted with 3 different companies.

2 of them host the downloadable files and the ScrapGirls.com website.
1 of them hosts the storefront.
1 of them hosts the forum/gallery.

Additionally, the chat room is hosted by yet another company. It just snaps into the forum which allows us to use a single login. This is why we could get to the chat room last week when we could not get to the board/gallery. Different companies.

I don't want to accidentally give our customers the idea that just because we are having issues here, we are also having issues in the Boutique. I don't want to accidentally give people the feeling that if they shop, they won't be able to get their downloads. It would be bad for everyone associated with Scrap Girls if people stopped shopping because they had this inaccurate idea.

For those of you that haven't been able to get in at all... Chances are very high that you have been coming along during the time of date (in the morning) when we have been down. We have actually been up most of each day. It is just that you haven't been circling back later in the day to see that.

I will keep you all updated. When I know more, you'll be the first ones to know more, too!

I appreciate all of you so very, very much.

[Pab]

Thanks so much for the detailed info Ro! We pray that God gives him wisdom to figure this out quickly!!

[tiza126]

We all know how temperamental technology can be!!

Thanks for the explanation, Ro. I hope and pray that they can solve this issue soon!

[Belle]

Thanks for the update Ro. I know it must be so frustrating but I know it will get better. The problem with me is the time difference. When it's day time here in South Africa, the board is down and when it's working, I'm asleep. I am so behind on LSL. I hate not to be able to comment on the ladies layouts. I hope they don't think I just could not be bothered, but I did try. So far today has been fine and I got a bit up to date, just not all the way there.
Anyway, prayers from my side that things will work out well.
Love Scrap Girls and it is a great site. Well worth the few problems that crop up.

[craftytam]

Thanks for the update, Ro. I will definitely keep the site & programmer in my prayers. Scrap Girls has been an invaluable source of help and I appreciate you all so much!
Tammy

[princessrunningfingers]

I can certainly sympathize, Ro, and can only imagine how frustrating it is for you. I need to somewhat change my schecule, and I am trying to do that. I usually leave love in the gallery early in the morning, so I feel I have been shortchanging my fellow SG members in that department. I am working on changing my habits there. I pray that the problem is soon solved; loyal customers like me are not apt to go anywhere, but it's hard to know what new people might do.

[Cabalistic]

I worked with board before and databases are not so fun to mess around with, especially if it happens to a new item everytime! Wouldn't be able to do that now but glad to see we have a dedicated programmer trying to figure out the problem! Finger crossed that he'll be able to fix it soon!

[PBarnes]

We very much appreciate the update Ro! I know how frustrating it is for you and my prayers go out for the tech person AND YOU! It can be a real headache running an internet business, huh? It's good the Boutique keeps running so we can go shop when we can't be on the MB.

[scrappinchar]

Can only imagine how frustrating this is for you, Ro.
Praying that Mark can figure things out!

[CRS]

Thanks for the update Ro. I can't imagine how frustrated Mark H and you are. I will keep the situation and Mark H in my prayers!

[Sara Arell]

......here for the long haul myself, Ro - things beyond our control do happen.

Praying for wisdom and patience for everyone!

Thank you for the update - you always come through!

[kimmybutton]

Thanks for explaining things (even the unexplainable) to us non-techie people! Saying my prayers for long lasting solutions to the bugs! Just wanna spend time with my friends here ... a girls gotta have some fun, right?!

[Cheri T]

I know how frustrated I can be over a silly little computer issue that my husband (wonderful geek that he is, lol) can fix in 5 minutes when he gets home from work.
So I can imagine that this is just so much more frustrating to you and to Mark H as well.
My prayers are with you that this can be fixed quickly and once and for all. Then we can all enjoy our Scrap Girls "fix" at whatever time of day we desire!

[tinkerbell11]

Ro, thanks for the update, I know it is all very techinical and way beyone my brain, I will pray that they figure it out so everything can be smooth sailing!

[LauraJB]

Thank you Ro for the update! It is nice to know that it is just one section having issues. I do feel for the tech that is working on the platform. My DH is in IT as well so I do know how it can get for them. Patience is a virtue! I will pray for the tech to have his eyes opened to what is going on and be able to fix it. And for all of you as well.

ScrapGirls is a wonderful site! I love it dearly and you definately will not loose me.

[MariJ]

Awwww, RO - thank you for taking the time to explain this all so well. It's always easier to be frustrated when you understand what is going on and not left in the dark.
Yes, it has been frustrating (I'm one of those early-board members, so miss my morning fun) but I keep thinking that as annoying as it is to me, has to be ten times more so for YOU -- particularly because you care about us -- all the ScrapGirls members....
I hope it all resolves soon -- holding a good thought. And, thanks again for keeping us informed. Hugs...

[B&K Mom]

Thanks for the update, Ro. Praying for divine intervention to get us back up permanently!

[Florida granny]

Thank you so much for the explanation. We appreciate it. You've given us a good feel for the scope of the problem. Sounds like you have a dedicated tech person taking charge of this; it will all work out -- eventually. Hang in there! We are with you.

[SodScrap]

Thanks for the update Ro! I know it is so frustrating to you and I also know you are working very hard to correct the issue!!

<---I hope this is NOT what Mark is doing with our tables and data base

Hang in there everyone-especially Ro and Mark!!

[diannecp]

Thanks for the updates. Every time I see the board is down, I've been praying. I know this is frustrating. My husband is a database guy and I have my own website so I can certainly relate in a minute way to the frustration at something totally out of your control. Stressful I'm sure but hopefully it will be resolved soon. In the meantime, this ought to be great fodder for your muses!

[candyK]

Thanks for informing us of the situation. The forums are my secret 'welcome to work' re-entry, so I also check them early in the day. Maybe I'll get a 'welcome home' habit going.

[AnnB]

Computers can be so wonderful & yet so frustrating. I sympathize with you & with the techs, it is so irrating to think you have something fixed & then it goes haywire again. Not having it up in the mornings has made me get my housework & yard work done then & I don't feel so guilty if I sit at the computer during the late afternoon & evening surfing through the website. Thanks so much for the information; praying that people won't get discouraged & that the answer will soon be placed in the hands of those who can fix it all - for good! God bless you Ro, I know that He will make something good happen through this time of turmoil!

[lorac]

Thanks for the updates Ro. I know how frustrating this can be to all concerned. Prayers are being said for You, Your Team, and Mark H. that this problem will resolve itself and all the little gremlins will run away, never to come back another day. Keeping my fingers crossed as well. I've spent a lot of time in the Boutique, found some new/old interesting collections and now my credit card is having a nervous breakdown. Oh, well. Such is life.

[DaveUK]

Thanks for the updates Ro!

There is a light at the end of the tunnel! Its just quite a long tunnel! Just waiting to break out into all that sunshine!

I spent 22 years in IT - Mark has my every sympathy! lol

[Lisanne]

Thanks so much for the heads up! I happen to be one of the folks who seem to be trying when the server is down. It is most likely a case of this site being so incredibly popular and having so many followers. When it comes to the techy stuff my brain doesn't work so great, but there is one thing I do know...as crazy or as hard to figure out as something might be, the universe just has some bizarre way of fixing it and making things right.

[Smiles]

This must be an incredibly massive database to work with, too.
Didn't you archive out some of the older threads once? I was wondering if that would help.
My DH plays on a game server where they take the really informative old threads and move them to a "best of" server. They drop the chit-chatty ones that haven't had a post in a year. I'm by no means any expert on IT matters, so forgive me if I've mentioned something totally irrelevant.
In the meantime, let's ask for Messageboard Angels to help us out!

[Nica]

Still here, Ro, and praying! Your thoughts regarding an explanation in the newsletter make sense. Thanks for giving us an update here. **hugs**

[LaughingSun]

thanks so much Ro!

[JoannB]

Wow. Sounds like you've been dealing with some fun. Guess that's one of the hazards of being on such a CHATTY Messageboard. If we didn't love each other like we do, we wouldn't have near these issues. Every rose has it's thorn, right?

[Nica]

JoannB, on 03 May 2011 - 07:43 PM, said:

Wow. Sounds like you've been dealing with some fun. Guess that's one of the hazards of being on such a CHATTY Messageboard. If we didn't love each other like we do, we wouldn't have near these issues. Every rose has it's thorn, right?

Good point, Joann!