Posted 22 March 2007 - 02:07 AM
SQL errors/timeouts are not the same as latency between Thott/Alla, this usually means that the MYSQL is to busy to process the request, and this is something that happens more often if you host your DKP server with a hosting company instead of hosting it on your own server where you have full control.
Hosting companies does not (unless you pay a lot for the hosting) give you exclusive rights to a server. Everything is shared with other users, and depending on the hosting company, they may run their servers on the limit of what they're capable of, both with regards to databases and network traffic.
This is usually what accounts for SQL query timeouts and connection timeouts.
When parsing with CTRT you would not normally get connection timeouts, you are more likely to get SQL query timeouts if the database server is very busy. This has nothing to do with itemstats though.
As I explained earlier, when you try to update the items and some items come up with a red ? mark there are several possible explanations for this:
1. Connection timeouts between your host and Thott/Alla. You are more likely to see this if it takes a long time to update any items. The only thing you can do about this is to click the item link and refresh the data. You should also try at a time that is less busy. Usually early in the morning.
2. A misspelt item. Usually only happens if you added the item manually, but it is possible that it was incorrectly parsed. Check Thott/Alla to see that the name is correct.
3. Items with affixes (of the owl, of the eagle, etc) will not show, especially if you use Allakhazam as they do not store the data for these items, only the main item is shown on Alla. It seems that it's the same for Thottbot as well these days.
4. If the listitems page(s) take a long time to show, you most likely have enabled automatic updates for items. I would not recommend having this option on at all times, as it may cause a lot of network traffic, and on already strained systems you are likely to see that some items are not updated due to connection timeouts.
5. Your hosting company does not provide the fopen or CURL. If this is the case, all items with come up with a '?' mark, and I'd seriously consider checking with the hosting company if they have these functions.
So, that was some explanations of why some items may not show.
How can you actually determine what the problem may be?
- When you've added some items and the itemlinks stays gray after you've clicked it, you have a problem with itemstats, usually this would mean that it's not properly installed.
- When you've added some items and some items show as ? while others come up correctly. You should check point 1, 2 and 3 above.
- When you've added some items and all come up with a ? mark, you will have to look at point 1, 2, 3 and 5
- When you've added some items and some items show while the rest of the links stay gray. Check point 4.
These are explanations for the most common problems, but I'm sure there are more I've not thought of.