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[ViragoTech]

DB size might be a problem, myspace probably has a DB several 1000Gig

[Serra]

Originally Posted by anjanesh

Thanks Serra for the details. This is when users are browsing.
But how do we control this if google-bot or any other bot crawls the site, pulling each and every page in a fraction of a second - in a multi-threaded fashion - wont this cause havoc to the server ?

How is this handled by HG ? Or do we need to specify some parameter in google sitemaps ?

Bots can be a problem. Goggle will abuse the crap out of sites and some sites have been shut down because of google abuse. You can tell google to hit you softer, which may help. Keep in mind that a very busy site gets hit by google and that may be enough to cause it to be suspended. An average site isn't going to have problems with that. Plus google is normally good enough to only hit with one bot at a time, so in effect, one very busy user.

So, also keep in mind that when you start to reach the connection limit, you are going to be bumping against the CPU/Memory limit at the same time, so the connection limit might not get you, but the other two may. VERY busy sites can't exist on a $6.95 a month account, its just not possible. You are asking the right questions, its good that these don't come as a shock later, but all-in-all, if you are asking these questions, then there is one other question you need to ask... how are you going to pay for a dedicated server? Because when a forum gets that busy, that is where they belong. If they don't make money, then you better be able to afford it yourself out of your own pocket. Its a said fact, that busy forums cost money, shared hosting just doesn't cut it.

Of course, you could do like many busy forums do, move from host to host as they suspend you time after time. Most hosts will not suspend you right away, they let you get away with it for a while. Then they suspend you, so you only need to change hosts every two or three weeks. That is EXACTLY why Hostgator gets SO many idiots who ***** about being suspended after 3 or 4 days. HG doesn't play those games that other hosts do, so sites that last weeks or months at other hosts, last a short time here...

[Serra]

Originally Posted by ViragoTech

DB size might be a problem, myspace probably has a DB several 1000Gig

I doubt that. Likely they have many smaller databases.

[anjanesh]

but all-in-all, if you are asking these questions, then there is one other question you need to ask... how are you going to pay for a dedicated server?

Actually, I havent even finished developing the site yet - so I dont even know what kind of traffic it'll generate later (obviously its not going to get any traffic in the beginning). I'll have to kick-start it, market/promote/advertise it. So my initial plan is to get the $6.95 a/c and if I need more space+bw, upgrade to the other shared packages - but if I get too many visitors, upgrade to dedicated.

I doubt this will get many new visitors - since this is locality based - so Im expecting abt 100-500 returning visitors a day - at the most 1000 - cant be more. But its these bots thats going to eat up the resources I guess. And I intend to store most of the info in a database - I dont think there would be a single static html page.

[slapshotw]

Originally Posted by anjanesh

since this is locality based - so Im expecting abt 100-500 returning visitors a day - at the most 1000 - cant be more.

With that # of visitors I really wouldn't worry about it for now.

[Serra]

Originally Posted by anjanesh

Actually, I havent even finished developing the site yet - so I dont even know what kind of traffic it'll generate later (obviously its not going to get any traffic in the beginning). I'll have to kick-start it, market/promote/advertise it. So my initial plan is to get the $6.95 a/c and if I need more space+bw, upgrade to the other shared packages - but if I get too many visitors, upgrade to dedicated.

You are in a good place to plan for the future then, because most people don't bother to look at it. They pour their heart and soul into their forum only to find out that it became popular and they have no plan to generate revenue to pay for a server. dedicated server plus no revenue is a disaster.

[anjanesh]

So at what boundary is it 100% safe to host at $6.95/mo ? @ 10,000 per day ?

[Serra]

Originally Posted by anjanesh

So at what boundary is it 100% safe to host at $6.95/mo ? @ 10,000 per day ?

It depends on your configuration and modifications. 3000 per day is totally safe, 7000 a day is getting dicey, 10000 may be possible.

[anjanesh]

because most people don't bother to look at it. They pour their heart and soul into their forum only to find out that it became popular and they have no plan to generate revenue to pay for a server.

Strange - if a website gets many visitors a day and doesnt make revenue even out of contextual ads, they can easily sell it off at a place like SitePoint.

It depends on your configuration and modifications.

No static pages - all php generated content from mysql-db using mod_rewrite. So chances of using cache is very low.

[Serra]

Originally Posted by anjanesh

Strange .

I talk to people all of the time that claim to have 7000 unique per day and ZERO revenue ability. That is insane.

Originally Posted by anjanesh

No static pages - all php generated content from mysql-db using mod_rewrite. So chances of using cache is very low.

The real killer is mods that also access mysql in a forum setting. You can mod most forums that that each page load takes 10-20 mysql queries per load. You have one user using 10 connects per page, you run out of mysql rather quickly.

[gwyneth]

Originally Posted by Serra

I doubt that. Likely they have many smaller databases.

...kept on hundreds of shared accounts juggled at different hosting companies, leaping from account to account just ahead of suspension?

Probably not.

[anjanesh]

Amazon has a separate database for each of its categories.