Having some trouble here and I just want to get inputs from folks to see if there is a better way of handling this situation.

I host with WebSecureStores.  They've been fantastic for the last couple years.  In enters this "memory exception" error that I start getting on my homepage about six months ago.

I do some research online about the memory error and 9 out of 10 sources I find points to the server configuration including Microsoft's entry on the error.  I don't know enough about it, but I email them and ask if they know anything about it.  They say their server's are fine and they don't see any issues and if it's only happening every once in awhile it's probably nothing to worry about.  So I go back to my other numerous coding projects.

A few days ago it becomes abundantly clear that this issue is getting worse and my attempts to figure out what is causing it, let alone fix it, are in vain.  So I email them again asking about it with links to sources that point to possible server configurations including the Microsoft link and ask them to check it out again and asked if any other sites on the host had similar issues.  They responded with:

Hello,

We checked the server system logs, could find anything related to the issue, the server has never used over 80% of RAM, or 3.2GB out of 4GB.

No other clients reported similar problem.

Please let us know in detail on how to reproduce the error.

Also, do you want to order a isolated application pool $4.95 per month? so your site is not shared server resources with other web sites.
  

Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

So I ask them what the isolated app pool will do for my site in terms of performance and/or troubleshooting of my problem and they reply:

Hello,

Isolated app pool should have few impact on performance and your web site.

Here are the benefits:
1. It prevents your web site being affected by other bad web sites which share the same pool

2. It helps identifying your site problems because an IIS worker process is dedicated for your web site


Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

I ask if I can order this for one month to help troubleshoot the problem and they say that is fine.  So I order it and ask for any information they can give me from it.  They set it and tell me:

Hello,

Application Pool Isolation is set.

Did we mention to you that DNN RSS feeds may cause the problem?

Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

Hello,

Please remove rss feed from your home page to see if it gets better

If not please give us your host password, we'll look into it.

Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

I took down the RSS feed to see if the memory error showed back up.  It did.  I did not give them my host password though I have since offered to.  Then I get an email from them:

Hello,

Now we can see clearly that it's your site that is over using memory 3 times than others, definitely something is wrong with your dnn site, maybe other pages.

We have to set memory limit on your site to protect others, if you can not get it fixed short time, we may have to ask you to rebuild your site or upgrade to dedicated server.


Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

So now I'm scrambling to see what is wrong.  I reset scheduler events, I change cache settings in the host menu, I take off modules from my homepage, but the error keeps coming back.  I ask my host for more info and if I can get info from the isolated app pool but they can't give me direct access and other than these emails I'm getting no information from having an isolated app pool.  They write:

Hello,

Something is wrong with your site, most likely you have bad memory leaking modules, IIS may recycle your site more often due to memory leaks.

If this gets worse, we may have to shutdown the site and ask you rebuild.

Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

But then they give me some information which is somewhat helpful:

Hello,

Your isolated pool: IIS worker process w3wp.exe was using 295Mb memory on server, normally one w3wp.exe only use <100MB.

The process is now using 114mb which is acceptable.

Yes, we'll minoring the pool and let you know if we find any problem with pool.

Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

So now I'm thinking my scheduler/cache settings may have helped the situation out but it's hard to tell since it takes time for it to build up into a memory error.  I keep asking them to monitor it and let me know so I can try something else and they say they will keep an eye on it.  They write back:

Hello,

The changes you made may have solved the memory problem.

DNN scheduler is one of the worst modules that always causes problem on server if you do set it correctly.  

monitoring App pool needs admin access to server, we can not give you.

We'll notify you if we find new problem.

Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

I still get the memory error in the hours after this and so I change a few things and then email them to see what they are seeing but get no response.

Two days later, and several of those memory errors later, having not gotten any updates on my isolated app pool, I email them:

I have that memory error again....and it's not going away...

 

I paid the extra money for the app pool you suggested.  How can that app pool help me?  It's not doing anything for me right now that I can see.

 

Thanks.

 

They respond back with:

Hello,

We did NOT say isolated pool will fix your memory leaking modules, your site is using 300mb memory again, we need you fix it ASAP.

You site must be on isolated pool because it's not stable.

If you do not want to rebuild your site, maybe it's time for you to find other hosting provider who may allow you to use more memory on a shared server.

Thank You,
WebSecureStores Support

I've emailed them in response:

What does the isolated app pool do for me?  Why am I paying for it?  You suggested it but I do not see anything that helps me troubleshoot the problem.  You suggested it when I was asking you guys for help with this problem after I brought this issue to your attention.

 

I guess me paying extra for the app pool you suggested gives me nothing in return.  Thanks for the suggestion.

 

You said before you would put a memory usage max on my website. If it's using too much, then why doesn't your memory limit fix your concerns?

 

What is the real reason you are being hostile towards me?  Have I done something to make you angry that I'm not aware of?

What exactly do you mean by rebuild my site?  I am assuming you mean stop using DNN3.2.2 and switch to a new version?

The logs seem to indicate the memory error is recieved when someone goes to the site and the application has not started.  There will be ten minutes or more of memory errors thrown and then 30 seconds after the last one the application starts.

 

This seems to indicate to me that a browser request to my site does not start the application necessarily.  Is this possible?  Would this lead to a memory error?  If the application is not running to refresh memory?

ALL modules have been disabled on my homepage.  All events are logged.  I will not be logging in as admin since this resets the cache/starts the application and seems to end the memory error.

 

Please let me know what you see.  I am in the dark here.

I have yet to hear from them.  This was only a few minutes ago.  I'm obviously getting very frustrated at the prospect that years of my work is about to go down the drain on a site that is free to users.

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong or how to get information to help me troubleshoot this problem?  I cannot afford to rebuild my site from DNN3.2.2 to another version with those breaking changes.  I'm still recovering my modules from the upgrade from 2.1.2.  HELP???

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I'm too poor for anything other than the community version

I've given them superuser access so hopefully they can find something out with my settings or something.

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I'm too poor for anything other than the community version

Can you list all the modules you have installed on your dnn build.

I have heard of modules having memory leaks and caused so much grief on my server, in the end I don't have them on my server at all.  I'd be interested to know what you've got running.

Nina Meiers

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