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We have made some changes to the Tommy server to help reduce the number of 503 errors, and speed up the execution of PHP scripts. The feedback we've gotten so far seems to indicate that it is working. We have also noticed that the changes have sped up the time it takes for Apache to restart which should reduce downtime as well. Since the DDoS was targeting the webmail subdomain of random domains hosted on Tommy we just went through and disabled Roundcube on every account. We figure most people probably don't even use the webmail anyways so it is a waste of system resources to have it on by default. If you regularly use Roundcube webmail you can re-enable it yourself on your domain if you need to. Login > Continue to Plesk > Mail > Mail Settings > [Your Domain] > Webmail > Select Roundcube > Ok After enabling webmail again you will need to wait for up to 2 hours for an Apache restart before it will work. In the meantime if you go to webmail.yourdomain.helioho.st it will show the queued page with an estimate of when webmail should start working again. We will also be disabling webmail on Johnny to help with the 503 errors on that server too. We will likely need to disable free signups for a day or so because the server gets really slow while all the webmails are being disabled so account creations tend to time out. Let us know if you have noticed an improvement on the PHP performance of Tommy, or if you have any questions.

Over the past week or so both Johnny and Tommy have been experiencing occasional slow loading and 503 errors on PHP pages from time to time. This is definitely not normal because we've been using Plesk since 2021 and none of us can even remember the last time we saw a 503 error, and then suddenly they are happening quite frequently on these two servers. We are investigating the issue, and are hoping to resolve it soon. In the meantime, here are some ideas you can do to improve the uptime of your PHP based website. 1. Morty hasn't been affected at all by the 503 errors on PHP pages at all so far, so this is a great time to upgrade to our fastest flagship server starting at only $1 per month. You can check out the discounted Morty packages at https://heliohost.org/dashboard/move/ and move yourself over without talking to an admin by using our fully automated upgrade process with zero downtime for your website if you're interested in trying it out. 2. VPS also have not been affected by the 503 errors either. They start at $4 per month, and aren't affected by other users on the same server as you, because on a VPS you're the only user. Being able to have root SSH access is also a great perk of being a VPS customer. You can check out the plans at https://heliohost.org/vps/ 3. If you don't want to upgrade it is possible for some PHP websites to be converted to static websites. Since it is only PHP being affected by these 503 errors converting your site to use only static html, Javascript, and CSS will allow your website to load faster, have less errors, cause less server load, and greatly reduce the chance of your site getting hacked. It's not possible for all websites to be converted though so this isn't an option for everyone. 4. You could also switch to a language other than PHP. For instance, Python websites using CGI, Django, or Flask haven't been affected by the 503 errors at all. Node.js hasn't been affected by the 503 errors either, but if you decide to try Node.js we recommend keeping a close eye on your load graph at https://heliohost.org/dashboard/load/ because it's easy to go over your 200 GB memory limit. In order to diagnose these 503 errors, the first step we're going to take is implementing additional logging and performance monitoring so we can see exactly when and why the errors are occurring. Let us know if you have any questions, or have any additional information to assist in our investigation.

I added the solution to the locked thread for you. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully someone who has a similar issue can search and find it.

Unsuspended. it may take a few minutes to start working again.

Thank you both or the reverse DNS and the rebuild!

Update: The issue is resolved and I am able to generate a new letsencrypt ssl certificate for mail domain using hestia interface. Now SMTP using SSL working fine.

Thanks!

Account associated with the listed email address has been unsuspended. Please give it a few minutes to work again.

Installed. You can see the current list of installed modules and their versions for Morty's Python 3.12 at https://krydos3.heliohost.org/pyinfo/info3.12.py

This support request is being escalated to our root admins who can set that up for you. 🙂

Got ya. Thanks for the help. If I have any further question, I will follow up.

Hi; Thanks for setting up these 2 domain names in such quick (I mean QUICK!) time... Much appreciated! To follow up, I am assuming it is the same process to add sub-domains... Looking to have the following: - taodgfu.cjburken.com -> pointing to TAODGFU folder under cjburken.com - app.23bill.com -> pointing to 'public' (not public_html) folder under 23bill.com Thanks in advance for the help on this. Chris

I've made that change for you. Please note that it may take up to 2 hours for your new domain to fully work. If after a full 2 hours it doesn't work on your side, please make sure you clear your web browser cache: https://wiki.helionet.org/Clear_Your_Cache Please note there is a risk of data loss when main domains are changed, so I made a full backup for you before I made the changes, in case you need any files from the old domain. You can download the backup here: https://heliohost.org/backup If you're not sure how to extract the backup files, please follow our how-to guide here: https://wiki.helionet.org/Account_Backups

There's something wrong with the service plans on the server, we think something broke when we make changes to fix the 503 errors that users were seeing... i'll take another look when I get to a computer later this morning.

UPDATE: I used the following two links to gain an understanding of what was causing the error: https://linux.101hacks.com/unix/client-denied-by-server-configuration/ https://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/howto/htaccess.htm I had to correct my .htaccess file, as the line of code was causing the error code. It had to be changed to Require all denied. After I did that, the error code went away. Woohoo!

Should be fixed. The subscription was set to the 3000 MB plan but for some reason the quota on your account was still 1000MB. I manually changed it to 3000MB in Plesk and removed the suspension on the subscription.

Your disk space seems to have updated in our internal system, so it might take an Apache restart to take effect (which should be in about 1.5 hours). If you're still having issues after that, an administrator will look into it in the morning.

This support request is being escalated to our root admins who can set that up for you. 🙂

Please confirm the version of Python you need this for? You can check here for guidance on what information to provide when asking for additional modules: https://wiki.helionet.org/Python_Tutorial#Request_Additional_Python_Modules

Oh! After checking, you're totally right! It seems that the default configuration makes the app use 10 connections. After overriding the default configuration to a lower number, everything started working. Thanks for your help, guys!

Your account was suspended for High Server Usage due to using 200.61 GB memory when the daily limit is 200 GB. I have unsuspended the account now, please give it a few moments to get back up and running. Please fix the issue quickly since if there are no code changes made, it's very likely the system will suspend your account again. We strongly recommend that you keep an eye your account load using the Dashboard.

Looks good. I have credited your account with a balance of $6, and started the move to Morty. Since you're using Cloudflare you'll need to keep an eye out for the second email, and change your DNS records yourself as instructed.

This appears to be an issue specific to Tommy. I'm not sure what the cause might be, but it could be related to our efforts to isolate the PHP HTTP 503 errors. I've escalated your thread so an administrator can look into this.

It might be the app itself too. If the app opens all 10 connections and then DBeaver tries to open 1 more you would get that error too. By default most software assumes you have a 8 GB VPS and can have 100 database connections open at once.

We don't know what's causing this problem, but it affects everyone on Tommy and Johnny. It started a few weeks ago and we initially thought it was affecting only a few users and was related to a DDoS against our webmail service, but that doesn't seem to be the case as the issue is now widespread. Investigation into this issue is ongoing. Please see this News posting for more information and updates as they become available: https://helionet.org/index/topic/64305-503-errors/?do=getNewComment

If these are student accounts, do you have a school email address we can attach to your accounts so we can exempt them? We need one student email address per student account, so please find out which account belongs to which person and provide a list of whose email goes to whose account. Also, tecandsoft already has a replacement account on Tommy (tecandsoftsrv), so it cannot be unsuspended without suspending the new account. The policy is one account per human being, not one account per server.

The vps111.heliohost.us/adb/public/ directory doesn't even exist. Did you delete it? If so can you provide the URL that still exists that is producing the open_basedir error?

You're on the Tommy server, and that has a limit of 10 database connections at a time. When you say you're not able to connect from the DB manager, could you give a little more info please about what is happening when you try? Do you get an error message or does it just hang? As well, please let us know what type of database (MariaDB/MySQL or PostgreSQL) you're using. You might also get more details on the issue from your error logs inside Plesk. Here's a page explaining how to check the logs: https://wiki.helionet.org/View_Error_Logs If you see any db-related errors, please post them here. It'll help us try to help you resolve the issue. 🙂

Just to follow up on this part: In mid-April, the multi-account detection system began emailing users who were suspected of having multiple accounts, so that users who did not read the rules had a chance to do so, and resolve the issue to avoid suspension. Since you created your 2nd account back in March, your accounts were suspended before the automated email functionality went live. Please do let us know if you think of a way to make the first line of the Terms of Service stand out more so people will read it. On one hand, we have 60% of suspensions over the past year happening because users create more than 1 account, and then on the other hand we have users getting angry with staff because they have to try for a few days to create an account -- partly because of all the users who try to create more than 1 account.

I'll guess you didn't read the instructions for that test completely... By "real email", we mean an actual message you've sent someone, with a body and subject. You sent an empty email... -2.344 EMPTY_MESSAGE Message appears to have no textual parts and no Subject: text -1.767 MISSING_SUBJECT Missing Subject: header Add a subject to your message! -1.985 PYZOR_CHECK Similar message reported on Pyzor (https://www.pyzor.org) https://pyzor.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ Please test a real content, test Newsletters will always be flagged by Pyzor Adjust your message or request whitelisting (https://www.pyzor.org)

We looked into this further and found that the command `npm run start` was run: | sum(mem) | sum(cpu) | process | +----------+----------+-------------------------------------------------+ | 24064 | 0.00 | /usr/bin/hostnamectl --transient | | 1602836 | 2.30 | Passenger NodeApp: /home/gantelya111.helioho.st | | 36087868 | 0.90 | npm run start:bootstrap | | 45013376 | 1.60 | node --max-old-space-size=460 bootstrap-node.js | | 56514848 | 2.70 | npm run start | | 70923448 | 4.30 | node bootstrap-node.js | The `npm run start` command is not part of the Node guidance page I'd sent you after the 1st unsuspension, so it may be that you did not read the guide. The Node.js Wiki page offers steps to ensure that your Node apps run on Passenger, which is a service on Plesk that helps to reduce Node's memory usage. Running commands that never exit (like `npm run start`) use a LOT more memory. If you need to continue using this command, and so much memory, we'd recommend you upgrade your account to the Morty server. Please make sure to review the Moving Your Account page for more details on the process, and make sure to backup your account before any account move. Once you're ready to move your account, you can begin the automated process from the Dashboard page for account moves. In the meantime, your account has been unsuspended. If you decide to keep your account on the Tommy server, we would strongly recommend checking the Node guidance page linked above, and making sure your app uses Passenger. Please fix the issue quickly since without any code changes, another suspension is likely. Please also be aware of the Three-Strike Policy section of our Suspension Policy.

Thank you so much!

The requested modules have been installed on Tommy's Python 3.12. You can see the current list of installed modules at https://krydos1.heliohost.org/pyinfo/info3.12.py WSGI control access has been enabled on the domain shahzaib.heliohost.us. To restart your Flask app and load new code changes in simply edit /home/shahzaib.heliohost.us/httpdocs/flasktest/flask.wsgi. Adding a blank line, removing a blank line, adding a space, or removing a space are examples of editing the file. As long as the last modified timestamp changes it will clear the server cache. Let us know if you run into any issues.

Installed. You can see the current list of Python 3.12 modules on Tommy with this link https://krydos1.heliohost.org/pyinfo/info3.12.py

Account voltars has been unsuspended. It may take a few minutes to work again. As I said in my last post, please ensure that you and orca never share a computer, network connection, or content, and neither of you should ever log into the other person's account for any reason. Future suspensions for multiple accounts may result in both accounts receiving a permanent ban. Also, apologies for the delays in getting this issue resolved. We're always happy to help, but we need clear answers in order to understand the nature of an account's usage and determine a resolution to these suspensions. Please let us know if you need any additional assistance with your account.

Thank you for the clear answer. Ok...so your issue is that your friend isn't allowed to do that per our terms of service. Accounts must be created and maintained ONLY by the actual owner unless permission is requested in advance, so the account is in violation simply because you asked him to violate the TOS on your behalf. If you would like your own account, you are welcome to it, but you will need to sign up under your own email address, and under no circumstances are you allowed to share a PC, network connection, or content with him. He is not allowed to maintain the account for you, and you cannot store any content for his website (or vice versa). If we detect this again, both accounts will be permanently banned from our service. Would you like me to delete the voltars account so you can sign up again under your own email address? If so, let me know what email address you would like to use and I'll reinvite you for your own account.

All HelioHost staff are unpaid volunteers. We have full-time jobs and lives outside this project, and we run the organization in our free time. If we are busy, things may not get done very quickly. Help is usually provided within 24 hours, but there is no guaranteed timeframe. Due to time zone differences (most staff are based in North America) and real-life commitments like work, school, and family, response times can vary. Unlike for-profit hosting companies with full-time employees working 40 hours a week, it is rare for any of our volunteers to work more than an hour or so per day. No one is required to log hours and volunteers come and go as they please. If we are not having fun volunteering, providing support, chatting with the community, or developing new features, we take a break and focus on other things. This is why we do not offer SLAs or ETAs for new features or repairs, and why things move a little slower than with a commercial host. You can read more about why we cannot offer ETAs here: https://wiki.helionet.org/ETA I notice that you have not yet answered the question: Can you explain why the email addresses on these accounts have the same person's name in them? Bumping a thread without answering a request for more information will not speed up replies to you.

It looks like you were suspended for using 201.15 GB of memory. I'm not sure what content you're hosting that caused such a massive spike in memory over a ~17 hour period, but it's also possible that a bot or malicious actor is paging your website repeatedly. I've unsuspended your account, it'll resume working shortly.

Your suspension has nothing to do with inactivity. It's because you used a disposable email address, which violates our terms of service. Please provide a real email address (PM me if you wish to keep it private, or post it and we can edit it out afterwards) and we can update your account and unsuspend you

Yep your payment went through successfully.

Sure. Account reflux has been unsuspended. It may take a few minutes to work again. The other account can just be abandoned. It will delete itself in time since it's suspended. If you'd like to request it be deleted, please post from its matching forum account and we can do that.

Account aloneguardspare has been deleted and you've been unsubscribed from emails. If you want the other account removed as well, please post here from the other account's matching forum account to confirm and we can do the same for that one too.

The account igorhelio has been unsuspended, it may take a few minutes to work again.

It was archived, not suspended. I've renewed your account for you, it may take up to 2 hours to work again. In the future, you can renew it yourself using https://heliohost.org/renew/

I have a Rails app running now on Tommy. Is it possible to run a Laravel app on my account as well without the two interfering? Or can I deactivate Ruby without losing that app and then install Laravel?

I believe that's supposed be megabytes but is an older version of the chart that doesn't show usage beyond 100. The version of this chart that admins work with shows the memory usage in megabytes. This is your account as seen from my side. That spike peeked around 150MB. I asked about the charts differing in a staff channel for you. For a simple reference, if the app will run 24/7, keep your app's memory below ~70MB and you should be fine. 70MB continuous for 24 hours converts to 98.4GB, which is basically right at the 100GB cumulative daily cap.

I often mention the renewed ZeroSSL. Certainly there is currently no good way to use it with HelioHost. Currently ZeroSSL (and SSL For Free) has restrictions on free issuance on the web, so you should consider a paid 1 year plan. But APIs and ACME are not. You can automatically issue a certificate and renew it for free. If you want to use this with HelioHost, it's safe to leave it to cPanel AutoSSL.

Agreed Just as the big bang proves the existence of the Creator, the laws of physics prove the conscious presence of a Creator. How is it that something that does not live like gravity, exists and functions ? Nature is testament to Gods existence

God is all about science and contrary to popular belief the true God of the bible is not looking for blind faith. He wants us to know what we believe in. He wants us to search him out and to connect with him. If you'll search him out and earnestly try to understand him, you WILL find him.

Who created the Creator? You say everything is limited and must rely on something else that is also limited. Therefor, shouldn't someone or something have created the Creator? If you don't believe in a creator because of the question, "Who created the Creator?". Then you must believe in evolution. Therefore you must ask yourself these questions: Who or what started evolution? If your answer might be, The Big Bang. Then who or what started the Big Bang? etc, ect, ect. I myself believe in God who has always existed.