Akeeba Backup for Joomla!

Wednesday, 03 August 2011 14:39 CDT

user9022

Mandatory information about my setup:

Have I read the related troubleshooter articles above before posting? Yes
- Installation troubleshooting for Akeeba Backup, Admin Tools and other software
- Akeeba Backup throws an AJAX Error, 500 Internal Server Error or the backup does not complete
- Troubleshooting issues after restoring your site / issues on your restored site
- Common issues on restored sites and how to solve them (read - but can't find php.ini)

Have I searched the forum before posting? Yes
Have I read the documentation before posting? Yes
Joomla! version: Joomla! 1.5.23
PHP version: 5.3.6
MySQL version: 5.0.51a
Host: one.com
Akeeba Backup version: not sure - have tried to upgrade since 3.3.1b (don't remember the version, but it was just before 3.3.1)

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Please attach your Akeeba Backup log file in order for us to help you with any backup or restoration issue.
- I can't find the log file. And I may have overwritten it trying to reinstall

Description of my issue:
When I tried to update to 3.3.1 it crashed during the installation, and since it has been impossible to install a component or save a configuration on my site. I have installed 3.3.2 manually, but can't get further than Post-installation-configuration (Error 503). therefor I can't get access to the component at all.

Error 503 Service Unavailable Service Unavailable Guru Meditation: XID: 2129901929 ---------- Varnish cache server

Wednesday, 03 August 2011 18:19 CDT

rkendallc

Are you able to access the installer at all in your backend? It sounds like the entire Akeeba Backup install could be "out of whack". It could have been when you tried to update from the b1 version to 3.3.1, it may have not have updated properly. now, everything is out of sorts and is not installed properly.

This may not be the case. If you can uninstall Akeeba Backup, I'd recommend trying to do that. Unfortunately, I cannot find documentation on our site at this moment for verifying that Akeeba is cleanly removed. The uninstaller should take care of that.

If you can install extensions after that, then you should be good at installing Akeeba Backup 3.3.2.

Otherwise, it could take a few days until Nicholas would be able to chime in with other suggestions. If you'd prefer to wait for his reply before uninstalling, then he should be available for support again in about 1-3 days. He will be away from the support queues while he is attending a Joomla Day event. He may be able to chime in while at the event, but it depends on his schedule and available internet access.

Wednesday, 03 August 2011 23:16 CDT

nicholas

Quickie note as I am heading to the airport.

Go to Extensions, Plugin Manager and unpublished the "System - System Restore Points" plugin. This will allow you to access the extensions installer. You can now install Akeeba Backup 3.3.2 to fix the issues you have (no need to uninstall the previous version)

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Thursday, 04 August 2011 00:34 CDT

user9022

I have unfortunately already tried what Nicholas suggests. The core installer seems also to bee defective in one way or another.

Thursday, 04 August 2011 01:51 CDT

nicholas

If you get a specific error message in the core Joomla! extensions installer please copy it here. We are well versed in troubleshooting extensions installations and we'll be happy to help! After all, we're here to help :)

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Thursday, 04 August 2011 01:55 CDT

user9022

Error 503 Service Unavailable Service Unavailable Guru Meditation: XID: 2129901929 ---------- Varnish cache server

Thursday, 04 August 2011 02:03 CDT

nicholas

Ok, that's not a Joomla! error. This error comes from the Varnish reverse proxy which is in front of your website. Please ask your host to either disable the Varnish cache (IMHO it's only needed for heavily trafficked websites and should never be enabled for the back-end of your site) or ask them how you can access the back-end of your site without going through the Varnish reverse proxy.

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Thursday, 04 August 2011 02:05 CDT

user9022

Thanks - I will try so

Thursday, 04 August 2011 03:01 CDT

user9022

Now the host one.com has disabled the Varnish cache, but I still get the same error when trying to save. Actually I'm able to install (sometimes), and I have now succeeded to uninstall and reinstall Akeeba Backup.

Thursday, 04 August 2011 12:01 CDT

user9022

The attached file is a debug log that ended with Error 503.

Thursday, 04 August 2011 17:21 CDT

nicholas

If you still get a 503 error which mentions Varnish or Guru meditation like before, then your host didn't disable the Varnish cache. In that case, contact your host again and ignore the following paragraph.

If you get a different error this time, please follow all of the troubleshooting steps. I really mean all, even if you think they don't apply in your case (you'd be surprised how many backup issues were simply free space running out). If these steps don't help, try going to Akeeba Backup's Configuration page and check the "Use database storage for temporary data" option. If that still doesn't help, please ZIP and attach your new backup log file.

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Friday, 05 August 2011 10:11 CDT

user9022

OK - I have found a solution by changing configuration.php "var $session_handler = 'database';" to "var $session_handler = 'none';".
Thanks for your help.

Friday, 05 August 2011 14:06 CDT

nicholas

Hm... This should not happen on a normal server. This indicates that the Joomla! season handling system does not work properly. This could cause some issues down the road. If you see any strange behaviour in your site, that could be it.

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Friday, 05 August 2011 14:54 CDT

user9022

You are right. I was too early to declare the problem solved. I managed to make some changes on the site and installation. But the first time System Restore Points automatically tried to backup the old problem came back again.

Friday, 05 August 2011 15:01 CDT

user9022

Will I be able to solve this problem in any way?

Friday, 05 August 2011 18:03 CDT

nicholas

Try disabling the "System - System Restore Points" plugin. This will remove the system restore points feature of Akeeba Backup, so you will be able to install software on your site. Regarding the 503 errors, well, putting the administrator interface behind a Varnish cache is not going to work. Unless your host disables it, you will continue to get Varnish cache errors when using the administrator interface.

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Saturday, 06 August 2011 01:16 CDT

user9022

I have now asked the host twice, if they have disabled the Vanish cache - is there any chance, that I can get the Error 503, if they have done so?

If the Joomla! season handling system does not work properly, will I be able to solve that or do I have to live with it?

Saturday, 06 August 2011 07:59 CDT

harrie

Mmmmh, I've a new domain. Hosted by One.com on a new server.
The website (Joomla 1.5.23) is very slow and One.com already said twice that there are some performance issues on there new servers.

I also get some "503 Vannish" errors.
In my /tmp directory there are a lot of install_4.... folders. When I delete them, they automatically come back. As if there are still some components installations in the background (for example Akeeba 3.2.2, com_jce).

I will install a clean Joomla 1.5.23 installation on that server. And take a look what will happen when I install some components.

Saturday, 06 August 2011 08:11 CDT

nicholas

Thank you Harrie for the heads-up! Based on you two guys' input, I think that one.com has screwed its servers beyond the "not working very well" point. It sounds like they're trying to have a server cluster behind a Varnish cache to run your sites. This won't work. If you want to save your sanity, take my advice and switch hosts. You can find better tuned solutions for the same amount of money at Rochen, CloudAccess.net, iRedHost or even RackSpace CloudFiles.

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Saturday, 06 August 2011 08:50 CDT

harrie

@Johan,
Can you check if your domain is one of the newer servers from One.com? Or can you tell me what your domainname is?

I've contacted the One.com helpdesk. Not the 2nd or 3th line support, if they have ;-)

I get the following standard answers:
"The server where your domain is currently hosted is new and working one. The server has issues and we are aware of those issues. Our Technicians are working hard to get this fixed and put the servers in stable mode. As of the moment, it is known that sometimes you will server issues, but again we are on it."

And then in more detail:
"Yes, varnish cache issues".
"The old servers do not have cache."
"We are on clusters now, hence cache servers."
"We can disable the php cache, for php files. But for static files, there will be a delay of 5 minutes"

@Nicholas
Is disabling php cache a good option?

Saturday, 06 August 2011 09:04 CDT

nicholas

@Harrie When you're talking about a dynamic PHP script whose files are expected to change over time, like Joomla!, then disabling the PHP opcode cache is not just a good idea, it's the only way to get it running. The way one.com has set up their new servers doesn't allow popular PHP CMS (Joomla!, WordPress, Drupal) run reliably.

Just to give you an idea, putting a Joomla! site behind a Varnish cache is a huge drudgery and requires hacking core Joomla! files to properly support that. At the time of this writing, there is no initiative within the Joomla! project to make this working. Nooku Server has plans to support that, in the unspecified future.

Obviously, none of the current versions of Joomla! and its distributions is capable of running under such an environment, hence my prompt to switch hosts. The way one.com is modifying is servers is very good for static sites and sites running on PHP scripts which have virtually no need for modifying code (phpBB3 being a good example), but it just doesn't cut it for 25% of sites using a CMS.

As Jen Kramer would put it "Just because you can doesn't mean you should". That's so true with putting Varnish cache on a generic hosting service...

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Saturday, 06 August 2011 11:37 CDT

user9022

Hi Harrie
Thanks for sharing this - I'm not alone ;-)
One.com has told me the same - they are working hard on fixing it - but nothing further about the issue. And they have previously told me, they moved my site (strandkirke.dk) to a new server.
- Looking forward to hear how it goes with the new installation.

Saturday, 06 August 2011 13:08 CDT

user9022

Funny - right now it works like a charm. No error at all. And I have done nothing - maybe they are working hard at one.com

Saturday, 06 August 2011 18:37 CDT

nicholas

He he! It looks like they did realize their mistakes and fixed them very quickly. Good for them! I hope they don't do anything funky in the future :)

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

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