What the heck is with the site outages?

I'll tell you why.  Simtropolis has been a website since 2002/2003.  The database for the forums, STEX, and anything else dirk needed was also put in at that same time.  Over 6 yeas, the database has been bombarded with forum posts, blog posts, STEX uploads, you name it, it's in there. The code on the pages of the website has to look through all the thousands and thousands of entry's of the database to find the information you requested through your web browser.  This puts enormous strain on the SImtropolis Server as it is trying to request that service for 80+ users at a time.  

Put it this way.  When you open up a program, say, Firefox.  Does it open right away? Not always, it depends on how many programs are already running and the speed of your computer.  Let's say it is a computer within the last couple years.  It generally opens up within seconds.  

Instead of opening one, if you click the firefox icon 80 times and see how long it takes for your computer to open all of them up, it won't, it will probably lock up, overheat, or restart itself.  This is what happens with the Simtropolis server when it tries to produce the information you requested.  It tries, locks up, and restarts. 

Why are the download speeds so slow?

The reason the download speeds are so slow is largely due to the problem mentioned above.  The second major problem is the amount of outgoing bandwidth allowed for Simtropolis each month.  Dirk (The webmaster & Site owner) Must pay for the bandwidth each month to keep Simtropolis flowing smoothly.  In order to provide maximum download speeds, there needs to be a set amount of outgoing bandwidth set aside for the STEX.  When this amount is peaked, the speeds slow down dramatically because the host has disabled the amount of bandwidth Simtropolis can use at one time.

How could we fix this?

Obvoiusly it is a large commitment, but consider a donation to Simtropolis.  No, i'm not on an ad campaign for the STEX disks, but I assure you, they are worth it and it does go to a good cause: Your favorite website. :)

 

The release of the official blog guide is nowhosted on this blog, click here!

The SHS has launched its official blog! Check it out and find out more here.