The dreaded Proxy Error. You've all seen them. Some have lost posts or comments to this scourge. Others have smashed their keyboard in frustration. Almost daily, Bob bellows boldly at me in the office: THE SITE IS DOWN! FIX IT!
What is a Proxy Error? Imagine that you've gotta go – now! You excuse yourself and fly to the restroom — only to find every toilet occupied. You wait a few seconds and do a desperate little dance, but it's too late. Hoping nobody noticed, you flee, face burning with hot shame.
During our peak load times, ActiveRain experiences a similar phenomenon. Our servers would like nothing better than to fulfill your request, but there are already 100 people in front of you. By the time your request reaches the front of the queue, our proxy/load balancer has decided that you (and everyone behind you!) has been waiting too long, and unceremoniously boots you from the line with a… Proxy Error. It doesn't sound fair, but it frees the server to continue processing requests instead of sending constant error messages. Someone with strange ears once said that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
What are we doing about it? In our previous example, imagine that someone was monopolizing a toilet while reading a magazine. You'd be outraged! Some pages on ActiveRain take orders of magnitude longer to generate than others. When enough people (or search engines) visit those pages simultaneously, our servers get tied up and can't process your request. At the highest level, we're identifying and fixing those pages.
Bah! You're just making excuses! ActiveRain is a simple site! I could fix your problems in an hour! When ActiveRain was first being developed, we had no idea that we'd be the leading social network for real estate professionals. We couldn't imagine hitting 111k+ members. Much of our code still works under the assumptions of that quainter, quieter time when we had a mere handful of users. My top priority has been to find and optimize that code. Fun fact: Last week, we deployed performance-related fixes to ActiveRain every night!
To our members: thank you! You've placed us in this enviable position. ActiveRain is too popular. We're a happy victim of success. Work will continue in earnest to stamp out the last of the error messages; already, we're seeing fewer reports, but even one error is too many. Your collective patience and gentle humor have been appreciated, and I'm proud to be a part of this community. Now, unsurprisingly, I'm headed back work!
I love the analogy! I had no idea what a Proxy Error was - just assumed that it was something behind the scene that someone was working on. Little did I know that Bob spent too much time in the can with a mag! I have had a few today. Some days when I sit at my desk and I am doing something that is frustrating to me I yell. PROXY ERROR! It has become a part of my vocab! lol!
I didn't even bother to say anything..but it was a bit annoying last night and today...thankfully I got my post up in time before I lost all the umph I put into it!
Glad to hear your working on a solution for us, and to understand what the heck a Proxy Error is!
Jorgen it can be frustrating at times trying to enter the best Real Estate site in the world but the problems are understandable as the popularity has reached epic proportions:)
You may not know the answer to this but it seems almost everyones page rank has dropped a notch with the latest google update. Any ideas why that would happen? The main AR page stayed a PR6.
I received one this morning and decided to do something else. I took it as a sign that I am on AR too much.
Thanks for this post Jorgen, I personally know how hard you're working, and I also know what a great job you're doing. Find the buggy, Kill it, and let's move on with the successes and celebrations! You're a great asset to our team, the network, and we're honored and blessed that you're here. Thanks! :-)
Thanks for the update... it's nice to know AR is so responsive.
Thanks for the explanation that even I can understand. Glad to know that you are working the issue.
I appreciate understanding what the problem is. It helps with some of the frustration experienced when getting the error.
Jorgen, It's nice to see a fave with the name and also know that you are diligently working to make this site better every day.
I am amazed that people get so upset becaue this is a "work in progress"
AND IT"S FREE!
Rock on my friend!
Glad you are working on it. I know its frustrating at times, but I deal with it!!!
Jorgen,
I had figured it could be solved with a little post I was going to put up called Proxy Errors and Pixie Dust (... Tales of Growing in the Rain), but now you've stolen my thunder! I'm sure all the hiccups will work out in the end. And what are a few bumps as we grow the process is always awkward! Good job and I'm thrilled to have AR!
Yeah, quit slackin, and start crackin! I hope you wrote this post on your own time. jk
Hello Jorgen: Thanks for the explanation, I actually did a post earlier today asking if anyone knew why there has been so many 502 Proxy Server Errors in the past few days. Everything had been so great for the past few months (since the issues back in the winter).
Thanks for all of your hard work, I LOVE AR!
Getting lots of proxy errors today. Now I understand what they are and what causes them. Thanks.
Just say no to Proxy Errors. I am determined to get to the front of the line. I got to go...
Only AR could use an analogy comparing website crashes to using a public rest room. That was great!
Jorgen, thanks for explaining in a way that makes sense. I have lost several posts due to this. I decided after today, that I should just write my post in a word doc, then copy and paste it to my blog. I still love Active Rain!
Tell Bob to quit yelling at you and get back to getting my localism posts in the communities I sponsored ! :)
Proxy Error The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server. The proxy server could not handle the request GET /blogsview/716189/The-Tyranny-of-Success. Reason: Error reading from remote server
Got it postig my comment but it went in anyway. Same thing happened on a post I did today, glad it was in draft mode twice and I saw it.
Jorgen- you have been such a huge asset to the AR team. Thank you so much for all you have done! I don't mind a few errors in order to get some new features :)
Jorgen,
I was looking for you to thank you for your work on the customizer, and in the process, found out lots more about you and what you do!
I was one of those wondering what was up with the 'proxy error' thing- thanks for the info!
And congratulations on your promotion - but too bad you'll be foregoing those awesome 2 hour lunches...
Debi
I have been seeing it getting worse the last few days. I am a little glad it is not on my end. I will just hang loose and look forward to the new improved server set up.
Jorgen,
Thanks for letting us know what is going on. You guys do a great job in keeping things up and your effort is much appreciated!
One thing I have noticed about this place.... before I have time to complain, the AR crew is already working on a solution.
Jorgen, you are the AR genie. I know you will find a way to fix any problem they have. I feel much better about all the proxy errors I have encountered lately.
Build it and they will come! Expand the service so we don't loose all our work. Great site I love AR but lets get it together.
I will never be able to view that Proxy Error the same again. I will definitely be more patient and wait my turn for the toilet server
Thanks for keeping us in the loop, Jorgen. I very much enjoyed reading your post. And, of course, I'm delighted that you're forging onward in your mighty quest to slay the Proxy Error Dragon. Best of luck!
Thanks for the explanation and attempts at addressing this. It happens. I've actually learned to cope with it. I copy and paste and save in another location quite frequently when commenting or blogging. There's always a price to pay for success.
Nothing worse than sharing a one bathroom home with ten people. Thanks for the explanation and so glad to hear you're working on it! Great job Jorgen.
Lots of them going on today! It does get frustrating when we are working within certain time frames. Hope you discover the secret to make Proxy Errors go away:)
Lots of them going on today! It does get frustrating when we are working within certain time frames. Hope you discover the secret to make Proxy Errors go away:)
I just got one, luckily I saved in word. What are peak times? That would be a good post from someone at AR to write.
Congratulations on your problems!!!
:)
I'd logged out before I saw your explanation of the Proxy phenomenon. This is a helpful explanation. Oh the perils of success. :) One Question: Are some blogs being booted off the dashboard queue too? I haven't seen mine show up after posting for several weeks & sometimes wonder how I'm found.
My stats show that somehow people are finding the blog; perhaps the dashboard is moving at subsonic speeds with the volume of posts. I wonder if you've had this strange issue turn up with other bloggers or...if there's a logical explanation. The gremlins of code do have a way of making life interesting.
Hi Jorgen - You mentioned that some pages take much longer to load than others. Is that due to widgets, video, slide shows, and large image files used for customization? If that's the case, maybe the AR Team could write a couple of posts about how to optimize these elements to make our individual blogs run quicker and the AR site remain stable.
Jorgen, thanks for the update... I'm glad to know someone is on it. Actually, it sounds like many people are on it!
Cheers to Optimization!
Yup, I blogged about this...Proxy errors every weekend...I can't take it anymore! Here on AR!,
thank goodness, you're working on it...and Thank you!
Well, thank you for all that you do and for updating us on the progress! When AR has become such a part of everyone's lives, it is a tad frustrating when it "isn't there for you when you need it" - but I definitely understand the growing pains.
Hey, I'm just so glad to be a part of this network, I can take an occasional proxy error. Just last week I blogged asking (as a newbie) if anyone knew how I could "pimp my blog." I only received a couple of comments and I think the others were as curious as I was on how to make that happen. Low and behold, a couple of days ago I saw the Blog Optimizer show up on my menu. Curious about this new feature, I went to it and started thanking the powers-that-be-smarter-than-me at ActiveRain. You guys are the best!
Ahh, now I have a better understanding of the noxious proxy error. Ok, enough understanding, fixes are more than welcome. Thanks Jorgen!
thanks for the hard work, sometime I get frustrated but I don't get upset because active rain has given me so much that I can deal with a little frustration now and then.
when I get too many Proxy Errors I go to the can and read a car magazine... did I write that out loud?
Jorgen, thanks for explaining the Proxy server messages. I was getting so many last Thursday and Friday that I had to actually log off and go get something done! I got all my papers filed, file cabinets organized. Today I got laundry done! Imagine what I could get done if AR went down for a whole day.
However, I must tell you that the withdrawal symptons are not pretty. Luckily there's plenty of chocolate in the house. Are you that one I blame for any weight gain?
Thanks for your work, we all appreciate it.
Linda
Well some people are paying right now and the issue is whether you are using AR to generate business. If you are paying to own a neighborhood AND you are trying to generate business - the proxy errors are a worry. If a consumer can't access my blog - they have gone on to the next...
Thanks for trying to fix the problem
Thank you for explaining what proxy error is. I didn't know what it was, but I did know that I didn't like it showing up on my computer. Now that I know what is happening behind the scene I can adjust.
Jorgen,
Now if our government would be so forthcoming and transparent, we'd actually accomplish something politically. Great analogy, great post!
Mike in Tucson
I did not ever receive proxy error until today! Now I know why, thanks for the post.
I have really seen this network grown and along with that I see the enhancements.and appreciate every one of them....everything wonderful you guys are doing..Proxy error??? it doesn't really bother me unless I am posting....this place is free..this place rocks..and you know what its good to know so many people seem to think so! It reminds me I am a part of something incredible! Thanks in all you do.
Jorgen - thanks for the explanation - I was blaming it on my slow computer - now I don't have to go get another. Thanks, I feel like I saved $1500!
Thanks, didn't know what it meant.
it is getting tougher. I had to log off today, I just couldn't get comments posted.
Ah come on Jorgen, "ActiveRain is too popular"? Never! I say.
I disagree. It is not popular enough. With such a great network of people, we should have a greater percentage of the real estate community online in AR.
I bet I was on of the first 11,000.... I can't remember what the membership was when I joined or when I started participating a few weeks later. I love the waiting for the toilet analogy.... kinda, sorta.
Great analogy. Anyone who's done any website development knows it's kind of like tuning a car while you're driving it.
: )
I have a suggestion: Could you write into the proxy error message code one that states "The line at the john is too long, please be patient and cross your legs!" At least everyone would get a laugh out of it :-)
I've been seeing a lot of these errors and even lost a few blogs. I'm glad it's being worked on.
Fabulous - I think many members are willing to live with a "few" bugs to reap the benefits we have through Activerain. I've even started in word and then post to AR which helps eliminate any crashes. I'm not saying I haven't had any just getting better at working around them.
Jorgen, I have to admit the proxy errors have been frustrating. But it's no biggie. I know you are doing your best to fix the problem.
Maybe you could change the wording so it doesn't say "proxy error"? We could have a contest to see who can come up with the most creative wording. How about.....
HELLO.....I'M WORKING HERE......BE PATIENT!!
So, the problem is server capacity, huh???
I can identify with that. I ran out of server capacity in June. I replaced my server with a new more powerful one. I seem to understand that AR was improving server capacity at about the same time.
One thing we know for sure is that "fixes" don't work. "Patches" don't work. They merely delay the inevitable. It would seem that a basic upgrade in server capacity is needed.
I'm a loyal member and I'll stick it out. In the long run, these proxy errors will cost. ActiveRain will get a "reputation" for instability and lack of access. Crimony, if slow web sites lose viewers, what happens when a viewer gets a proxy error message? They are gone. In fact, I've tried to post a blog or two and found the dreaded "Proxy" message and just took my new post to another blog and posted there. Google finds everything everywhere.
What I've done is have back up blogs. I try to post to ActiveRain because it's the best. However, if ActiveRain is down, which is so often is, I just go to the next blog on my list to post.
We can't run my daily schedule around the up time of ActiveRain. This is a problem that ActiveRain needs to solve and solve quickly. When Google crawls and caches a Proxy message. that's what is cached until the next crawl.
Having a photo of a gorgous Nordic hunk sitting on a rock isn't going to help when we get an error message. Or will it??
Jorgen, Thank you for the post. I was one of many that sent an email saying - OMG, what is up with the errors? We truly appreciate all of the work you and the crew do for this website. Love the analogy. I'll be more patient.
Although it is frustrating, I always know that you guys are on top of it... Gives me a chance to walk my dog since he is having proxy problems too.
Get well ActiveRain! I wrote about ActiveRain needing a "fail whale" you could sell the loyal ActiveRain members mugs and Tshirts with the ActiveRain fail image... a loyal Twitterer tattoed the "fail whale" on his leg...
Thanks for the great explanation and your efforts to correct the issue. Everything is smooth sailing this morning.
might I ask what exactly does this run on? What's in the guts of it all? Are the servers centrally located? What programs are involved?
I always wondered what the proxy error meant :)...
Thanks Jorgen, I did a Localism post yesterday with lots of photos, submitted it, waited, held my breath, deeply heald my breath and wahlah!!! it posted. Thanks for all your hard work.
Jorgen - Thanks for taking the time to put this in easy-to-understand language. I had no idea what a proxy error was before now.
I think they refer to this as "Growing Pains"...the question is can you handle another 50k members without a meltdown? With the way AR is growing I would hope that everyone is thinking BIG now and getting a jump on whats to come...MORE members!
Good luck on your upgrades....lets hope they start soon....
Rick
Jorgen-I don't if you'll have the time to read all these comments or not but when I just logged on and saw this blog I had to smile because I hadn't e-mailed AR about it I had actually thrown it out there as a question to anyone in a blog last night. I noticed just now you posted this blog at 7, however I didn't see that blog til this morning so this is like WOW! Ask and ye shall receive. I see from all the comments I was not alone in getting that message. I feel better just knowing that and at least knowing why it's happening. Reading your blog was even better than getting any responses on my blog as I'm new so I don't get too many comments yet. Thank you so much for this blog. My question was answered by the AR team, it doesn't get any better than that. I have noticed though that it still will post a blog or a comment if you get that Proxy Error after you hit the submit button. It has for me anyways. Thank you for all that you do.
I do websites myself. You have my most sincere sympathies!!
I do websites myself. You have my most sincere sympathies!!
Jorgen, thanks for the explanation! When I'm doing a new blog I now copy and paste the whole thing before I submit, just to avoid the proxy error and LOSE everything!
You guys are doing an amazing job. The growth that AR has experienced and the technology and services you guy shave been putting in place is being greatly appreciated. And the proxy error is kinda like when you are 2nd in line at starbux at 8:56 am, trying to make the 9:00 am office meeting, then you see the person in front of you take out a laundry list of lattes. Keep up the good work!!!
Finally, we get some kind of answer. I'm not sure how relevant it is about the member count when a very small percentage of people are online at any given time, only a couple thousand, but at least it's some kind of answer. Can't the guys pee in the sink instead of waiting for a toilet?? j/k
Jorgen - Thanks for the update and letting us know that you are working on it. The analogy was WAY too funny!
Thanks, Jorgen, for the answers to "what a proxy error" is! I thought I probably needed to do something to my computer...which I would have problems doing. Glad you're on top of it and can make it work for us. Love ActiveRain!
Thanks for the update... I thought it was my internet connection (considered switching companies!) but now I know... and knowing is half the battle!
"111k+ members" or now 176,782 +
You said "What are we doing about it? In our previous example, imagine that someone was monopolizing a toilet while reading a magazine. You'd be outraged! Some pages on ActiveRain take orders of magnitude longer to generate than others. When enough people (or search engines) visit those pages simultaneously, our servers get tied up and can't process your request. At the highest level, we're identifying and fixing those pages."
I say jettison the jokes, politics, recipes... especially if it is published Members Only. Free up some valuable resources. Outside Blogs connecting slow concerns me more than anything else.
Originally posted October 1, 2008...