Thread

Are you using any caching? Can you make sure the cache directory has appropriate permissions? The behavior your are describing almost sounds as though PHP tries to write to the cache, then fails or times out.

Yes caching is turned on (database, magpie, page, sql and tag) and the Cache directory has 777 permissions.

Check permissions, and try to disable caching.

Is there a separate caching option for the Control Panel? Which caching should I try to disable?

Thanks for all your help.

The control panel is not cached but updating an entry often clears the cache and if that isn’t write-able, could cause the slow-down.  Try going to /system/cache/ and deleting everything inside there, then resetting the permissions to 777.

Another possibility is ping servers.  Are you pinging any external sites?

However, since this happens when updating templates and entries, caching is the most likely issue.

Since updating the default values of all our database tables for a problem in another thread, I find that saving templates is suddenly a lot faster. Saving posts for the first time is still slow though.

The cache directory is already set to 777

Yes we are pinging external sites. Do you know of a way to test ping servers?

Other than regular methods of testing sites in general? Not really.

If you turn off all pings, does the problem go away?

Actually, I just found out from the owner that pinging is turned off on most weblogs, so this cannot be the issue.

Try testing on one weblog that has pinging, and one that doesn’t.

Try testing on one weblog that has pinging, and one that doesn’t.

Okay we will. The problem is that it’s only slow the first time we save something on day. So each time we try we have to wait a day to try it again. That’s why I think pinging is not really the issue, otherwise wouldn’t it have to be slow each time?

There was a caching bug fixed in the latest build, so since you are a build behind can I ask you to update and see if that helps?

Also, what types of caching are you using?  Are you using tag caching or SQL Query Caching?  If so you might try disabling some caching, especially those two mentioned, and see if it helps.

I noticed that in Global Weblog Preferences there’s an option “Clear all caches when new entries are posted?”

This is set to Yes. Does that mean that it has to empty the whole cache folder when you save a post? That could explain why the first time we save it takes so long. Then on subsequent saves the cache folder is almost empty and it’s not so much work. Until we come back the next day and the cache folder is huge again.

Can it hurt if I turn this off? With this turned off will changes show up on the site?

Caches are cleared out occasionally anyway, but changes might not appear on the site immediately. You can certainly experiment with that setting, see if it changes anything.

We have noticed the following: when one of us logs into CP in the morning (and the cache folder is presumably very large then) it takes a minute to save something (a template or a post) for the first time. After that it is fast. Then if you wait a few hours and then save something again it will be slower again, but not as slow as earlier in the day (presumably because the cache folder is not as large by that time). Also, if my colleague saved something in the morning then if I save something right after that it will be fast for me.

So it really seems to have something to do with the cache and CP taking long to empty it. Is this normal for large sites? Do all large sites with large cache directories have this problem?

eeart - you might try disabling any tag caching you’re doing and see if that helps.  Tag caching can grow the cache directories pretty quickly which would explain what you’re seeing.

eeart - you might try disabling any tag caching you’re doing and see if that helps.  Tag caching can grow the cache directories pretty quickly which would explain what you’re seeing.

Is there a way to turn off tag caching all at once? I just read in the documentation that this is done with parameters in templates. Is there a central setting too?

Hi, eeart - there is a solution in the works but it is not yet live.  I’m going to send an email to you shortly via the email listed on this account.

Thank you!

there is a solution in the works but it is not yet live.  I’m going to send an email to you shortly via the email listed on this account.

We’ve tried this and this morning we had no slowness problems using CP. We’ll do some more tests in the coming days to be sure, but turning off tag caching seems to be the key.  :wow:

If tag caching is causing the problems, what do you suggest we do? If we leave it turned off will that significantly slow down the site for users? Should we go through the templates and remove cache=“yes” in specific places that could be causing the problem?

I’m a bit surprised that this is causing such a big problem. The site isn’t that big. Larger sites must have the same problem then, and worse.