Extremely irritating board bug, please advise - Page 2

nikdom · 12-27-2012, 08:44 AM

I think I know what the issue is.

It's not the checking the 'Remember Me' check box. All that does is create a cookie on the user's browser. If my guess is correct, the problem is on the server side.

More than likely TW is using multiple servers for hosting the vBulletin PHP application that powers these boards. These servers are usually placed behind what's called a load-balancer :- meaning that incoming HTTP requests are routed to one or more servers. When a login request goes to a server, that individual server creates what's called a "Session" (a server side cookie) for that user ON THAT server. These "sessions" are usually not transferred between the different servers (unless TW does something more complicated called session-replication in which case the replication is slow)

You can see right away what the problem is then. Server A logs you in and creates a session on that server and redirects your browser to the next page. Unfortunately, if the load balancer is not doing what's called a "sticky session", i.e sticking your requests to that one server, this redirect request goes to another server B behind the same load balancer. Server B has no clue you have logged in (since it has no session for you) and asks that you log in again. This process can repeat if there are multiple servers and the load balancer is not doing sticky sessions.

The reason I think the load balancer is the problem is because you can confirm it by doing this -

1. Enter your login information and hit enter
2. Now you're back to a page where you're asked again for your login information or you are on one of the forum pages but it does not show you as logged in at the top.
3. Now keep refreshing the forum page. Eventually you'll find that it shows you as logged in.

What's happened is by refreshing you're sending multiple requests for the page and eventually the balancer sent one to one of the servers which DOES have a session for you.

I'm happy to offer any assistance if one of the mods wants to contact me. You would need to get in touch with your hosting/IT staff and have them resolve the round-robin load balancer issue with sticky sessions.

tl;dr version -

- Refresh the page (or keep doing so) until you see you're logged in.
- Problem is a technical one on the Warehouse servers which is not debilitating but most likely the one described in detail above

PeteD · 01-05-2013, 06:44 PM

The issue and the f5 solution have been around for years.

Lakers4Life · 01-08-2013, 02:35 PM

Maybe you also need to remember password in your browser. I access TT-TW on various browsers throughout the day. Android Tablet, Ipad, IE8, IE7, Fiefox, Chrome, etc. No problems at all "remembering me".

Sabratha · 01-13-2013, 05:58 AM

This has happened to me, found the "remember me" part worked.

Cormorant · 01-15-2013, 03:43 AM

That was helpful, and it only took me a year and a half to get an answer for this little problem.

TW Staff · 01-18-2013, 02:47 AM

This also happens to the admin as well, so it is not just a user error. I find, like the other users mentioned, pushing the "refresh" button after your log in, takes you to the correct log in page. In the future if you have any problems or questions and wish them to be answered or addressed quicker by the admin, please post in TW Questions/Comments section and then we will be able to help!

TW Staff

julian · 01-18-2013, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TW Staff

This also happens to the admin as well, so it is not just a user error. I find, like the other users mentioned, pushing the "refresh" button after your log in, takes you to the correct log in page. In the future if you have any problems or questions and wish them to be answered or addressed quicker by the admin, please post in TW Questions/Comments section and then we will be able to help!

TW Staff

Which one is the "refresh button"?
It is a serious qurstion

Lakers4Life · 01-18-2013, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julian

Which one is the "refresh button"?
It is a serious qurstion

The circle with the Arrow on most browsers or the "Pieces" Arrows. On PC Keyboards "F5".

diredesire · 01-21-2013, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakers4Life

The circle with the Arrow on most browsers or the "Pieces" Arrows. On PC Keyboards "F5".

You can alternately use Ctrl + R or Command + R depending on which platform you're running.

I tried to get in touch with the technical admin of the board to check some code issues on the board, but still haven't heard back. This is an issue with vBulletin, and isn't strictly limited to our board. Bummer.

Chemist · 03-01-2013, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by not_federer

I'm not sure if this is the right board for my problem but here goes.

Every time I try to log in and reply I encounter heavy resistance. Here's what happens:

1 - Hit reply
2 - enter "not_federer"
3 - type password, hit enter
4 - read the message "Thank you for logging in, not_federer!"
5 - then it takes me back to the login page.

EVERY
SINGLE
TIME!

Why?

It's finicky and not entirely consistent. For example, I'm writing this post without any resistance. Also, if I go into a thread and hit the reply button on the top left of the thread, as opposed to as the bottom, it works - but only after logging in several times. The whole thing is madness and makes no sense.

Is this a bug? Am I doing it wrong? Is it my account settings, am in being punished, what? I'm really curious.

It has happened to me too. One easy solution is to check the "Remember Me" next to User Name to save your username and password. So everytime you click Talk Tennis, you are automatically logged in. It worked for me

12-27-2012, 08:44 AM	#21
nikdom Hall Of Fame Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tennisville Posts: 4,468	I think I know what the issue is. It's not the checking the 'Remember Me' check box. All that does is create a cookie on the user's browser. If my guess is correct, the problem is on the server side. More than likely TW is using multiple servers for hosting the vBulletin PHP application that powers these boards. These servers are usually placed behind what's called a load-balancer :- meaning that incoming HTTP requests are routed to one or more servers. When a login request goes to a server, that individual server creates what's called a "Session" (a server side cookie) for that user ON THAT server. These "sessions" are usually not transferred between the different servers (unless TW does something more complicated called session-replication in which case the replication is slow) You can see right away what the problem is then. Server A logs you in and creates a session on that server and redirects your browser to the next page. Unfortunately, if the load balancer is not doing what's called a "sticky session", i.e sticking your requests to that one server, this redirect request goes to another server B behind the same load balancer. Server B has no clue you have logged in (since it has no session for you) and asks that you log in again. This process can repeat if there are multiple servers and the load balancer is not doing sticky sessions. The reason I think the load balancer is the problem is because you can confirm it by doing this - 1. Enter your login information and hit enter 2. Now you're back to a page where you're asked again for your login information or you are on one of the forum pages but it does not show you as logged in at the top. 3. Now keep refreshing the forum page. Eventually you'll find that it shows you as logged in. What's happened is by refreshing you're sending multiple requests for the page and eventually the balancer sent one to one of the servers which DOES have a session for you. I'm happy to offer any assistance if one of the mods wants to contact me. You would need to get in touch with your hosting/IT staff and have them resolve the round-robin load balancer issue with sticky sessions. tl;dr version - - Refresh the page (or keep doing so) until you see you're logged in. - Problem is a technical one on the Warehouse servers which is not debilitating but most likely the one described in detail above Last edited by nikdom : 01-06-2013 at 11:18 AM.

01-15-2013, 03:43 AM	#25
Cormorant Semi-Pro Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 784	That was helpful, and it only took me a year and a half to get an answer for this little problem. Last edited by Cormorant : 01-15-2013 at 03:45 AM.

01-18-2013, 02:47 AM	#26
TW Staff Administrator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Tennis-Warehouse.com Posts: 22,439	This also happens to the admin as well, so it is not just a user error. I find, like the other users mentioned, pushing the "refresh" button after your log in, takes you to the correct log in page. In the future if you have any problems or questions and wish them to be answered or addressed quicker by the admin, please post in TW Questions/Comments section and then we will be able to help! TW Staff __________________ LIKE us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tenniswarehouse Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TennisWarehouse TW Blog: http://blog.tenniswarehouse.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/tenniswarehouse Follow us on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tenniswarehouse/ Add us on Google+: www.google.com/+tenniswarehouse

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