Question: What about name-changes strains the databse?

[Alley Cat]

I know that name-changes were allowed, and now they aren't due to the stress that is put on the server.

I want to know what it is exactly that causes all this stress, as I was discussing it with someone, but they can't really help me(and in turn PC) because I don't know exactly what it is causing the stress.

No, I'm not trying to have an instant solution to name-changes, but this might be able to put us a step in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

 

[Sydian]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it has something to do with the system having to go through and change the username on every post you've made and everything you've done here. Something like that...there's more to it though, I'm sure.

 

[Xyrin]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it has something to do with the system having to go through and change the username on every post you've made and everything you've done here. Something like that...there's more to it though, I'm sure.

Yeah that's it. From what I've heard when your name is changed every single time where you posted, commented on something, or did something else that has your name by it needs to be rewritten. When members with 10k+ posts and such get name changes it can put a real strain on the server.

 

[Alley Cat]

Change it in all the posts? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Person I was talking to said:

Your database design is wrong.

There should only be 1 instance of a persons username in your database. Changing that username should require a simple update to 1 row in 1 table. If you haven't set it up that way, then that is your fault, not your service providers fault.

Do you know how to use Primary keys and Foreign keys? Do you know how to use Joins?
If you do, then updating username is a 1 liner.

If you don't, then you are the sort of user that your service provider would just as soon get rid of anyway, because you write crappy code that overloads their 'not best in town' server.

If you don't want to stress the server, then learn how to normalize you data such that changing the user name requires a *single* update to a *single* table.
===

Now, I can't really make much sense of this stuff. I'm not fluent in programming, and I don't know how PC's database is designed. But from what he is saying is that it should only be one update. A name should only appear in the database in 1 instance, and changing it should be an update to 1 row, in 1 table. If PC's database is already of this design, then I guess this can just be disregarded.

It'd be a bit helpful if someone who is fluent in programming would be able to take a gander at this as well.

 

[Misheard Whisper]

From how I see it, yes, your friend would be right in that there's only one instance that needs to be changed. There would be no reason for the hstaff to go through and change all of them. What happens is that changing that one value then changes all the other thousands of instances of that username - basically what Xyrin and Sydian said. Regardless of how many times you have to change the name, there are still thousands of postbits, profiles and blog entries that need to have it switched.

But yeah, feel free to prove me wrong. It won't be hard, as I'm basically talking out of my butt here. no idea aaaa

 

[Oryx]

Change it in all the posts? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Person I was talking to said:

Your database design is wrong.

There should only be 1 instance of a persons username in your database. Changing that username should require a simple update to 1 row in 1 table. If you haven't set it up that way, then that is your fault, not your service providers fault.

Do you know how to use Primary keys and Foreign keys? Do you know how to use Joins?
If you do, then updating username is a 1 liner.

If you don't, then you are the sort of user that your service provider would just as soon get rid of anyway, because you write crappy code that overloads their 'not best in town' server.

If you don't want to stress the server, then learn how to normalize you data such that changing the user name requires a *single* update to a *single* table.
===

Now, I can't really make much sense of this stuff. I'm not fluent in programming, and I don't know how PC's database is designed. But from what he is saying is that it should only be one update. A name should only appear in the database in 1 instance, and changing it should be an update to 1 row, in 1 table. If PC's database is already of this design, then I guess this can just be disregarded.

It'd be a bit helpful if someone who is fluent in programming would be able to take a gander at this as well.

Wow, your friend is extremely rude. You might want to tell him/her to work on their attitude, lol.

Yeah I have to agree with Misheard Whisper though, it probably has more to do with the fact that after they change that, the server has to apply that change to every VM, every post, every PM, and that with thousands of posts is too much.

 

[Melody]

You've got to keep in mind...the administration here didn't write vBulletin, you should take this up with the coders at vBulletin.org. That's where the forum software is bought from, and PC's staff has little to do with how vB actually maintains it's own tables.

Changing how it works is impossible, we've already got a huge database...I suspect that even if a later version of vB fixes this problem, then it still won't change much, upgrading vB does cost and it takes more work considering the volume of customization on this forum.

 

[DarkAlucard]

It's very simple. Suppose you legally change your name. Simple no?
Now change your documents, IDs, bank accounts, legal and public records to your new name. Not so easy right?
The same would happen to the PC database. Sure it's super-easy to change the name of the users, which is not easy is to change all that is related to that user, to reflect the name change.
Personally I do not care that we've an option to change names, that just would make PC would become slow and with many errors, because the database would be constantly working.
And is bad to be rude, when you have no idea of what're you talking, like your friend

 

[Cherrim]

Change it in all the posts? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Person I was talking to said:

Your database design is wrong.

There should only be 1 instance of a persons username in your database. Changing that username should require a simple update to 1 row in 1 table. If you haven't set it up that way, then that is your fault, not your service providers fault.

Do you know how to use Primary keys and Foreign keys? Do you know how to use Joins?
If you do, then updating username is a 1 liner.

If you don't, then you are the sort of user that your service provider would just as soon get rid of anyway, because you write crappy code that overloads their 'not best in town' server.

If you don't want to stress the server, then learn how to normalize you data such that changing the user name requires a *single* update to a *single* table.
===

Now, I can't really make much sense of this stuff. I'm not fluent in programming, and I don't know how PC's database is designed. But from what he is saying is that it should only be one update. A name should only appear in the database in 1 instance, and changing it should be an update to 1 row, in 1 table. If PC's database is already of this design, then I guess this can just be disregarded.

It'd be a bit helpful if someone who is fluent in programming would be able to take a gander at this as well.

Well, let your friend know that PC uses a forum software vBulletin. Everything on here is limited to the scope of what vBulletin (and any addons to it) can do. We didn't design our database, it's based on vBulletin and it's not something we can change. That, and working with such a large-scale forum means that no matter how things are set up, performance in some area is going to suffer just because we're a big forum. Name changes are an unfortunate casualty with being stuck in this sort of system but I don't think changing to any other forum software would solve this problem and I also don't think name changes are "vital" enough to bother changing everything over anyway.

But I digress; this thread's question ("what causes this") and others are answered in the thread we already have about name changes so let's keep discussion in that one.