Apache sometimes fails to restart

[Stuff That Spins]

It appears this *is* a problem with the Plesk code. If anyone is experiencing similar problems, here's a patch from Parallels.

------------------------------------------

To work around this issue, the apache binary file /etc/init.d/apache2 was modified. The following changes were inserted:

---------------->----------------------

apache_stop() {
if `$APACHE2CTL configtest > /dev/null 2>&1`; then
# if the config is ok than we just stop normaly
$APACHE2CTL graceful-stop
pkill -9 -u www-data <===============
else

----------------<-----------------------

 

[Stuff That Spins]

Fwiw

FWIW, this appears to be a problem with ubuntu. not sure if it's specific to our server. anyhow, parallels sent me a patch file that didn't work. the above mentioned patch works about 25% of the time that any change is made to the server. parallels technicians tell me i should expect to see this issue resolved in ver 10.2....................................... bullocks!

There is another update from Product Team. As far as the issue has been re-reported, it will be revised and worked out. However it will be possible to include it only in 10.2 version of Plesk.

where do i get a refund for all the hours spent troubleshooting this issue that parallels created? additionally, i have a few customers on edge and concerned about our hosting as a result of this problem. really difficult to digest how parallels could let such a BIG problem through testing. this bug literally takes down your entire web services if *any* change is made in the plesk control panel.

blah

 

[CloudyP]

same issue

spent 6 hours to find a solution for same issue. icant get anything.
when i try to kill that process and restart the httpd i cant login plesk control panel.
all business goes down for 10 days and cant get even a single solution from plesk or anywhere.
please respond if anyone find a fix.

 

[Stuff That Spins]

Hello,

We have upgraded to the last plesk panel 10.0.1 BUT We have a strange problem now. Somethimes when i restart i get a fault. But sometimes i restart it all goes right without any errors. The start and stop commands work properly. But when i change settings to plesk, and plesk restart apache then it doesn't go right every time.

The problem is that apache procces needs more time to stop i think. Because when i wait a litte i can start it again with the start command.

We have it running on ubuntu 8
The fault message is


When i look at netstat -nap when it happens i see 1 apache child running, a few seconds later it's gone and i can start apache again.

I thought to be smart and set the value of sleep in the initscript a little bit higher but that doesn't help.
i see also this errors

Anyone else with this problem?

thanks
Dennis

have you tried the command?

sudo killall apache2

also, did you add parallels "patch" to /etc/init.d/apache2:

apache_stop() {
if `$APACHE2CTL configtest > /dev/null 2>&1`; then
# if the config is ok than we just stop normaly
$APACHE2CTL graceful-stop
pkill -9 -u www-data <===============
else

i've spent at least 24 hours on this problem. i recommend calling them and starting a paid support. parallels recognizes this is a problem with their code and will probably issue a refund for your $75 one-time incident.

good luck!

 

[CloudyP]

We are not using ubuntu servers. Using Centos servers and having the same issue
do you think that patch work for centos as well ?

i still cant understand what kind of a failure is that with plesk? how its possible to not patched in almost a month

 

[Stuff That Spins]

i still cant understand what kind of a failure is that with plesk? how its possible to not patched in almost a month

I'm with you. We had a ton of *pissed* off customers as a result of this shoddy upgrade. When I first did the upgrade, it took me all night literally, left the server room at 3a.m. and returned the next day at 7 a.m. because apache was down again!

come on parallels, HELP US!!!

 

[DylanP]

Same problem here

I have the exact same problem that you're all experiencing, except I did a clean install of 10.0.1 on Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. Support has been no help at all with this issue, I'm dumbfounded that Parallels can let something like this continue. Their documentation clearly states that Plesk Panels 10 is fully compatible with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. This is becoming a deal breaker, I can't continue to have to watch over Apache everytime a domain or subdomain or who knows what changes... ugh they had better come up with a better fix asap or I'm bailing for good.

 

[BulutH]

i found something to fix that issue.
im using centos server and having same issue. found that a package called "mod_nss" using 8443 port which is default port for plesk. i removed that package and reboot the server now all work fine.

 

[marco.saiu]

Some time ago i have same problem with Ubuntu... For restart apache with any problem i use this comand line:

apache2ctl restart

Try it...

 

[DylanP]

Any fixes for this issue yet?

Has anyone had any success fixing this problem with Ubuntu yet?

 

[RaymondR]

I experienced the same problem Ubuntu 8.04 LTS

Plesk 10.1.1

I Applied the patch in the apache binary. It looks that things are going some better now, but, after for example changing a hosting plan, ALL websites get unreachable for at least 5 secs.....
[correction] Just did another site, waited for 15 seconds, still no apache... pressed the start button under services, directly working...
[/correction]

Server is a Opteron Quadcore with 6GB of mem and 500GB disks.

This is realy weird and annoying, kept me busy all day.....

 

[DylanP]

ah yeah more than annoying, glad to hear the patch is working somewhat... I'm going to give that a shot. Just to be clear, is this the patch you used?

apache_stop() {
if `$APACHE2CTL configtest > /dev/null 2>&1`; then
# if the config is ok than we just stop normaly
$APACHE2CTL graceful-stop
pkill -9 -u www-data <===============
else

I've been able to start apache from the services panel, but what urks me is that I have to go in there and do that each and everytime a change is made... not cool Plesk, this should really be a priority for them and obviously it's not

 

[RaymondR]

Hi Dylan,

I used that patch indeed, but I think it is not working after all. I now can reproduce something.

I have 2 Plans. A kind of simple plan, basic hosting and a plan for my own websites. The last one everything is set to unlimited.

When I apply the last plan to a domain, everything stays up and running. When I apply the basic hosting apache does not start automatic.

Immediately after applying the basic hosting "ps -A|grep apache2" returns no Apache processes any more.

A manual start by using "/etc/init.d/apache2 start" works immediately and after that no problem

VERY annoying!

 

[DylanP]

Hi Raymond,

Very weird!!! So what you're saying is that depending on the plan you choose it affects the apache restart? I'm running nearly the same type of setup. I have two plans as well, one called Standard with some limitations on space and xfer, and another with unlimited on everything. I just tested it, and both plans take apache2 down for me... sometimes apache restarts from the services panel, other times I have to do a "sudo killall apache2" from the command line and then it will restart from either the command line or the services panel in plesk

 

[RaymondR]

I still don't get Apache crashed when applying the unlimited plan.

I just applied a few limited plans, a few don't crash, others do crash.

When the crash occurs, the Apache process first displays Apache <defunct>, after that they are gone and not coming up again.

 

[IgorG]

Try to replace websrvmng with attached and check results.
Do not forget create backup of original websrvmng!

http://download1.sw-soft.com/Plesk/Autoupdate/websrvmng.tar.bz2

 

[Shibumi]

Hi,

do you also have a corrected websrvmng for centos (5.5, 64bit)? Because this problem is not only bound to ubuntu.

 

[RaymondR]

As I responded to Igor in mail the new websrvmng does not solve the problem unfortunately

When changing hosting plan I get following message by mail:
Generating new Apache configuration on host <*.domain.tld> failed because the following error(s) occurred:

Can not restart web server:

Please fix error(s) in templates of Apache configuration and retry generating the configuration file.

I got the message when changing the hosting plan from a unlimited hosting plan to a standard hosting plan.

Even tho I got message below, in plesk manager it says that is is correctly on the new hosting plan.

I just switched the hosting plan back to a unlimited plan, then I dont get this message.

 

[SimasM]

same problem with centos 5

when changing anything in hosting settings, apache goes down. it is realy not funny.

also after upgrade to 10.1.1 from 10.0.1 ugrade failed. and apache was down. after commenting out ioncube in php started apache...

 

[IgorG]

I have updated patch for all oses. But please be carefully and return original websrvmng if you meet any serious problem with patched version.