RE: ACP limit system load and forum unavailable messages

[SQLnovice]

My question has to do with, the ACP, Server Configuration, Load Settings and if it can limit or slow down the non-Agent BOTS.

Like other posts here, our forum recently made the spammer's attack list. Strangely modifying some ACP settings seemed to slow the DDoS attack down some, while not preventing registered members from logging in and posting.

With a Load Setting set low enough (10 - 12), the forum will present Guests with the standard unavailable message, "Sorry but the board is temporarily unavailable." However, registered users can still login and post messages. On the WhoIsOnline side of the equation, I could be wrong, but it does seem to slow the new BOT traffic down. I didn't try values lower than 10, because they basically leave the site in this "Unavailable" state of existence.

So, would that be the case? If setting the Limit system load and thus having the site become periodically unavailable as the BOT load increases, creates a bottleneck for guest BOTs while seemingly not preventing registered members from normal forum activities, that would seem like a win-win.

I'm assuming it is potentially true, at least to some degree. And to that extent, I'm going to leave the Limit system load setting in place and have reworded our "Sorry but the board..." message so it encourages registered members to simply ignore the currently "guest user" message and login. I used KevC's post as my guide, but modified the 'BOARD_DISABLED' & 'BOARD UNAVAILABLE' message lines, while using Google translate to change the message for users with other default languages:

That default text is in language/en/common.php

'BOARD_DISABLE' => 'Sorry but this board is currently unavailable.',
'BOARD_DISABLED' => 'This board is currently disabled.',

Code: Select all

'BOARD_DISABLED'		=> 'For Guest users, this board is currently disabled.',
'BOARD_UNAVAILABLE'		=> 'Sorry, at this time only registered members of XYZ.com can fully access our forum. If you are a registered member of XYZ.com and you are seeing this message, simply login as normal. If you are not a member and would like to register, please wait a few minutes and try again.',

To me, these messages have far more value for informing our registered users as to our forum's status, while at the same time, limiting Guests to wait at the back of the line.

XYZ.com is an example forum domain name