[kwlug-disc] mysql behaving badly

[Insurance Squared Inc.]

I've got a script that's importing pages into a wordpress (website) 
database.  The script is not behaving consistently and the culprit seems 
to be mysql.  The inconsistency is what's puzzling.  I've experienced 
the same consistent inconsistency across two machines now.

For example I imported 6 blocks of 500 pages each without any problem.  
It imported and ran fast.  Then I deleted the database and recreated it 
(due to unrelated issues).  I then imported 2 of the same blocks again 
and it was dead slow importing each page.  The third block I imported, 
the script output looked like it barfed the mysql database all over my 
terminal session :).  Restarting mysql regularly doesn't seem to fix it.

I have noticed that it will tend to die earlier and earlier.  i.e. if it 
dies on page 100 and I don't restart mysql but delete the pages and 
start again, it'll die on page 97 next time, then page 92 if I try it 
again, and so on.  That's as consistent as I've got.  It seems to die at 
different places even if I try to keep inputs the same.

Any ideas what would cause mysql to do this? Perhaps something's not 
getting flushed or a cache?  I did the last run on my desktop so there 
really wasn't much else running on the machine.    Our developer spent 
2-3 days and decided that mysql was timing out (I don't think so :) ) 
and this seems to be so vague that Google doesn't even know where to start.


g.