Problem with submission after servidor change

Software Support
1

Hello everyone! It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, many years without any issues with OJS. I’m using version 3.3.0.16, and recently we had to make a server change because we hired a new server with a more advanced processor. The issue is that after this update, I’ve been encountering occasional problems during submissions. Some users have indicated that on the third step of the submission, the process freezes, and the loading icon keeps spinning but nothing progresses (as shown in the screenshot below).

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Checking the error log, the message is as follows:

[26-May-2025 14:56:34 America/Sao_Paulo] PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught PDOException: SQLSTATE[HY000]: General error: 3988 Conversion from collation utf8mb3_general_ci into latin1_swedish_ci impossible for parameter in /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/doctrine/dbal/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Driver/PDOStatement.php:119
Stack trace:
#0 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/doctrine/dbal/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Driver/PDOStatement.php(119): PDOStatement->execute()
#1 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(489): Doctrine\DBAL\Driver\PDOStatement->execute()
#2 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(664): Illuminate\Database\Connection->Illuminate\Database\{closure}()
#3 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(631): Illuminate\Database\Connection->runQueryCallback()
#4 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(477): Illuminate\Database\Connection->run()
#5 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/staudenmeir/laravel-upsert/src/Query/Builder.php(91): Illuminate\Database\Connection->affectingStatement()
#6 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/db/DAO.inc.php(152): Staudenmeir\LaravelUpsert\Query\Builder->upsert()
#7 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/db/SchemaDAO.inc.php(173): DAO->replace()
#8 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/publication/PKPPublicationDAO.inc.php(150): SchemaDAO->updateObject()
#9 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/services/PKPPublicationService.inc.php(526): PKPPublicationDAO->updateObject()
#10 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/submission/PKPSubmissionMetadataFormImplementation.inc.php(196): PKP\Services\PKPPublicationService->edit()
#11 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/submission/form/PKPSubmissionSubmitStep3Form.inc.php(100): PKPSubmissionMetadataFormImplementation->execute()
#12 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/pages/submission/PKPSubmissionHandler.inc.php(177): PKPSubmissionSubmitStep3Form->execute()
#13 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPRouter.inc.php(397): PKPSubmissionHandler->saveStep()
#14 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPPageRouter.inc.php(246): PKPRouter->_authorizeInitializeAndCallRequest()
#15 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/Dispatcher.inc.php(144): PKPPageRouter->route()
#16 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPApplication.inc.php(360): Dispatcher->dispatch()
#17 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/index.php(68): PKPApplication->execute()
#18 {main}

Next Doctrine\DBAL\Driver\PDO\Exception: SQLSTATE[HY000]: General error: 3988 Conversion from collation utf8mb3_general_ci into latin1_swedish_ci impossible for parameter in /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/doctrine/dbal/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Driver/PDO/Exception.php:18
Stack trace:
#0 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/doctrine/dbal/lib/Doctrine/DBAL/Driver/PDOStatement.php(121): Doctrine\DBAL\Driver\PDO\Exception::new()
#1 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(489): Doctrine\DBAL\Driver\PDOStatement->execute()
#2 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(664): Illuminate\Database\Connection->Illuminate\Database\{closure}()
#3 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(631): Illuminate\Database\Connection->runQueryCallback()
#4 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(477): Illuminate\Database\Connection->run()
#5 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/staudenmeir/laravel-upsert/src/Query/Builder.php(91): Illuminate\Database\Connection->affectingStatement()
#6 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/db/DAO.inc.php(152): Staudenmeir\LaravelUpsert\Query\Builder->upsert()
#7 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/db/SchemaDAO.inc.php(173): DAO->replace()
#8 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/publication/PKPPublicationDAO.inc.php(150): SchemaDAO->updateObject()
#9 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/services/PKPPublicationService.inc.php(526): PKPPublicationDAO->updateObject()
#10 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/submission/PKPSubmissionMetadataFormImplementation.inc.php(196): PKP\Services\PKPPublicationService->edit()
#11 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/submission/form/PKPSubmissionSubmitStep3Form.inc.php(100): PKPSubmissionMetadataFormImplementation->execute()
#12 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/pages/submission/PKPSubmissionHandler.inc.php(177): PKPSubmissionSubmitStep3Form->execute()
#13 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPRouter.inc.php(397): PKPSubmissionHandler->saveStep()
#14 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPPageRouter.inc.php(246): PKPRouter->_authorizeInitializeAndCallRequest()
#15 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/Dispatcher.inc.php(144): PKPPageRouter->route()
#16 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPApplication.inc.php(360): Dispatcher->dispatch()
#17 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/index.php(68): PKPApplication->execute()
#18 {main}

Next Illuminate\Database\QueryException: SQLSTATE[HY000]: General error: 3988 Conversion from collation utf8mb3_general_ci into latin1_swedish_ci impossible for parameter (SQL: insert into `publication_settings` (`publication_id`, `locale`, `setting_name`, `setting_value`) values (1227, , citationsRaw, Benassi, C. B. P., Cancian, Q. G., & Strieder D. M. (2023). Estudo piloto: Um instrumento primordial para a pequisa de percepção da ciência. Ensino e Tecnologia em Revista, 7(1), 210-225. 
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Stack trace:
#0 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(631): Illuminate\Database\Connection->runQueryCallback()
#1 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php(477): Illuminate\Database\Connection->run()
#2 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/staudenmeir/laravel-upsert/src/Query/Builder.php(91): Illuminate\Database\Connection->affectingStatement()
#3 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/db/DAO.inc.php(152): Staudenmeir\LaravelUpsert\Query\Builder->upsert()
#4 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/db/SchemaDAO.inc.php(173): DAO->replace()
#5 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/publication/PKPPublicationDAO.inc.php(150): SchemaDAO->updateObject()
#6 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/services/PKPPublicationService.inc.php(526): PKPPublicationDAO->updateObject()
#7 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/submission/PKPSubmissionMetadataFormImplementation.inc.php(196): PKP\Services\PKPPublicationService->edit()
#8 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/submission/form/PKPSubmissionSubmitStep3Form.inc.php(100): PKPSubmissionMetadataFormImplementation->execute()
#9 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/pages/submission/PKPSubmissionHandler.inc.php(177): PKPSubmissionSubmitStep3Form->execute()
#10 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPRouter.inc.php(397): PKPSubmissionHandler->saveStep()
#11 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPPageRouter.inc.php(246): PKPRouter->_authorizeInitializeAndCallRequest()
#12 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/Dispatcher.inc.php(144): PKPPageRouter->route()
#13 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/classes/core/PKPApplication.inc.php(360): Dispatcher->dispatch()
#14 /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/index.php(68): PKPApplication->execute()
#15 {main}
  thrown in /home/dpgpsifp/psicodebate/lib/pkp/lib/vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Database/Connection.php on line 671

It is important to note that apparently, this problem is not widespread, as we continue to receive other submissions, but we have already encountered two similar cases with the same error. If anyone can guide me, I would really appreciate it!

2

Hi @Hugo_Melo,

I suspect there was an inadvertent collation change when you moved the database from one server to another. Try using MySQL SHOW TABLE STATUS statements to check what collations your tables/columns use, and then check config.inc.php to see what the collation configuration is there:

SHOW TABLE STATUS WHERE name = 'publication_settings';

We recommend using collation = utf8_general_ci in config.inc.php and a collation of utf8mb3_general_ci in MySQL – but simply changing those to the right setting may not be enough. If they mismatch, you may need to convert the data as well. That’s more of a MySQL process than an OJS process, so you might find resources on StackOverflow etc.

(UTF8MB4 character sets are good too.)

Regards,
Alec Smecher
Public Knowledge Project Team

4

Thank you so much for anwering me @asmecher!

Well, I’ve been studying this error a lot because it was something that didn’t exist before the server migration, and I keep wondering how this type of change could happen simply by migrating the server. Well, the “publication_settings” table is actually in latin1_swedish_ci. I’ve been trying to figure out if the first versions of OJS used this collation or if it just came out of nowhere.
In my config.inc.php, the collation is “;collation = utf8_general_ci”, that is, disabled. The database is in utf8mb3_general_ci.
I really think the most logical solution would be to convert this table to utf8mb3_general_ci, but I’m afraid of corrupting my data. It’s 10 years of magazines.

5

Hi @Hugo_Melo,

I forget the exact details, but at some point MySQL changed its default character set from Latin1 to UTF-8. (This is what gets used when you run a CREATE DATABASE statement without specifying a DEFAULT CHARACTER SET clause.) So if you created your database before that change, and didn’t specify DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 when creating the database, your tables would’ve been created with a Latin1 encoding in MySQL; if your OJS configuration was set to use UTF8 (the long-standing default), it will lead to a mismatch.

The most important thing is that before the server move your data will be consistent, even if it’s incorrectly encoded. This is a lot easier to fix than a situation where some data is correctly encoded and other data is not!

In addition to StackOverflow, search the forum for references to a tool called ftfy; there are several threads about database encoding issues and how to potentially resolve them.

Regards,
Alec Smecher
Public Knowledge Project Team