Performance Tuning ColdFusion Before the JVM

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Performance Tuning ColdFusionBefore the JVM

• Chris Peterson

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Chris Peterson

• Started ColdFusion development with version 4.5
  express
• Background in SQL and network administration
• Started working full time for Alagad in January
  2009

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Objective

• Discuss a holistic approach to identifying
  performance issues with ColdFusion applications,
  using a variety of tools and server observation.

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Dont waste time JVM tuning a lemon
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Identify the dominant consumer

• Listen to what your server is trying to tell you.
• Enable slow page logging.
• Obtain and Analyze a heap dump.
• Review memory utilization with VisualVM and the
  VisualGC plug-in.
• Investigate method calls with HPJmeter
• Capture a SQL trace during peak production site
  load.

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Listen to what your server is trying to tell you
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Reading the CPU graph

• Green line Total CPU utilization
• Red line Kernel / System usage
• Green Red Application CPU usage
• High kernel usage is often indicative of an I/O
  issue.
• Waiting on I/O means your application code is not
  executing.

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Enable slow page logging

• Enable slow page logging
• Process the server.log file with findslow.cfm (at
  www.cfcode.net) to get a report on the most-often
  used slow templates.

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Obtain and analyze a heap dump

• Obtain a heap dump
• XXHeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError
• VisualVM (Applications -gt Heap Dump)
• Review the heap dump in Netbeans or VisualVM

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VisualVM heap dump
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VisualVM Heap Dump (continued)
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VisualVM and VisualGC

• Increase in heap size after full GC each time
  is indicative of a memory leak.

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VisualGC output
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Review methods with HPJmeter

• Capture method invocation data
• -Xrunhprofcputimes,cutoff0
• View metrics -gt Method Call Count
• View metrics -gt Call Graph Tree (CPU)
• Identify lingering objects (memory leaks)
• -Xrunhprofheapall,cutoff0
• View metrics -gt Residual Objects (Count)

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Example of HPJmeter method count list
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HPJmeter Residual Objects (count)
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Example of HPJmeter Call Graph Tree
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Its not always about the code

• Network latency
• Overloaded disk resources
• Poorly configured database
• Web server configuration

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Identify Network Issues

• Identify overloaded nic with task manager.
• Identify host issues with ping or pathping.
• Identify network connections with netstat a, or
  using Free Extended Task Manager.
• More detailed investigation can be done with
  managed routers, or tools like WireShark
  (formerly Ethereal) to capture and analyze all
  network traffic.

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Wireshark packet listing
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Wireshark packet detail
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Ports Open Free Extended Task Manager
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Identify Overloaded Disk Resources
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Identify a poorly configured database

• Capture a .trc file using SQL profiler with the
  tuning profile selected
• Run your .trc file through the database tuning
  advisor (available on SQL Standard or higher) and
  quickly locate database slow-downs, and even
  implement recommended fixes.

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Configure your SQL capture
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SQL trace in progress
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Starting the tuning advisor
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Tuning advisor in progress
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Database Tuning Advisor results
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In the end, its really all about user perception

• Enable gzip compression of static site assets.
• Combine CSS and JS files for faster loading.
• Enable expiration tags for images, CSS, and
  javascript files for a future date.
• Use a tool like ySlow to identify user-side
  issues. http//developer.yahoo.com/yslow/
• Testing with tools like Jmeter can help you get a
  better user perspective on site performance.
  http//jakarta.apache.org/jmeter/

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Review

• Your Coldfusion server does not work in a vacuum.
• Identify your dominant consumer first, and
  address each until acceptable performance is
  achieved.
• Its not always about the code.
• User perception is the final word in web site
  performance measurement.

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Links

• VisualVM - https//visualvm.dev.java.net/download.
  html(visualGC available in the plugin center)
• Netbeans - http//www.netbeans.org/downloads/index
  .html
• HPJmeter http//www.hp.com/java
• Free Extended Task Manager - http//www.extensoft.
  com/

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Questions?

• Chris Peterson, Server Engineer
• Alagad, Inc.
• http//www.alagad.com/
• cpeterson_at_alagad.com
• (888) Alagad4 ext 369
• Override11 (twitter)