[rt-users] Re: RT-Users Digest, Vol 10, Issue 55

[Tomas A. P. Olaj]

Hi,

I have just upgraded RT 3.2.1 to RT 3.4.0rc6 on one of our test servers
with no problems at all. We currently run Postgres 7.3.5 on the same
servers together with Apache httpd-2.0.46-44.ent (latest from RedHat),
and compiled with mod_perl version 1.99_12 (_14 gives a compile error, and
_16 requires 2.0.47). We may later compile our own Apache dist. Perl is
version 5.8.5, DBIx::SearchBuilder -- 1.16 (for RT 3.2.1 production server) and
DBIx::SearchBuilder -- 1.21 (for RT 3.4.0rc6 test server)

We had problems earlier with "slow displaying tickets" (see earlier the
thread "RT tuning problems" and "speed"). We have one ticket that use 30
seconds to display with RT 3.2.1, which is a long time for our not
so patient users. We had a performance boost with the same ticket on RT
3.4.0rc6 with 100%, e.g. 15 seconds.

We run RedHat Enterprise AS 3.0 on a Dell PowerEdge 2650 server (2CPU,
2,4 MHz) for our production RT server (4 GB RAM). The test servers are
small Dell desktop computers with one single 2,4 MHz CPU, and less RAM
(512 MB ) and maybe slower disks (I don't recall for the moment, but the
hardware is different).

The same ticket on RT 3.2.1 used exact 30 seconds to display on different
hardware (except the CPU speed which is the same on test and prod), so the
problem can be fixed possible by increasing the CPU speed, but anyhow,
it must be something with the algorithms in RT combined with DBIx::SearchBuilder
(only the developers may have the answers on that), since we had a perfomance gain from RT
3.2.1 to RT 3.4.0rc6 by 100%? 2,4 GHz is not a blaster, but there are only
small pieces of information sent from the database, and it's very strange
that the Apache processes are working that hard and long under a ticket
display.

I've noticed that the developers have added a display total time in the bottom
of the ticket history in the new version.

Well, I can not agree that memory and disk is the main problem. The
tolerance for how long a ticket can be loaded into browser, I don't know.
Perhaps someone has a solution or a plan for that?

I think anyhow, RT should be faster, because the data and interaction with
database is not that long, the Apache processes, maybe how RT utilizes
mod_perl...algorithm... just guessing... ;)

PS! I am not critizing the developers! They are doing a smashing good
job, and RT is a good ticketing system. We may later perhaps hire
support. We are just in the phase of going into official production in a
small scale at Oslo University of Norway, and develop the
solution/topology further on.

We have done some code modifications for RT:
<http://www.usit.uio.no/it/rt/modifications.html>

and so far we didn't have any problems with LDAP from RT 3.2.1 to RT
3.4.0rc6.

Thanks for helping,
Tomas

> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 15:58:37 -0500 (EST)
> From: "Jaime Kikpole" <jkikpole at cairodurham.org>
> Subject: [rt-users] RT 3.2.2 very slow
> To: rt-users at lists.bestpractical.com
> Message-ID: <49902.10.5.12.184.1106081917.squirrel at 10.5.12.184>
> Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
>
>      I have RT 3.2.2 with RT/FM installed on Apache 1.3.31 with mod_perl 1.29
> and MySQL 4.1.7 on FreeBSD 4.10-Stable.  I've had problems ever since
> moving (last October) to RT3 from very happy life with 2.0.15.
>
>      Unfortunately, Apache's httpd processes still grow in memory usage to
> very large sizes (400MB+ over two weeks) and sometimes take a very long
> time (20+ minutes) to display long pages and unusual-but-tolerable
> periods on short pages.  For example, my ticket 3267 will *never* fully
> load.  Rendering will pause on screen before the third comment (usually
> before any of the History section) and then never finishes even when the
> httpd in question uses 99%+ of the CPU time.  I usually end up restarting
> Apache after a few hours so that the box doesn't slow down.
>
>      I've used the RT log files, the MySQL log files, Apache log files,
> upgraded MySQL, upgraded Perl, upgraded Apache, reinstalled mod_perl,
> upgraded to the latest DBIx::SearchBuilder from CPAN (from 1.15 to 1.16)
> and have gotten no closer to figuring this out.  Upgrading the RAM to
> 1.5GB seems to have helped a little bit, but the main problem (not
> displaying long tickets like 3267, taking too long with all tickets,
> etc.) is still not solved.

> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 15:09:38 -0800
> From: Mike Patterson <mikep at uclink.berkeley.edu>
> Subject: Re: [rt-users] RT 3.2.2 very slow
> To: rt-users at lists.bestpractical.com
> Message-ID: <41ED9732.4020503 at uclink.berkeley.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> So I'm assuing that it's the underpowered hardware: (dual P3-700's 512MB
> RAM 5400 RPM IDE drive)
> Current Build: FreeBSD 4.11 (originally 4.8)  / RT 3.2.2 / Perl 5.8.4 /
> Apache 1.33 Modssl 2.8.22  / Mod_Perl
> 1.29 / Sendmail 8.13.1/
>
> I'm getting a new Dell PowerEdge (P4 3.2Ghz,  4 GB Ram, 10K RPM SCSI)
> soon :-) .
> Assuming fast networking, reasonable install (FreeBSD 4.11) can I expect
> a short ticket to load in < 1 second, < 2 seconds medium tickets,
> longest tickets < 10 seconds?  Are people running RT on hardware in this
> range finding that performance?
>
> I'm also contemplating building this new box with FreeBSD 5.3.  Have
> people had a good experience with RT on FreeBSD 5.3?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike

-- 
________________________________________________________________________
Tomas A. P. Olaj, email: tomas.olaj at usit.uio.no, web: folk.uio.no/tomaso
 University of Oslo / USIT (Center for Information Technology Services)
   System- and Application Management / Applications Management Group