Apache and FastCGI ...

Started by mhall, December 30, 2015, 04:13:31 AM

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mhall

So, just wondering, Apache and FastCGI - is it worth it from a performance standpoint?

I've been using an old, old version of Sambar server for years and it works pretty well for what I need, but doesn't support FastCGI and is in fact, itself, no longer developed/supported as a server.

So I've been looking at moving - to IIS or Apache. I've been wrestling with the two of them and, after watching a few YouTube videos, got Apache installed, the FastCGI module installed and configured and it seems to be working - our site comes up just fine. But I was wondering if there is any actual gain to running Webbatch in a FastCGI environment? My understanding was that FastCGI would keep instances of Webbatch running and re-use that instance for new requests, helping reduce the time needed to process each request. But, at least from the Task Manager in Windows, I still see an instance of Webbatch spun up for each request I make, and then it is closed out.

Current performance isn't bad, but I'm always interested in improving it and what we are running is a Single Page Application and it makes lots of little requests to set/get data from the server so I had hoped to see an improvement with FastCGI. Is there any way for me to tell if FastCGI is, in fact, being used?

Considering everything is working fine and performance is decent I wouldn't be asking really, I'd just roll with it, except that so far Apache is much more sensitive to an omission of mine - I haven't been sending proper headers with my output and I never knew it. Sambar never complained, but Apache throws a fit. A quick search shows me an *awful* lot of places I need to update to correct the mistake. :o

I know these are more Apache questions than Webbatch, but I was hoping someone here might have some input/experience?

Thanks,
Micheal

mhall

QuoteIs there any way for me to tell if FastCGI is, in fact, being used?

Just thought I would bump this in case it got lost in my post.

Anyone know of a way to confirm Apache is running Webbatch via FastCGI?

~Micheal

td

FastCGI is a benefit when you have multiple simultaneous processing intensive requests to a site.  If your site is not heavily loaded and/or you don't have things like database connects involved with your response then I would guess that it doesn't make a great deal of difference.  I don't believe that FastCGI is going to keep a single WebBatch process running continuously to service non concurrent requests but that may depend on the specific FastCGI implementation and the version of Apache.   

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