Performance roblem with pixelpost 1.5

[jaapr]

Hi All,

I installed pixelpost and customised the template. I'm very happy
with this user-friendly package.

I only have one problem, some pages have a slow perfromance. I can't
tackle the problem, yet. So, I ask the forum for help.

I analysed the following:

- browser does http-request (if I click to a page whith image)
- request is acked by server
- delay of 6 - 10 seconds
- received page, image and thumbnails within 1 sec.
- I don't notice heavy load on the server.

So, I guess it is the request to the page (image_template) that has
the delay. It also looks like it is reproduceable, some image-pages has
this delay, others not.

Could it be the connection to mysql ?

Hope there is someone who has suggestions to solve this problem.

Thanks,
Jaap
Website: http://jromers.com/

[Dkozikowski]

I'm not so sure this is a pixelpost performance issue.

I clicked on your link and it took a good 10-12 seconds to display anything.

Maybe it's your host :confused:

[Dennis]

Jaap, always nice to see a fellow dutch photoblogger.

Please note that I have to agree with dwilkinsjr: it took about 10-12 seconds to display anything.

[jaapr]

I'm not so sure this is a pixelpost performance issue.

I clicked on your link and it took a good 10-12 seconds to display anything.

Maybe it's your host :confused:

Yes, the current default image has a slow return, but if you click on the
image (and go to a previous image) performance is good. If you I do this a
couple of times you discover the differences in performance in answering
the requests.

I logged into the server of my hosting-provider and do not see high loads
on the server. I also talked with the SysAdmin and he confirmed me that
other sites on the same server are OK.

So, you see the dilemma :-(

Is there a way how to monitor apache, php and the connection to mysql ?

Sorry to bother you, but I like to solve this issue.

Regards,
Jaap

[austriaka]

I guess the reason is in the images themselves rsp. in the image processing.
I downloaded a few of your images and compared them with ExifViewer.
Here is the Screenshot:
http://www.uhlig.at/tmp/scrshot1.gif

The ones at the left and right end of the row are "qick loading" and have some Exif Data (Photoshop, Nikon). The three in the middle are slow loading and have no ExifData at all.
Looks like something happened with them in saving/changing process?

HTH
KArin

[jaapr]

Thanks KArin, this is a great suggestion. I will look into this.

I discovered that httpd (apache on Solaris) is using a lot of CPU %
while processing the requests.

Regards,
Jaap

[jaapr]

Problem solved: performance is normal and same for all images.
Austriaka: you are my hero !!

I saved my images in Photoshop 7 with "Save for Web" and this removes
exif-data from the image (I'm not sure if it removes all exif-data).
If I just do "Save as" in Photoshop exif-data remains in the image.

So, the questions that I still have (for the developers) on pixelpost:
- why is it processing exif-data if it's not used it in the template
- why not processing exif-data while uploading the images and store it
somewhere in mysql. You save cpu-cycles at html-page processing.

Thanks for the help!!

Greetz,
Jaap

[austriaka]

I guess now you will do almost anything for me... ;)
have a look at this: Cache EXIF to DB (http://forum.pixelpost.org/showthread.php?t=3148&highlight=exif)

I am using it in my blog and it works fine *thx to se.nsuo.us*

KArin

[Dennis]

Ok, let me first point out the EXIF problem is well known and has been addressed in the upcoming 1.6 version.

You can disable EXIF all together and if you would like to use it the data is saved in the database to speed up performance.

This will make the use of the cache EXIF to DB addon unnecessary. (Since they are most likely not compatible.)

[se.nsuo.us]

@Austriaka - glad to know that EXIF2DB is working for you - Which version of Pixelpost?

[austriaka]

@Austriaka - glad to know that EXIF2DB is working for you - Which version of Pixelpost?

1.5
dunno if it is really working, but it shows no errors ;-)
The Photoblog seems to be loaded more quickly (but I have no feedback from people with low connection speed).
All Images have their EXIF in Database, but DB entry is not deleted when image is deleted.

KArin

[se.nsuo.us]

DB entry is not deleted when image is deleted.
Ah! thanks for the bug report will fix that when I next upgrade

[dropthepuppethead]

Ok, let me first point out the EXIF problem is well known and has been addressed in the upcoming 1.6 version.

You can disable EXIF all together and if you would like to use it the data is saved in the database to speed up performance.

This will make the use of the cache EXIF to DB addon unnecessary. (Since they are most likely not compatible.)

I have recently started having serious performance issues since I upgraded to 1.5. and what I can gather it is this EXIF issue or perhaps the number of DB calls that PP makes per page. If I use the same DB for Photostand everything is really snappy. PP takes upto 10-12 seconds to load

I have removed all EXIF from my templates, but it still is slow. Is there somewhere else that I should be doing this?

[Dennis]

Removing the exif from the templates will still not solve the problem. The exif is still gathered from the picture, you only disabled the user view.

You should disable the exif function in 1.5 by commenting out the relevant code.

[jaywilliams]

I hacked my Pixelpost install so it renders the page once, and then it saves it out to a static html page. Then all the server has to to is serve that static page again. No database queries, no exif lookup, pure speed.

Then if someone submits a comment on the photo, it deletes the cache, and re-renders the page.

[sentinel]

just a small sidenote on this.
have a look in you admin panel if the option "book visitors" is on or off.
i ran my blog with this option activated now for some time and it killed the performance completely (40k entries in visitors table-> ~10-12 sek query duration for top 5 visitors in current month)

response of the blog .. nocomment.. clearing this table and deactivating this option -> speedboost ;)

[theatomicpixel]

i am experiencing this speed problem also and i'm trying to fix it ... two things... how do i clear this visitors table that you are talking about? i disabled the "book visitors" feature but I don't know where to clear the table? thanks for your help.

also.. jay... you mentioned you hacked the pixelpost file to only make it load once... sounds great but i dont have the know how... can you point me in the right direction or by chance send me the hacked file? thanks.

ADM

[jaywilliams]

I could send you the hacked code, but unless you are rather familiar with PHP, you probably won't be able to get it to work.

It's definitely a "hack", so It's not the cleanest things I've ever done, that's for sure, but it does seem get the job done.