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raymor · 01-21-2010, 01:42 PM

If you're not already using nginx, but are thinking of switching to nginx for "performance",
there's another route you may want to consider. The default Apache configuration
in most Linux distributions is configured for a very small site, and configured with
every feature imaginable enabled. We did some benchmarking and found that if Apache
is set up PROPERLY, configured by a qualified person, it's as fast as niginx, and you
don't lose all of the useful Apache features.

In fact, even without a "good" Apache configuration, you can cut load roughly in half
and greatly improve performance with one little five minute change. Mount the
content partition with the "noatime" option. Amazingly, that cut load roughly in half on
the test server, which is pushing 400Mbps with very low load, running Apache.

A large portion of the supposed speed of nginx is that while it's caching system is
in many ways a silly waste of resources, it does have the side effect of bypassing
the atime and that's what actually gives the speed boost. That can be done more
effectively, and without wasting other resources, by just putting "noatime" in the
/etc/fstab config file.

I realize that nginx has it's fans, just as any sports team has it's fans.
To anyone who is an nginx fan, that's fine, you're a fan, great. You're probably
tempted to click "Reply" right now and say that nginx is 100,000 faster than
anything else and that I'm an idiot. If you choose to do that, I'll simply reply
by posting the exact benchmark results along with comments from an nginx
developer about his own testing. One of us will end up looking like an idiot,
but it won't be me. If you have to post, just say "I'm an nginx fan" - don't
try too hard to deny the facts.

01-21-2010, 01:42 PM
raymor Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,745	If you're not already using nginx, but are thinking of switching to nginx for "performance", there's another route you may want to consider. The default Apache configuration in most Linux distributions is configured for a very small site, and configured with every feature imaginable enabled. We did some benchmarking and found that if Apache is set up PROPERLY, configured by a qualified person, it's as fast as niginx, and you don't lose all of the useful Apache features. In fact, even without a "good" Apache configuration, you can cut load roughly in half and greatly improve performance with one little five minute change. Mount the content partition with the "noatime" option. Amazingly, that cut load roughly in half on the test server, which is pushing 400Mbps with very low load, running Apache. A large portion of the supposed speed of nginx is that while it's caching system is in many ways a silly waste of resources, it does have the side effect of bypassing the atime and that's what actually gives the speed boost. That can be done more effectively, and without wasting other resources, by just putting "noatime" in the /etc/fstab config file. I realize that nginx has it's fans, just as any sports team has it's fans. To anyone who is an nginx fan, that's fine, you're a fan, great. You're probably tempted to click "Reply" right now and say that nginx is 100,000 faster than anything else and that I'm an idiot. If you choose to do that, I'll simply reply by posting the exact benchmark results along with comments from an nginx developer about his own testing. One of us will end up looking like an idiot, but it won't be me. If you have to post, just say "I'm an nginx fan" - don't try too hard to deny the facts. __________________ For historical display only. This information is not current: support@bettercgi.com ICQ 7208627 Strongbox - The next generation in site security Throttlebox - The next generation in bandwidth control Clonebox - Backup and disaster recovery on steroids Last edited by raymor; 01-21-2010 at 01:45 PM..