Optimization – Child Processes On Server Vs. Filtering

This topic has 9 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 months, 4 weeks ago ago by Andrew Mitchell

  • Avatar: HDTeam
    HDTeam
    Participant
    February 23, 2024 at 15:05

    Hi!

    From time to time I have problems with the page loading speed, even though we use cloudflare optimization tools and the WP Rocket plugin. Everything seems to be reasonably optimized, but problems appear from time to time.

    I focused on htaccess, made restrictions on XMLRPC file, blocked IP bot traffic, blocked hotlinking, but it didn’t really help much.

    I contacted the hosting and received the following response:

    Referring to the chat conversation, after analysis by administrators, we noticed that the server was saturating child processes. This is due to too many processes that queue up when the limit is reached, which slows down the operation of the websites. Below are the logs:

    /var/log/php82-fpm.log:[23-Feb-2024 09:50:10] WARNING: [pool server146600] server reached max_children setting, consider raising it
    /var/log/php82-fpm.log:[23-Feb-2024 10:04:51] WARNING: [pool server146600] server reached max_children setting, consider raising it
    /var/log/php82-fpm.log:[23-Feb-2024 10:08:28] WARNING: [pool server146600] server reached max_children setting, consider raising it
    /var/log/php82-fpm.log:[23-Feb-2024 10:14:43] WARNING: [pool server146600] server reached max_children setting, consider raising it

    etc. etc.

    !! We also see that many processes are generated by filtering products on the website. Below are sample logs: !!

    66.249.70.133 server146600 23/Feb/2024:03:36:19 +0100 GET /index.php?filter_kolor=black-pl,breeze-pl,fuchsia-pl,gold-pl,ink-pl,orange-orange,sapphire -pl,scarlet-pl,silver-black,silver-butter,silver-peach,silver-pink,silver-pl,white-pl 200 /home/virtuals/rpfabrics.pl/index.php /rpfabrics-pl/brand/ rpfabrics/?filter_kolor=black-pl,breeze-pl,fuchsia-pl,gold-pl,ink-pl,orange-orange,sapphire-pl,scarlet-pl,silver-black,silver-butter,silver-peach,silver -pink,silver-pl,white-pl 348396.114 138036 19.00 82 https://rpfabrics.pl/rpfabrics-pl/brand/rpfabrics/?filter_kolor=black-pl,breeze-pl,fuchsia-pl,gold-pl,ink -pl,orange-orange,sapphire-pl,scarlet-pl,silver-black,silver-butter,silver-peach,silver-pink,silver-pl,white-pl NA US 2236864 3392191
    83.99.151.70 server146600 23/Feb/2024:03:00:57 +0100 GET /index.php?lang=en&filter_kolor=chocolate-en,citrine-en,dark-emerald-en,white-en 200 /home/virtuals/ rpfabrics.pl/index.php /product-category/guipures/guipure-motivs/rose-guipure-pair/?lang=en&filter_kolor=chocolate-en,citrine-en,dark-emerald-en,white-en 324395.567 104448 16/11 82 https://rpfabrics.pl/product-category/guipures/guipure-motivs/rose-guipure-pair/?lang=en&filter_kolor=chocolate-en,citrine-en,dark-emerald-en,white-en EU LV 2503639 3392191

    This is where my knowledge ends and I can’t even diagnose it, let alone eliminate the cause. Please help me eliminate the cause.

    Thank you..

    8 Answers
    Avatar: Justin
    Luca Rossi
    Support staff
    February 23, 2024 at 17:09

    Hello @HDTeam,

    Thank you for reaching out to us with your concerns regarding the page loading speed issues you’ve been experiencing. We understand how important it is to maintain a swift and responsive website, and we appreciate the efforts you’ve already made to optimize your site’s performance.

    Based on the information you’ve provided, it appears that the server is indeed reaching its max_children limit, which is a common issue when dealing with PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager). This can occur when there is a high demand on your server’s resources, often due to a surge in traffic or resource-intensive operations, such as the product filtering feature on your website.

    To address this, we recommend the following steps:

    1. Review the PHP-FPM configuration, specifically the max_children setting, to ensure it is optimized for your server’s resources and the traffic your website receives. It may be necessary to increase this limit(maybe 500 or 1000), but this should be done cautiously to avoid overloading the server. For more information, please take a look at this: https://serverfault.com/questions/479443/php5-fpm-server-reached-pm-max-children.

    2. Analyze the product filtering functionality to determine if it can be optimized further. This could involve caching the results of common filter queries or optimizing the underlying database queries to reduce the load on the server.

    3. Consider implementing a more aggressive caching strategy for your website’s content, especially for pages that do not change frequently. This can reduce the number of requests that reach the server, thereby decreasing the likelihood of hitting the max_children limit.

    4. Monitor your server’s resource usage regularly to identify any patterns or spikes in traffic that could be contributing to the problem. This can help you make informed decisions about resource allocation and scaling.

    5. If the issue persists, it may be worth exploring other hosting solutions that can offer more resources or better scalability options to accommodate your website’s needs.

    6. Since you’re using the WPML plugin, please also take a look at this article: https://wpml.org/tutorials/2022/03/boosting-the-performance-of-your-multilingual-wordpress-site/

    We understand that these technical aspects can be challenging, and we are here to assist you further. If you require more in-depth support or would like us to take a closer look at your configuration, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our technical support team.

    We are committed to helping you resolve these issues and ensuring that your website operates smoothly. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work together to find a solution.

    Best Regards,
    8Theme’s Team

    Avatar: HDTeam
    HDTeam
    Participant
    February 24, 2024 at 21:02

    Hi!

    Thank you for your reply. I am not so “super-tech-guy”, but I will try to answer.

    1. rpfabrics.pl page is hosted on shared served, it’s about optimized for WordPress and the maximum value of simultaneous child processes is 10.

    2. Would these be some actions within the xstore settings or something deeper at the database level?

    3. I assume that this is about the so-called Heartbeat, however, it’s done.

    4. The shared server doesn’t really allow this and only when I have some critical problems with loading the website is the hosting support able to send me current statistics.

    5. Yes, sure. Cloud Server is always a better solution, but the website in its current configuration has been operating for quite a few years. Sales in the store are negligible because it is a specific assortment and it is more about the “catalog mode” to show the products, so it is not strictly a matter of high traffic or a growing database.

    6. OK..

    As mentioned before we using WP Rocker, Cloudflare and Redis Object Cache – combined with the lack of any great individual modifications, lack of above-average traffic on the website, etc. it seems that there are some processes going on in the background that I am not aware of, which are draining the server’s resources and I don’t really know how to go about it..

    Thanks..

    Avatar: Rose Tyler
    Rose Tyler
    Support staff
    February 26, 2024 at 19:10

    Hello @HDTeam,

    We would like to inform you that the observed issue may be related to the cache generation process. Periodically, the cache is recreated, which can result in additional load on the server.

    Regarding the filters, the outcomes of the filtering process are also stored in the cache, which is periodically overwritten.

    Best Regards,
    8Theme’s Team

    Avatar: HDTeam
    HDTeam
    Participant
    February 26, 2024 at 20:04

    Hi!

    Hmm… OK, but why didn’t such situations occur four, three, two or a year ago? The last three months have seen constant reminders from the hosting staff that the website and related processes are overloading the server.

    Nothing significant in terms of configuration was changed or added.

    🙁

    Thanks..

    Avatar: Rose Tyler
    Rose Tyler
    Support staff
    February 27, 2024 at 09:58

    Hello @HDTeam,

    We would like to inform you that there may have been changes in the cache settings or the addition of new plugins, which could have affected the overall system performance. Additionally, alterations in the CDN settings might have had an impact.

    It is also possible that there is a conflict between the caching plugins, specifically Redis Object Cache and WP Rocket.

    Regarding the issues that occurred 2-3 years ago, it is important to note that cache plugins are subject to updates, and changes within these updates could have contributed to the current situation.

    Furthermore, we have reconfigured the following options in Customizer->Speed Optimization to reduce system load, particularly the “Wishlist For Product Variations” feature. The updated settings are as follows:

    – Wishlist For Product Variations: Off
    – Disable Old Browser Support: On
    – Disable Gutenberg Styles: On
    – Remove Query Strings From Static Resources: On

    Best Regards,
    8Theme’s Team

    Avatar: HDTeam
    HDTeam
    Participant
    February 27, 2024 at 11:09

    Hi!

    Yes, I know all this, or at least I am aware of it – of course, all plugins are “up to date”. Speed Optimization is as you propose. WP Rocket knows about Cloudlfare, Cloudflare knows about XStore. There are Page Rules and further cache policies on top of this, and yet something, somewhere, is going wrong. I’m not saying that something will magically happen on its own, maybe I’m just counting on real advice on how to further verify it to find the real cause.

    Thanks..

    Avatar: Rose Tyler
    Rose Tyler
    Support staff
    February 27, 2024 at 11:58

    Hello @HDTeam,

    We appreciate your prompt response.

    Сaches are periodically generated, which causes the issue you are encountering. As part of the troubleshooting process, you have the option to disable all caches, which should eliminate the periodic load spikes. However, caches are essential for optimal performance.
    We recommend reaching out to Rocket plugin support to inquire why the cache generation is leading to system overloads and if they can help. From our end, we have conducted a thorough review and, regrettably, we do not see any way in which we can assist further.

    Best Regards,
    8Theme’s Team

    Avatar: Andrew Mitchell
    Andrew Mitchell
    Support staff
    February 27, 2024 at 12:50

    Dear HDTeam,

    We hope you’re reveling in the experience our theme brings! Your enthusiasm is what fuels our passion. Would you be so kind as to channel that energy into a 5-star rating on ThemeForest? Your feedback is the spark that lights our way!

    Click here to spread the love: https://themeforest.net/downloads

    Thank you for being an integral part of our journey!

    Best Regards,
    The 8Theme Team

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