Scalability

I know this topic was discussed vigorously in the past.. but I'm hoping to get some more direct input if possible.

A potential client asked me whether Elgg would run efficiently for a website with 230,000 members, 14,000 members would be logged in at peak time. The functions mostly used are profile updates, video/audio uploads, messaging and chat.

The site resides on dedicated servers with decent specs.. ($999 per server per month).

I am not an expert on this, but I know that the speed and efficiency is largely reliant on the numbers of query calls made to the server.. I could be wrong!.. and that's why I need your advice.

If efficiency will suffer, is there a fix? And, does that fix require re-coding the core to adjust the data-base modules and how quries are passed?

Thanks.

-Carlos

  • Some thinking (unsorted) from POV of "just admin" and "site admin"

    Yes, Elgg can  (virtually) run on any load (as any web-app), but it can cost additional hard-work of server monitoring, fine-tuning and configuration (ie. it's dedicated qualified admin as minimum) - big cache, 2-tier architecture, maybe cluster... The are a lot of tricks

    Totsl members and (less) logged-in members amount means almost nothing in terms of usability and speed. We have (must?) to speak about "hits per second|minute", because hits generate server's load

    Again, "$999 per server per month" is not technical spec of hosting platform. It's just the indication of the appetites of hosting company, which can also not correlate with the QOS

  • Anyway, I will be happy to see "debug mod" for Elgg, with will allow to show for any and every page information like "S: 2.03 | Q: 52" (generation time and queries per page)

  • Hi Alexander..

    Thanks for the input.. I agree, it is ultimately the number of hits per second that determines the issue, but I do believe that the hardwear also has a role in this.. The servers used in this client's case are pretty decent and I can say that they are considered to be top of the range for dedicated server category. My concern was whether elgg, as a script, is potent enough, in terms of handling queries, to handle a larger mass than average. The servers issue is not a problem. This client is even prepared to have the database residing on different servers if that helps the speed and efficiency of their site.

    And yes, it would great to have a 'debug' mod.. However, I am not sure if this will help up-scale elgg if efficiency becomes an issue.

    Cheers.

    -Carlos

     

  • I think, this page maybe a better answer, than any my attempts to repeate these facts

    "Don't trouble troubles until troubles trouble you" (c)

  • Great.. Thanks Alexander.

  • Semi-random related observation: I <3 memcache. No, really.