1247983 - Test load performance with and without instance cache

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(developer.mozilla.org Graveyard :: BrowserCompat, defect)

Description

[John Whitlock [:jwhitlock]]

What problem would this feature solve?
======================================
The instance cache protects the database from excessive reads during API operations. However, it also requires an additional caching server, a async task worker (for pre-computing cached instances), and an async task broker. It is possible that a caching load balancer will be enough to serve requests efficiently, without the IT overhead of setup, configuration, and monitoring of the instance cache.

Who has this problem?
=====================
Staff contributors to MDN

How do you know that the users identified above have this problem?
==================================================================
The instance cache infrastructure requires several pieces that must also be setup, configured, and maintained, and we don't have the data to show the impact.

How are the users identified above solving this problem now?
============================================================
The Heroku instance at browsercompat.herokuapp.com implements the full instance cache, but without a caching load balancer. Both need to be available for the load testing.

Do you have any suggestions for solving the problem? Please explain in detail.
==============================================================================
1. Setup a production-style environment with a caching load balancer and the instance cache.
2. Run a load test with randomized read-only access, to maximize use of caches
3. Run a load test with randomized read-only access and a 5% write access, to test with invalidated caches
4. Disable the instance cache, and re-run the two load tests
5. Optionally, increase the equipment needed so that the environment without the instance cache meets the performance of the environment with it.

Is there anything else we should know?
======================================
Removing the instance cache was suggested by Travis Blow of Cloud Engineering Service.

Comment 1

[John Whitlock [:jwhitlock]]

The BrowserCompat project is canceled.  See https://github.com/mdn/browsercompat for current effort. Bulk status change includes the random word TEMPOTHRONE.