[Zope] Zope Performance Methodology?

[Michael A. Alderete]

I have scanned through the ZAG, the various how-tos and tips on Zope.org,
and searched the archives of this mailing list, but I haven't found
anything which puts into writing a concrete methodology for optimizing
performance of Zope.

If there is one and I'm just too stupid to find it, I'd love to get a
pointer. If there isn't one I'll write it, if people will send me
information and teach me the zen of optimal Zope performance.

Here are the kinds of things I would expect to see in this kind of document:


1. Performance-oriented Platforms

 * Which platform (hardware / OS combination) is the best for Zope?:
   - if money is no object
   - if money is the main object
   - if it has to run on a cheap PC, 'cause that's what people have
   - etc.

 Questions this needs to answer:

  - Do multiple processors help?
  - How much RAM?
  - Disk subsystem recommendations / tradeoffs
  - Solaris vs. Linux vs. FreeBSD [vs. Windows NT?] ...
  - etc...


2. Performance-oriented Configurations

 * What is the right way to set up Zope?:
   - which web server to use
   - which CGI configuration to use
   - which ZODB storage system to use
   - etc.

 Questions this needs to answer:

  - ZServer vs. Apache [vs. IIS?] ...
  - PCGI vs. FastCGI [vs. ??]
  - ZODB in file system vs. database
  - which database?
  - etc.?


3. Performance Tuning

I don't know where to even start asking questions here, but I read a
cursory mention that zope.org was recently sped up considerably by playing
with some caching parameters, or something like that. So detailed tuning
suggestions are needed for:

  - operating system
  - web server
  - Zope
  - ??


4. Performance-oriented Programming

Performance discussions of different approaches to solving the same problem
when developing customizations to Zope. That is, which objects are
expensive to use, how do you use things efficiently, how expensive is
acquisition, etc.

Thanks!

Michael

_____________________________________________________________
Michael A. Alderete                           alderete@be.com
Webmaster                                  http://www.be.com/
Be Incorporated                                NASDAQ: [BEOS]