In 2012, I started enabling PHP realpath_cache_size and realpath_cache_ttl for performance benefits. At the time, I followed the settings I found here (has since been deleted). It bugged me that I was blindly setting the cache size without knowing how much storage was actually being used. In this post, I will demonstrate how to view the […]
atop for Linux server performance analysis (Guide)
When optimizing Linux server performance, ‘atop’ is a command every system administrator should have in their toolkit. While many sysadmins are well-acquainted with top and htop, atop stands out as a powerhouse tool for real-time system monitoring and in-depth server analysis. In this article, we will explore the ‘atop’ Linux command, examine its advantages, and […]
PHP performance: oPcache Control Panels
OPcache is a PHP extension that improves PHP performance by storing precompiled script bytecode in shared memory, thereby removing the need for PHP to load and parse scripts on each request. The extension is built-in for PHP 5.5+. If you want to improve PHP performance, the first step should be to use PHP 8+, which […]
htop: Quick Guide & Customization
htop is an interactive system monitor and a process viewer, process manager, trace tool and more. Sysadmins may opt to use htop when Unix top does not provide enough information about system processes. htop uses a cursor-controlled interface for sending signals to processes. One example where this is helpful is: you don’t have to type […]
PHP Benchmarks: OPcache vs OPcache w/ Performance Tweaks
A few weeks ago, I wrote a short article highlighting GUI solutions for monitoring and controlling PHP OPcache. We all know that enabling PHP OPcache provides massive performance gains (see benchmark graph at the end of the article). In addition, since PHP 5.5, OPcache is now enabled by default. With these facts in mind, is […]
How to Integrate Cloudflare with CSF Firewall
April 11th 2024 update: This article has evolved from “Replacing Cloudflare with CSF Firewall” to, “How to Integrate Cloudflare with CSF Firewall”. Leveraging CSF for Enhanced Security on Cloudflare-enabled Websites Over time, web infrastructure evolves, necessitating updates in our security and performance strategies. Notably, Bunny CDN served as a comprehensive caching solution for my blog […]
MySQL Performance Tuning: Tips, Scripts and Tools
With MySQL, common configuration mistakes can create severe performance problems. If you misconfigure just one of the many config parameters, it can cripple performance. Of course, the performance of MySQL is often tied to the efficiency of your MySQL queries. It’s essential to ensure that your performance issues are not due to poorly written MySQL […]
dstat command in Linux w/ examples
This dstat command guide follows my previous 90 Linux Commands frequently used by Linux Sysadmins article. As time allows, I will continue to publish articles on around the 90 commands geared toward Linux sysadmins and Linux power users. Let’s continue this series with the dstat command. Dstat is used for generating system resource statistics. It is a versatile […]
iftop command in Linux w/ examples
This iftop command guide follows my previous 90 Linux Commands frequently used by Linux Sysadmins article. As time allows, I will continue to publish articles on around the 90 commands geared toward Linux sysadmins and Linux power users. Let’s continue this series with the iftop command. iftop is a terminal program that shows network activity and details in text form. It’s […]
Home Lab Beginners guide (Hardware)
Until recently, and for well over the past decade, my wife and I have been nomads. Moving from the Caribbean to Miami, New York, Las Vegas, Vancouver, and now back home. This has meant that for many of those years, my home office basically comprised of a few laptops and screens. These days, we are […]