Performances¶
LemonLDAP::NG is designed for high performance, both in throughput and response time. Indeed, it can use Apache2 threads capabilities but since Apache version 2.4, mpm_worker seems to break mod_perl. So to increase performances, prefer using Nginx.
Built-in¶
Cache system¶
LLNG uses different cache systems to avoid querying to many the databases:
Lifetime in memory |
Lifetime in Local-Cache (file) |
DB |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parameter |
Default |
Parameter |
Default |
||
Configuration |
|
1 second |
Until “reload” order |
✔ |
|
Session |
|
15 seconds |
|
10 minutes |
✔ |
- 1
Manager >> General parameters >> Sessions >> Sessions storage >> Cache module options
Note
Configuration and sessions are first looked up in-memory, then in
the cache file, and then in their backing store. This means that after a
configuration reload (using Manager), you have to wait for
checkTime
before you can see your changes, or wait for configuration
cache expiration in checkTime
is disabled.
Global performance¶
By default, Linux does not use DNS cache and LemonLDAP::NG portal request DNS for each connexions on LDAP or DB. Under heavy loads, that can generated hundred of DNS queries and many errors on LDAP connexions (timed out) from IO::Socket.
To bypass this, you can:
Use IP in configuration to avoid DNS resolution
Install a DNS cache like nscd, dnsmasq or unbound
Cron optimization (or systemd timers)¶
LLNG installs its cron files without knowing how many servers are installed. You should optimize this to launch:
purgeCentralCache: only 1 time every 10 minutes for the whole system (or more)
purgeLocalCache: ~ 1 time per hour on each server
Handler performance¶
For Nginx, you can use another auth server instead of llng-fastcgi-server. See: Advanced PSGI usage.
To increase handler performance, you can disable “Sessions activity timeout” to prevent it from writing to the session database.
Handlers check rights and calculate headers for each HTTP hit. So to improve performances, avoid too complex rules by using macros, groups or local macros.
Local macros¶
Macros and groups are stored in session database. Local macros is a special feature of handler that permit one to have macros useable localy only. Those macros are calculated only at the first usage and stored in the local session cache (only for this server) and only if the user access to the related applications. This avoid to have to many datas stored.
# rule
admin -> $admin ||= ($uid eq 'foo' or $uid eq 'bar')
# header
Display-Name -> $displayName ||= $givenName." ".$surName
Tip
Note that this feature is interesting only for the Lemonldap::NG systems protecting a high number of applications
Portal performances¶
General performances¶
The portal is the biggest component of Lemonldap::NG. Since version 2.0, portal runs under FastCGI and has been rewritten using plugins, so performance is increased in comparison to earlier versions. You just have to disable unused plugins:
disable unused issuer modules
disable notifications if not used
…
By default it uses local storage to store its tokens. If you have more than 1 portal and if your load-balancer doesn’t keep state, you have to disable this to use the global session storage (General parameters » portal Parameters » Advanced Parameters » Forms). Note that this will decrease performances.
Tip
In production environment for network performance, prefer
using minified versions of javascript and css libs: use
make install PROD=yes
. This is done by default in RPM/DEB
packages.
Apache::Session performances¶
Lemonldap::NG handlers use a local cache to store sessions (for 10 minutes). So Apache::Session module is not a problem for handlers. But it can be a bottleneck for the portal:
When you use the multiple sessions restriction parameters, sessions are parsed for each authentication unless you use an Apache::Session::Browseable module.
Since MySQL does not have always transaction feature, Apache::Session::MySQL has been designed to use MySQL locks. Since MySQL performances are very bad using this, if you want to store sessions in a MySQL database, prefer one of the following
Tip
Since 1.9.6, LLNG portal and handler check if session is valid at each access, so purgeCentralCache cron no longer needs to be launched every 10 minutes: one or two times per day is enough.
Replace MySQL by Apache::Session::Flex¶
In “Apache::Session module” field, set “Apache::Session::Flex <https://metacpan.org/module/Apache::Session::Flex>” and use the following parameters:
Store -> MySQL
Lock -> Null
Generate -> MD5
Serialize -> Storable
DataSource -> dbi:mysql:sessions;host=...
UserName -> ...
Password -> ...
Tip
Since version 1.90 of Apache::Session, you can use Apache::Session::MySQL::NoLock instead
Use Apache::Session::Browseable¶
Apache::Session::Browseable is a wrapper for other Apache::Session modules that add the capability to manage indexes. Prefer versions ≥ 1.2.5 for better performances in DB cleaning. To use it (with PostgreSQL for example), choose “Apachedoc:Session::Browseable<session::browseable>::Postgres” as “Apache::Session module” and use the following parameters:
DataSource -> dbi:Pg:database=sessions;host=...
UserName -> user
Password -> password
Index -> ipAddr uid
Note that Apache::Session::Browseable::MySQL doesn’t use MySQL locks.
Look at Browseable session backend to known which index to choose.
Attention
Some Apache::Session module are not fully usable by Lemonldap::NG such as Apache::Session::Memcached since these modules do not offer capability to browse sessions. They does not allow one to use sessions explorer neither manage one-off sessions.
Performance test¶
Tip
A Apache::Session::Browseable::Redis has been created, it is the fastest (except for session explorer, defeated by Apache::Session::Browseable:: DBI / LDAP)
This test isn’t an “only-backend” test but embedded some LLNG methods, so real differences between engines are mitigate here.
Backend |
Portal and handlers |
Session explorer and one-off sessions |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name |
Configuration |
Insert 1000 |
Search 1 |
Purge 500 |
Parse all |
Search by substring |
Search by UID |
Apache::Session::Browseable::LDAP |
mdb |
159.66 |
0.0120 |
49.22 |
0.1110 |
0.0076 |
0.0050 |
Apache::Session::MySQL |
No lock |
87.20 |
0.0039 |
23.14 |
0.0281 |
0.0252 |
0.0235 |
Apache::Session::Browseable::MySQL |
91.79 |
0.0039 |
0.139 2 |
0.0272 |
0.0036 |
0.0026 |
|
Apache::Session::Browseable::MySQLJSON |
86.06 |
0.0145 |
** 0.151** 3 |
0.0104 |
0.0137 |
0.0038 |
|
Apache::Session::Postgres |
18.31 |
0.0095 |
13.40 |
0.0323 |
0.0277 |
0.0264 |
|
Apache::Session::Postgres |
Unlogged table |
9.16 |
0.0095 |
7.91 |
0.0318 |
0.0270 |
0.0254 |
Apache::Session::Browseable::Postgres |
Unlogged table with indexes |
9.24 |
0.0094 |
0.103 2 |
0.0301 |
0.0036 |
0.0028 |
Apache::Session::Browseable::PgJSON |
Unlogged table, json field |
9.25 |
0.0091 |
0.108 2 |
0.0247 |
0.0035 |
0.0029 |
Apache::Session::Browseable::PgJSON |
Unlogged table, jsonb field |
9.25 |
0.0091 |
0.105 2 |
0.0126 |
0.0034 |
0.0029 |
Apache::Session::Browseable::PgHstore |
Unlogged table, hstore field |
9.62 |
0.0111 |
0.105 2 |
0.0125 |
0.0033 |
0.0029 |
Apache::Session::Redis |
2.13 |
0.0033 |
1.158 |
0.0623 |
0.0570 |
0.0550 |
|
Apache::Session::Browseable::Redis |
2.36 |
0.0033 |
1.154 |
0.0643 |
0.1048 |
0.0024 |
The source of this test is available in sources: e2e-tests/sbperf.pl
- 2(1,2,3,4,5)
“purge” test is done with Apache::Session::Browseable-1.2.5 and LLG-2.0. Earlier results are not so good.
- 3
“purge” test is done with Apache::Session::Browseable-1.2.6 and LLG-2.0.
Analysis:
LDAP servers are “write-once-read-many”, so write performances are very bad. Don’t use this on heavy load if “Session activity timeout” is enabled (if set, handler “write” sessions)
MySQL/MariaDB is better to read than to write. Prefer PostgreSQL if you use “Session activity timeout”
Logged tables decrease a lot insert performances with PostgreSQL, so use unlogged tables for sessions except for persistent sessions
Redis is the best for main usage
Browseable::Postgres/PgHstore/PgJSON are the best SQL solutions on average
LDAP performances¶
LDAP server can slow you down when you use LDAP groups retrieval. You can avoid this by setting “memberOf” fields in your LDAP scheme:
dn: uid=foo,dmdName=people,dc=example,dc=com
...
memberOf: cn=admin,dmdName=groups,dc=example,dc=com
memberOf: cn=su,dmdName=groups,dc=example,dc=com
So instead of using LDAP groups retrieval, you just have to store “memberOf” field in your exported variables. With OpenLDAP, you can use the memberof overlay to do it automatically.
Attention
Don’t forget to create an index on the field used to find users (uid by default)
Tip
To avoid storing the full group DNs in session data, you can
use a macro to rewrite memberOf
:
In *Exported variables*, export the
memberOf
LDAP attribute as aldapGroups
session variablekey:
ldapGroups
value:
memberOf
Next, add a
ldapGroups
macro that will overwrite the exported attributekey:
ldapGroups
value:
join("; ",($ldapGroups =~ /cn=(.*?),/g))
ldapGroups
should now contain something like admin; su
just like
it would if you had used the regular, slower group resolution mechanism.
You can use listMatch($ldapGroups, “some_group”) in your access rules.
NGINX performances¶
To increase launch by web browser, for example to load js, css, or fonts, Gzip compression can be activated.
Edit file /etc/nginx/mime.types Check those lines or add :
application/vnd.ms-fontobject eot;
application/x-font-ttf ttf;
application/font-woff woff;
font/opentype ott;
Edit file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
gzip on; # active la compression Gzip
gzip_disable "msie6";
gzip_vary on;
gzip_proxied any;
gzip_comp_level 6;
gzip_buffers 16 8k;
gzip_http_version 1.1;
gzip_min_length 128;
gzip_types text/plain text/css application/json application/javascript application/x-javascript text/xml application/xml application/rss+xml text/javascript application/vnd.ms-fontobject application/x-font-ttf font/opentype image/jpeg image/png image/svg+xml image/x-icon;
Restart NGINX and watch web-browser console.
Manager performances¶
Disable unused modules¶
In lemonldap-ng.ini, set only modules that you will use. By default, configuration, sessions explorer, notifications explorer and second factor are enabled. Example:
[manager]
enabledModules = conf, sessions
Enable compactConf parameter¶
By enabling compactConf option, all unused configuration parameters are removed. Could be usefull to shrink lemonldap-ng configuration file and save space.
Go in Manager, General Parameters
» Configuration reload
»
‘’Compact configuration file ‘’ and set to On
.
Use static HTML files¶
Once Manager is installed, browse enabled modules (configuration,
sessions, notifications) and save the web pages respectively under
manager.html
, sessions.html
and notifications.html
in the
DocumentRoot
directory. Then replace this in Manager file of Apache
configuration:
RewriteRule "^/$" "/psgi/manager-server.fcgi" [PT]
# DirectoryIndex manager.html
# RewriteCond "%{REQUEST_FILENAME}" "!\.html$"
RewriteCond "%{REQUEST_FILENAME}" "!^/(?:static|doc|lib).*"
RewriteRule "^/(.+)$" "/psgi/manager-server.fcgi/$1" [PT]
by:
# RewriteRule "^/$" "/psgi/manager-server.fcgi" [PT]
DirectoryIndex manager.html
RewriteCond "%{REQUEST_FILENAME}" "!\.html$"
RewriteCond "%{REQUEST_FILENAME}" "!^/(?:static|doc|lib).*"
RewriteRule "^/(.+)$" "/psgi/manager-server.fcgi/$1" [PT]
So manager HTML templates will be no more generated by Perl but directly given by the web server.