Server Optimisation for Website
Server Optimisation for website performance is important in supporting end-user requirements.
Server optimisation is crucial for any website. By ensuring the server is running at its best, websites can load quicker and be more efficient.
If users are unable to complete tasks due to slow response times, they will likely take their business elsewhere. Therefore, server performance must be monitored, and if issues with processing or sluggish response
This can result in increased traffic and revenue. In this article, we will discuss the definition of server optimisation, why server optimisation is crucial, and also the techniques to carry out server optimisation for a website.
Definition of Server Optimisation
Server optimisation is the practice of making a system or application run more efficiently. It involves making sure that the system is configured and operated in the most effective way possible to meet the needs of its user.
The goal is to make the system as efficient as possible so that it can provide high levels of service while using fewer resources.
There are many ways to measure server optimisation, but some common measures include response time (how long it takes for a request to be completed), throughput (the amount of data processed per second), and capacity (how much data a system can hold).
Server optimisation can also involve improving security, reducing user wait times, and reducing costs.
Why is Server Optimisation Crucial?
Server optimisation is crucial for any business, as it can improve response times and save on costs.
By keeping your servers running at their best, you can keep your customers happy and ensure that your company keeps moving forward. Here are some reasons why server optimisation is so important:
- Improved response times mean that customers can get their queries answered more quickly. This means that businesses can focus on other areas, such as developing new products or services.
- Server optimisation can also save on costs by reducing the need for extra hardware or software. This means that businesses can afford to offer better services without breaking the bank.
- Finally, server optimisation can help to build brand loyalty among customers by providing an exceptional experience. When customers know they can rely on a certain business to provide quality service, they are more likely to return in the future.
From 2010 to 2012, the number of Australian businesses using server optimisation grew at an annual rate of 8%.
Source – SEJ
This is a significant increase from the 2% growth seen in the previous two years. It also indicates that businesses are becoming more aware of the benefits that server optimisation can bring.
10 Techniques To Carry Out Server Optimisation for Website
1. Select The Appropriate Application
Selecting the appropriate application is important to server optimisation.
Different applications require different servers and configurations to run optimally. Apache is a good choice for a web server, while MySQL is a good choice for a database server.
It is also important to configure the server correctly. The correct settings will vary depending on the application, but some general settings that should be tweaked include the maximum number of file descriptors, the maximum number of processes, and CPU priority.
Finally, it is important to monitor the server to ensure that it is running optimally. There are several tools available for monitoring servers, such as Nagios and Munin. The following is a list of some common Syslog features:
- Syslog messages can be sent to a remote Syslog server, or directly to the console.
- It can be written to a file.
- Syslog messages can be sent as emails.
- S.M can be sent by SNMP.
2. Incorporate Caching
When it comes to website optimisation, caching is one of the most important techniques you can use.
This is because it speeds up the loading of pages by caching static files and eliminating the need to send requests to the server for each page load.
This can result in a significant improvement in the performance of your website. There are several different ways that you can incorporate caching into your website.
The most common approach is to use a content delivery network (CDN), which caches static files on servers around the world.
This ensures that users will always have a fast connection to a cached file, regardless of where they are located.
Another approach is to use a reverse proxy cache. This cache requests from the server, allowing it to handle more traffic and resulting in improved performance. A CDN can be used to cache static files, such as images and scripts.
This can greatly improve performance for your users since they will always have a cached copy of the file. The downside is that you need to pay for a CDN provider.
Here are some places where you could enable caching:
- Memory Cache
- HTTP Cache
- Application Cache
- Opcode Cache
Memory Cache
A memory cache is a part of the system memory that is used to store frequently accessed data. Data in the memory cache can be accessed faster than data from other parts of the system memory or disk storage. To speed up access to data, you can configure your web server to use memory caching.
HTTP Cache
HTTP cache stores copies of HTTP responses from web servers. Additionally, it can reduce network traffic between the origin server and client by storing copies of web pages in memory.
To speed up access to web pages, you can configure your web server to use HTTP caching. Application cache stores copies of application resources such as JavaScript files, CSS files, and images.
The HTTP Cache is a caching system that allows web servers to store common content data to reduce the cost of accessing it.
Application Cache
Applications can be cached to improve performance. When an application is cached, it is temporarily stored on the user’s device so that future requests for the same application will be served from the cache rather than requiring a new request to be sent to the server.
Caching can also speed up page load times by serving previously requested pages from the cache rather than re-requesting them from the server.
If an application you are using is not already cached, you can save it to your device as a “favorite” by tapping the “Add to favorites” button. When you want to use the application again, simply tap on the favorite and it will be ready for you to use.
Opcode Cache
An opcode cache is a memory-based lookup table used by processors to speed up the execution of certain instructions.
An opcode cache stores the opcodes for specific machine code instructions, allowing the processor to quickly access these codes without having to consult a disk or other external store.
3. Improve DNS Response Time
Static DNS is an antiquated technology that suffers from slow response times and poor availability. To improve performance, many providers have turned to dynamic DNS services.
These services allow the provider’s DNS servers to respond automatically to inquiries from clients, alleviating the need for clients to query a static server.
However, despite their popularity, dynamic DNS services can suffer from poor performance when congested or under heavy load.
This article presents a method for improving response time for dynamic DNS by caching responses from the provider’s DNS servers. Introduction
DNS is the native protocol by which the Internet’s domain name service, or DNS, functions.
The network-level function of DNS is to translate a web browser’s request for a web page into an IP address that can be used to access the page.
The translation is done by the Domain Name System (DNS) server, which maintains a list of IP addresses for each domain name. When a DNS lookup request is issued, the server looks up its address in the list and returns it to the requestor.
4. Optimise Database Settings
Database optimisations are important for improving the performance of your MySQL server. There are several things you can do to improve the performance of your MySQL database, including:
1) Optimising your table layout: By arranging your tables more efficiently, you can reduce the amount of data that needs to be read from the database.
Reorganizing your table layout By reorganizing the columns in your tables, you can increase the speed and efficiency at which your queries run.
2) Compressing your data: By compressing your data, you can reduce the amount of storage required by your MySQL server. Compressing your data can save you disk space and time.
3) Configuring your indexing: By configuring appropriate indexes on tables, you can speed up queries by allowing MySQL to use pre-existing information to quickly find relevant data.
4) Tweaking your MySQL settings: By tweaking MySQL configuration settings, you can improve overall performance.
5. Utilize Website Virtualization
Website virtualization is the process of creating multiple, isolated, independent copies of a website on different servers.
By doing so, the website can be maintained and updated without affecting live sites. This technology can also be used to improve security by isolating malicious code and viruses from the live site.
The goal of Website virtualization is to provide security and stability for the live site, but also to deliver faster page loads. The main benefit of this technology is that it can be applied to any website and can be used across all browsers, operating systems, and devices.
Virtual hosting is a term describing the process of creating multiple, isolated, independent copies of a website on different servers.
By doing so, the website can be maintained and updated without affecting live sites.
Virtual hosting has several advantages. Firstly, it allows redundancy by creating multiple copies of the live site and storing them on separate servers.
6. Image Optimisation
Image optimisations is the practice of reducing the size of an image to make it more manageable and download faster.
This can be done through a variety of methods, including cropping, resizing, and removing unnecessary detail. Image optimisations can improve the visual appeal of a website or email, as well as increase its performance.
Image optimisations is the practice of reducing the size of an image to make it more manageable and download faster. This can be done through a variety of methods, including cropping, resizing, and removing unnecessary detail.
Image optimisations can improve the visual appeal of a website or email, as well as increase its performance.
Source – Kinsta
7. Minimise Redirects
Redirects are typically a sign that your website is missing important functionality or is not functioning as it should.
By minimizing the number of redirects, you can make your website more user-friendly and speed up navigation. Here are some tips to help you minimize redirects:
- Make sure all links on your website work properly. Broken or outdated links can cause your website to redirect frequently.
- Avoid creating multiple versions of pages with different URLs. This can lead to confusion for users and increased redirection activity.
- Use canonical URL tags to ensure that all page content leads back to one main page on your website. This will help reduce the number of redirects necessary for users trying to navigate your website.
- Clean up any outdated or unnecessary content on your website, including broken links and unused images and CSS files.
- Use 301 redirects to redirect users back to the most relevant page when they land on a page that doesn’t lead to the desired result. Pay special attention to codes in your HTML documents that redirect pages, such as “/index.php?
8. Select The Appropriate Hosting
Selecting the appropriate hosting can be confusing. With so many options available, it can be hard to know which one is right for your business. Here are six tips to help you make a decision:
- Consider your budget. If you have limited funds, then a cheap host may be the best option for you. However, if you have more money to spend, then you may want to invest in a more expensive host.
- Think about your website’s needs. Your website needs a web host that has enough storage and bandwidth to hold your files as well as offer support for dynamic content such as eCommerce platforms or social media sites.
- Consider your website’s location. If your website is located in a remote part of the world, then it may be wise to choose a host that offers quality support for the language or region in which you are operating.
- Think about the location of your server. If your website is located in a country with high-speed broadband, then you may want to choose a host that has an office nearby.
- Think about how much space you will need. If you have a large website with lots of content, then you may need more space than most hosts provide.
- Think about how much traffic your website will receive. If your site receives a lot of traffic, then you may want to choose a host that can offer high bandwidth.
- Think about how long you plan to run your server. If you have a website that will only be up for a few months, then you may not need the extra space and bandwidth of an expensive host.
9. Eliminate Unnecessary Plugins
Do you use a lot of plugins? If so, are they really necessary? There are a few simple steps you can take to eliminate needless plugins and improve your WordPress site’s performance.
First, find out what your site needs and check to see if those items can be done without a plugin. Next, consider whether there is an available plugin that provides the same functionality as the one you’re looking to replace.
Finally, disable or remove any unnecessary plugins. By taking these steps, you’ll help your site run more smoothly and save loading time.
10. Utilise Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A content delivery network (CDN) is a distributed system that helps deliver web pages and other content faster to users by caching copies of this content closer to the end-users.
This can be beneficial because it reduces the load time of web pages for users, making them more responsive and saving bandwidth for websites.
Additionally, CDNs can help to improve SEO by delivering your website’s content to search engines from multiple points around the world.
A mutation testing approach has been developed by the Google Chrome team to assist with website security and content integrity.
This approach involves creating a set of test data that is generated by randomly changing the content of a web page. The aim is to eliminate any potential security vulnerabilities in the website’s code, content, and system configurations.
Conclusion
In this article, we have looked at the topic of server optimisation and what can be done to improve performance.
We have highlighted some key points to take away from the article, including the importance of load balancing and proper sizing for your web application.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your website is running as smoothly as possible.
Do you have any questions or comments, please tell us!
