We are starting to test Moodle at our college. What is the maximum number of simultaneous users that have been on a Moodle server? At what point do you see a decrease in performance?
Thank you,
Steven Smith
Director of Information Services and Technology
Capitol College
In the evening, my installation supports about 120 users simultaneously. It is on a 1200MHz machine, with the database on a separate system. My installation also has a lot of customizations that increase the load over a typical installation.
The biggest performance problem that we are seeing right now is for courses with lots of resources in them. When teachers look at the page with editing turned on, moodle is slow. I'm currently looking into fixing that.
The biggest performance problem that we are seeing right now is for courses with lots of resources in them. When teachers look at the page with editing turned on, moodle is slow. I'm currently looking into fixing that.
The biggest performance problem that we are seeing right now is for courses with lots of resources in them. When teachers look at the page with editing turned on, moodle is slow. I'm currently looking into fixing that.
Hi Greg,
I've noticed a similar behaviour. Will you post a message when you've found the fix?
Thanks,
Przemek
Hi Greg,
I've noticed a similar behaviour. Will you post a message when you've found the fix?
Thanks,
Przemek
>Will you post a message when you've found the fix?
Sure, I'll post here, and most likely commit to cvs as well.. Although if someone wants to try to beat me to it, I suspect it has to do with the unserialization that takes place.
Sure, I'll post here, and most likely commit to cvs as well.. Although if someone wants to try to beat me to it, I suspect it has to do with the unserialization that takes place.
Haven't submitted to CVS yet, but here is a quick fix.
Long term, get_string should probably be looked at, as it seems to be very slow.
replace the first few lines of make_editing_buttons with the following:
function make_editing_buttons($moduleid, $absolute=false, $visible=true, $strObj=NULL) {
global $CFG, $THEME;
static $str = '';
if (empty($strObj)) {
if(empty($str)) {
$str->delete = get_string("delete");
$str->moveup = get_string("moveup");
$str->movedown = get_string("movedown");
$str->update = get_string("update");
$str->hide = get_string("hide");
$str->show = get_string("show");
}
} else {
$str = $strObj;
}
This fix has sped up page generation from 10seconds to 2 seconds with editing turned on. It speeds things up by only setting up $str once, and then keeping the values for subsequent access. The fix might cause problems for calls where $strObj has been sent, in the same page where make_editing_buttons has been called without sending $strObj.
Long term, get_string should probably be looked at, as it seems to be very slow.
replace the first few lines of make_editing_buttons with the following:
function make_editing_buttons($moduleid, $absolute=false, $visible=true, $strObj=NULL) {
global $CFG, $THEME;
static $str = '';
if (empty($strObj)) {
if(empty($str)) {
$str->delete = get_string("delete");
$str->moveup = get_string("moveup");
$str->movedown = get_string("movedown");
$str->update = get_string("update");
$str->hide = get_string("hide");
$str->show = get_string("show");
}
} else {
$str = $strObj;
}
This fix has sped up page generation from 10seconds to 2 seconds with editing turned on. It speeds things up by only setting up $str once, and then keeping the values for subsequent access. The fix might cause problems for calls where $strObj has been sent, in the same page where make_editing_buttons has been called without sending $strObj.
Ah, well spotted - good stuff! As you'll see in CVS, I had months ago added an optional "str" parameter to that function to fix that very problem, but somehow never got around to pre-defining the string object at the other end ... D'oh! 
When I commit the fix to CVS (probably on Monday), should I just strip out the optional parameter and associated logic?
I'm also thinking that changing the "include" statements in the functions related to get_string() to "include_once" might also boost performance a bit. I'll try that out on Monday before making the cvs commit.
I'm also thinking that changing the "include" statements in the functions related to get_string() to "include_once" might also boost performance a bit. I'll try that out on Monday before making the cvs commit.
Even though I've had maybe one too many Mai Tai's tonight, these both sound like good ideas. 
How many resources/activities are you both dealing with here? Is it resources only, or a mixture of different activities?
If it's only a problem when teacher editing is turned on then I would suspect it is more a problem of HTML layout or a slow browser than the list of activities itself (perhaps because of the many little added images). But some testing of this would be welcome!
If it's only a problem when teacher editing is turned on then I would suspect it is more a problem of HTML layout or a slow browser than the list of activities itself (perhaps because of the many little added images). But some testing of this would be welcome!
Perhaps "instances of modules" would be a better way of phrasing than resources.
Between assignments, choices, forums, journal, quiz, resource, the courses in my installation have anywhere from 10 to 150 or so "instances of modules".
My fix posted elsewhere in this thread has improved performance by about 1 order of magnitude for a typical page when editing is turned on.
Between assignments, choices, forums, journal, quiz, resource, the courses in my installation have anywhere from 10 to 150 or so "instances of modules".
My fix posted elsewhere in this thread has improved performance by about 1 order of magnitude for a typical page when editing is turned on.
I recognise this problem, I even get memory problems in edit mode when my list of weekcards grows:
Workaround: I first select the check box of the card I want to edit, then I go in edit mode and change the card, then leave edit mode and deselect-the card, choose other card etc....
I agree, Ger - that's the best workaround.
But I've noticed you've tended to use the word "cards" lately when I assume you mean "sections" ... we should probably try use consistent terms to improve communication.
Cheers!
But I've noticed you've tended to use the word "cards" lately when I assume you mean "sections" ... we should probably try use consistent terms to improve communication.
Cheers!
Yes, I agree, it is my local dialect:
- I sell Moodle to teachers as a set of taskcards
- One of my teachers "invented" the idea to use the title of a card to write a complete week outline on the card.. (Only later switching to the hyperlink-approach)
- I use the metaphor of a pile of cards
- during an introduction I start now with a set of paper cards
- playing the design of a course,using that cards-set for notetaking
- on each card you can put studytasks and actiontasks
- you can choose theme approach or topic approach
- you can reshuffle the order of the cards (like you now can also in Moodle, thanks Martin)
- then I show them the look-a-like of the tasks-card-set, yes... Moodle
- then I show them the extra options with the eyes (complete hidden would be better)
- then I show them the possibilty to reshuffle the tasks on each card
- I also show them examples of resources you can "hang-in"
- then they wish to use Moodle...
- Some BlackBoard users are looking for missing functions, I show them the power of the Moodle-forum instead..
Nice approach!
Stephen, the answer is the same as for "how long is a piece of string?" - there are many factors involved ... http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=1199
We have 450 current students---using our system 24 hours a day---no problems encountered yet.
If You are using a Linux machine, how are your memory (and other) settings for php? I was trying to write a huge test-course in Moodle, then run in memory errors on Linux (not with the same resource on the Windows2000... have still to try the WindowsXP...)
After changing php settings from 32 to 48 it seems gone...