Zend Server: A Guided Tour
By Shahahr EvronTechnical Product Manager, Zend Technologies
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Welcome!
I am your tour guide today:▶ A PHP programmer since 2002▶ At Zend since 2005▶ Technical Product Manager for Zend Server
Yes, I have a difficult name (at least for English speakers)
▶ Shachar (German, Dutch)
▶ Shajar (Spanish)
▶ Шахар (Russian)
▶ (Arabic) شخر
▶ (Hebrew) שחר
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AgendaZend Server: What & Why?
Improving PHP's manageability▶ Installation, Zend Server Administration UI
Improving your application's performance▶ Optimizer+, Data Cache, Page Cache, Job Queue
Improving your application's reliability▶ Zend Monitor, Code Tracing
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What is Zend Server?...and why should I care?
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...Well, Just ask your friend at marketing!
“Zend Server is a complete, enterprise-ready Web Application Server for
running and managing PHP applications that require a high level of reliability, performance and
security.”
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Let's try to make sense out of that..
Zend Server Is:▶ A complete, well tested PHP runtime environment▶ Supported and updated by Zend▶ Comes with a set of extra features that:
● Improve the performance and reliability of PHP applications● Make it easier to manage a consistent PHP environment
Comes in two flavors:▶ Zend Server▶ Zend Server Community Edition
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Manageability Features...making PHP even simpler
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Installation
Zend Server uses OS-native installers▶ Linux: Deb and RPM repositories▶ Windows: MSI▶ Mac OS X*: PKG installer
This is good because:▶ Native means well-known, convenient, proven, reliable▶ Upgrading, updating, modifying and removing is easy▶ Automating, scripting and bundling is also easy
* Mac OS X is Community Edition only
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For example, the DEB installation...
All you have to do is:▶ Add a line to /etc/apt/sources.list▶ Run the usual aptitude or apt-get commands, or use Synaptic
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For example, the DEB installation...
And you get:▶ The latest stable* PHP version
● With additional testing done by Zend's QA team● With Zend's extra components
▶ All packaging features supported by your distribution's tools:● automatic update notifications, configuration management● Repository mirroring / proxying capabilities● Ability to hold back / roll back / remove specific components
If you know your way around Debian, you can also easily:▶ Script & automate the installation▶ Create your own meta-packages that include the parts you need
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The Administration InterfaceZend Server's GUI allows you to conveniently...
▶ Control the different Zend Server components▶ Control your PHP settings
● PHP Extensions● PHP Directives
▶ Monitor the current system status● Extension status● PHP status● Logs● Available updates & security fixes
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Performance Features
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Zend Server's approach to performanceA Web application's performance is affected by many different factors...
...This is why taking a single measure will only give partial results
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Zend Server's approach to performanceReally improving performance requires combining different measures:
▶ Configuration Optimization▶ Opcode Optimization and Caching▶ Data Caching and Page Caching▶ Off-line or parallel execution
Not all performance optimizations are equal▶ Some are almost free and should be done in almost all cases▶ Some are expensive and should not be done without insight
Zend Server provides the measures, and the insight!
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Optimizer+Eliminates the stuff you don't really need:
▶ Code optimizer● Optimizes certain code fragments to improve execution speed
▶ Opcode cache● Caches the optimized, compiled bytecode in RAM● Reduces or eliminates
compile time● Reduces or eliminates
disk access
Magento Drupal SugarCRM CE05
101520253035404550
2.24
13.96 12.69
5.3
45.5541.73
Bare PHP Optimizer+
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Data CachingProvides a set of API functions for caching of data items
▶ DB query results, web service calls, complex or hard-to-get data▶ Output elements
▶ Allows skipping slow PHP code chunks▶ Shared memory and Disk storage backends▶ Data could be grouped using namespaces▶ APC user cache compatibility layer▶ Zend Framework Zend_Cache_Backend adapters
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Page CachingDon't execute a single line of PHP if you don't have to...
▶ Caches entire HTTP response ▶ Super fast (seriously!)▶ Configured from UI, no code changes required▶ Live / cached decision is based on request or session parameters▶ Variants can be created
based on request or session parameters
No Cache Session Rule Other Rule0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
21.94
201.17
589.26
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Page Caching
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Job QueueA PHP script often needs to handle several tasks.
▶ Some of which don't need to be interactive
Think of a typical on-line forum:▶ A user posts a message to a thread▶ Message is saved in the DB▶ Emails are sent to all thread watchers▶ Search index is refreshed▶ Feeds are regenerated
Your end user shouldn't wait for these to finish!
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Job Queue Job Queue allows you to
▶ Put certain tasks into a separate execution queue● Off-load to a later time (or even run in parallel)● Off-load to a different server
▶ Execute certain tasks at a specified time● Distribute processing load to off-hours
▶ Execute certain tasks periodically
While..▶ Maximizing reuse of existing infrastructure & code▶ Making sure nothing falls between the cracks▶ Doing it all from a PHP API
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Job Queue – A Common Execution Flow
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Reliability FeaturesMake sure it keeps running!
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Reliability?Getting your application out there is one thing, keeping it working properly is a different story!
Zend Server helps you by:▶ Making sure your software is
up-to-date, including critical fixes▶ Monitoring your apps for errors,
slowdowns and other troubles▶ Capturing data that can be used
when resolving any detected issues
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Application Level MonitoringZend Server Monitor will watch your application for:
▶ PHP Errors (including warnings, notices, uncaught exceptions...)▶ Failing functions (user-defined or internal)▶ Failing DB queries ▶ Slow functions (user-defined or internal) or DB queries▶ Slow request executions▶ High memory consumption▶ Errors reported by Zend Server
components
When an issue is detected, Zend Server will report an event
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Root Cause AnalysisRecurring events are aggregated and placed on a timeline
▶ So you can know if a problem repeats, and if so when
Each event report contains context information that can assist in debugging the event:
▶ URL, file, line, error message, repeat count etc.▶ Request information (GET, POST, COOKIE etc.)▶ Server information ▶ Session Information▶ Backtrace (if relevant)
For many errors, this information is crucial for debugging
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Integration with Zend StudioZend Server integrates with Zend Studio and allows you to “replay” an event
▶ In a debugging session▶ In a profiling session
▶ This can be done with one button click from the GUI▶ …or, by exporting the event data and passing it to a developer,
from the developer's IDE
▶ You can also “replay” on an alternate testing server
In many cases this eliminates time spent on reproduction
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Code TracingReproducing an issue is not always possible...
▶ Dependency on specific SESSION state▶ Dependency on specific database state▶ “Replaying” the request is risky or impossible
Zend Code Tracing can capture the entire execution flow▶ ...and, it is efficient enough to be used in most production
environments!
“Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.”- Billy Wilder
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Code TracingCan be used in several ways:
▶ Automatic tracing in case of a Zend Monitor event● For example a PHP error, a slow execution or high memory usage
▶ Manually through the GUI or from a browser▶ Through API
Can capture the following information:▶ Execution tree including function calls and included files▶ Function agrument and return parameters▶ Output and header generation▶ Location of errors, exceptions and Zend Monitor events▶ For each node, execution time and memory usage is measured
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Code Tracing
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Updates & Hot Fixes from ZendZend Server is regularly updated with...
▶ PHP releases▶ Zend Framework releases▶ Important patches to PHP and supporting components
● Bugs fixed by the PHP team but not yet released● Patches committed by Zend to the PHP source tree, but not yet
released
Zend also issues hot-fixes when needed▶ All relevant security reports are analyzed by Zend▶ This includes PHP, extensions, libraries, and other components▶ Zend is committed to releasing hot-fixes for critical issues
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…So, what have we seen?
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Closing Words...Zend Server can help you to...
▶ Stop worrying about PHP updates▶ Improve your applications performance using various tools
● Some improvement is effortless● You get the infrastructure for future improvement● You get the diagnostic tools for prioritizing optimizations
▶ Know about production issues as they happen
▶ Quickly resolve these issues
Focus on your own applications!
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Thanks!Email me: [email protected] more at http://www.zend.com/server
Copyright © 2009 Zend Technologies Ltd.
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