S3Corp. Tech Blog

Website monitoring and testing is one of the key aspects of software testing industry. Over the years, the count of Web users has tremendously increased, and so do their expectations from the Web applications. However, with the increasing number of Web-based applications, issues related to Web applications are inevitable. There are a number of performance-related issues that can be encountered. The key lies in tracing the point of failure and eliminating it. This is indeed the best way in which you can avoid the issues affecting the users.

There are various factors that help in addressing performance-related issues, including a good maintenance program or a downtime strategy. Developing redundancy and scaling plans can also prove to be decisive in such situations. Moreover, you must have a fair idea about the amount of load to be handled in the near future. This would help in performing the regular load test and monitoring the performance of the production.

In spite of all these, you can still experience performance-related issues. Some of the common performance-related issues and their possible solutions are discussed below.

Poor code draft

Poorly written code can lead to ineffectual algorithms and memory leaks. In the worst case, it can also cause application deadlock. Some of the other factors responsible for performance degradation include conventional software and integrated legacy systems.

Solution: Ensure the use of automated tools and follow some best programming practices like code reviews.

Inefficient databases

An unoptimized database can affect the application in production. However, optimization guarantees a high-level of security and performance. One of the major reasons for site downtime is bad SQL queries due to missing indexes.

Solution: Remove any inefficient queries by checking scripts and file statistics.

Improper data growth

The performance of your web application depends on how well you plan to manage and monitor your data. However, over a passage of time, the data system tends to degrade.  The key is to find out the factors driving the data growth and appropriate storage.

 Solution: Look for different options, including layered solutions for storage.

Increased traffic

Website traffic is always considered a positive factor; however, they can be challenging, especially after a market promotion when you are not at all ready

Solution: Plan and use a simulated user monitoring system to get an early warning.

Improper distribution of load

Assigning a new visitor to an inactive or an unresponsive server is an act of poor load distribution. If a server receives too many requests, there are going to be issued.

Solution: Use tools to find infrastructural weakness and manage load distribution.

Incorrect configuration

There are different configurations required for web applications and for new components, with the latter working fine with the default configuration.

Solution: You must check every setting, including the thread counts, permissions, and allocated memory.

Network Strength, DNS, and Firewall

Network, DNS, and Firewall are critical for connectivity and access. With DNS queries contributing to the majority of the web traffic, there are many instances of DNS related issues leading to errors and inaccessibility.

Solution: Use DNS monitoring tools and troubleshoot other performance issues.

Third-party services

Some slowdowns are out of control, including a stalled page or an ad page getting loaded from a different ad server.

Solution: Try making some changes in the design and make sure that your off-service provider guarantees performance.

Virtual Machines and Shared Resources

With the dependency of web application on virtual machines, one can experience performance related issues, especially when a physical server is hosting hundreds of VMs.

Solution: Closely monitor the system to get rid of VM related issues.

Domino effect

Failure at a location can affect other spots as well. At times it’s very difficult to determine the consequences, as you might not even think of the side-effect of a particular failure.

Solution: You must train yourself and your team to find root causes. For example, you can try introducing abnormal errors in the network to extend the resilience boundary.

Source: 360logica