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KeepAlive Tuning consideration when using IBM WebSphere DataPower SOA Appliance with a slow backend

Question & Answer


Question

Is there a KeepAlive tuning consideration when using a slow backend with a DataPower Appliance?

Cause

If a backend server is using KeepAlive and is very slow, resources may be held for longer, reducing throughput and ultimately causing resource consumption/buildup.

An example KeepAlive option that might be used on the backend http server:

# KeepAlive: Whether or not to allow persistent connections (more than
# one request per connection). Set to "Off" to deactivate.
#
KeepAlive On
#
# MaxKeepAliveRequests: The maximum number of requests to allow
# during a persistent connection. Set to 0 to allow an unlimited amount.
# We recommend you leave this number high, for maximum performance.
#
MaxKeepAliveRequests 100
#
# KeepAliveTimeout: Number of seconds to wait for the next request from the
# same client on the same connection.
#

Answer

If the backend is slow , the MaxKeepAliveRequests limit may be reached. If this seems to cause resource consumption, a potential work-around could be to set the MaxKeepAliveRequests (or the equivalent setting, depending on the http server) to 0.

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Document Information

Modified date:
08 June 2021

UID

swg21512411