Chapter 2. Java Application Server Performance


In Chapter 1, we discussed how code optimization requires an investment in understanding the code itself. If you're wondering if this investment is worth the potential dividends , keep this in mind: The Java web application, more than any other single factor, determines web site performance . (Tuning the site hardware or the application server rarely compensates for an underperforming application.) Frequently we find web site teams trying to tune their way around a poorly written or poorly designed web application. If these flaws prove severe, the web site cannot perform or scale until the underlying software receives the attention it needs from the development team.

The next three chapters cover the basics of Java web applications and the Java web site environment. We begin with a brief discussion of Java web application design and an overview of how Java web applications interact with Java web application servers. If you come from a quality assurance (QA) or performance background, this early material gives you an idea of how a Java web application functions based on accepted principles of good design. (Experienced developers might want to just skim for new information.) This overview material does not contain the level of detail you need to design and develop a new Java web application. If you plan to write a Java web application, the bibliography includes some excellent books that provide the detail you need regarding good design and development practices.

Next, we discuss some performance tips that cover many common problem areas in Java web applications, such as logging and poor HTTP session management. Most of these tips apply to any Java web application server implementing the J2EE (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition) standard. (Any tips specific to a given Java web application server implementation receive special note.) If you need more specifics on a particular area of the J2EE standard, we suggest you start by reviewing the materials available on the Sun Java web site: <java.sun.com>.

Remember: The web site is a system. The Java web application plays a critical role in the performance of your web site, but it also interacts with the Java Virtual Machine and other hardware and software components. We suggest that you read this chapter and the next two as a unit to give you a good sense of how the web site components function together to deliver content. Also, let's settle on some terminology at this point. Rather than repeating the phrase "Java web application server" throughout the rest of the book, we're just going to call it an application server. Likewise with "Java web application": from now on we'll refer to it as a web application.



Performance Analysis for Java Web Sites
Performance Analysis for Javaв„ў Websites
ISBN: 0201844540
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2001
Pages: 126

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