Hi there,

I came across a few services that perform stress testing on WordPress websites with a standard installation and several pages. I used the default configured lamp and was surprised by the results. On the loadimpact.com service, a 512 MB virtual machine could only accommodate 50 simultaneous visitors and 1-2 requests per second. I'm not sure if this is too little or too much?
After a while, the system slowed down and eventually stopped working.

Can you suggest any options to improve the website's performance? I want to move away from shared hosting because it's no longer profitable. Is it appropriate to use auto-restart for the system? How can I fine-tune Apache for a 512 MB virtual machine on an SSD? Also, do you know of any reliable services that can conduct an adequate assessment of my website's performance?

Before the system failed, there were 41 active simulated clients (VU or SBU), 82 active connections, 1045 requests (7 req/s), and current requests per second.

Consider hiring an administrator.
As per the sub, if WordPress is not overloaded with ineffective plugins (and its base size is less than 250 MB), then it can handle 5-7 requests per second on the virtual machine.

If you push harder, it could potentially handle 10 requests per second. The number of visitors on the site does not necessarily indicate anything significant.

To ensure stability, it's advisable to generate a swapfile.

Next, follow these standard procedures:
1) Monitor the server, using tools such as Munin or Monit.
2) Load the server.
3) Review logs and monitor performance.
4) Fine-tune service and CMS configurations.
5) Repeat steps 2-4 until satisfactory results are achieved. Additionally, consider using blitz.io for online service load testing, as its free version generates a more significant load compared to LoadImpact.

Purchase one instance for every component of the system within the same DO.
This includes 1 instance of mysql, 1 instance of php-fpm, and 1 instance of nginx. Integrate them all with the same newrelic account under the free tariff.

The total cost will be 15 dollars and this will bring happiness. Scaling horizontally in the future will be a simpler process with this setup.

To begin optimizing the website's performance, consider moving away from Apache and PHP to more lightweight alternatives. A potential option is to switch to a more efficient web server like Nginx and a PHP processor like PHP-FPM. Nginx is known for its low memory usage and high concurrency, making it suitable for handling a larger number of simultaneous connections with less strain on resources compared to Apache.

Make sure to enable caching mechanisms such as object caching and page caching. Utilizing a caching plugin like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache can drastically reduce the number of database queries and server-side computations, thereby improving the website's overall responsiveness.

In addition, optimizing the database for efficiency is crucial. This involves ensuring that the database tables are indexed properly and that unnecessary or resource-intensive queries are minimized. Furthermore, consider offloading static assets like images, CSS, and JavaScript files to a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute the load and reduce the strain on the server.

Regarding the decision to move away from shared hosting, transitioning to a more scalable and resource-efficient hosting solution such as a virtual private server (VPS) or a cloud-based hosting platform could be a viable option. This would provide more control over server resources and enable the implementation of custom optimizations tailored to the website's specific needs.

As for the use of an auto-restart system, while it can be a temporary solution to address system failures, it is not a substitute for identifying and resolving the root causes of performance issues. Instead, focus on diagnosing and addressing the underlying factors contributing to the system slowdown.

When fine-tuning Apache for a 512 MB virtual machine on an SSD, consider adjusting the MaxClients directive to a lower value to prevent the server from becoming overwhelmed by too many concurrent connections. Additionally, optimize the KeepAlive settings to efficiently manage client-server connections.

Finally, when seeking reliable services to conduct a thorough assessment of the website's performance, consider engaging a reputable performance tuning and optimization consultancy. Look for companies with a track record of successfully improving the performance of WordPress websites and optimizing server configurations for maximum efficiency.