Summary
The Oracle Fusion Middleware Server Performance Assessment Questionnaire is a diagnostic tool designed to optimize WebLogic Server performance by identifying and tuning critical parameters across CPU, memory, disk, and network resources. By establishing a performance baseline in a production-equivalent environment, administrators can systematically monitor resource utilization and adjust configurations one by one to eliminate bottlenecks. This assessment is essential for maintaining stability under high load, ensuring that latency-sensitive applications meet their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) through efficient clustering, SSL management, and session handling.
Objective:
This questionnaire aims to highlight key parameters for tuning the Oracle WebLogic Server to optimize its performance. It is always recommended to adjust and monitor parameters one by one, tracking resource usage (CPU, Disk, Network) against a baseline established in an environment equivalent to the production setup.
1.Environment and Capacity Parameters
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| Application anticipated number of users | ||
| The number and size of requests | ||
| The amount of data and its consistency |
2.PERFORMANCE METRICS — ‘Run Application Under High Load’
Application Server
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| CPU utilization -Non Latency Sensitive apps | Utilization not to exceed 90% | |
| CPU utilization -Latency Sensitive apps | Utilization to fall between (70% – 80%) CPU utilization | |
| Disk utilization | Disk is 100 percent utilized), move to faster disks or to a RAID (redundant array of independent disks) configuration, with same application writes. |
Database Server
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| CPU utilization | Utilization not to exceed 90% | |
| Disk utilization | -Consider tuning Select SQL statements with high utilization – (Disk is 100 percent utilized), move to faster disks or to a RAID (redundant array of independent disks) configuration. |
Monitor Network Workload
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| Monitor Network Workload | -Is there enough bandwidth? | |
| No Of transactions need to run simultaneously | ||
| Is Database a limiting factor | ||
| Are there addition DB user storage requirements | ||
| Other apps running on WebLogic Server | ||
| types of traffic the clients generate to the server : | RMI do not generate heavy traffic to the server |
Types of clients connect to the WebLogic Server application
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| (Remote Method Invocation (RMI)) | ||
| RMI can use HTTP tunneling used (yes – no) | -RMI tunneled through HTTP often does not deliver the higher degree of performance provided by non-tunneled RMI. |
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Certificates Information : | -WebLogic Server security services support X.509 digital certificates and access control lists (ACLs) to authenticate participants and manage access to network services – WebLogic Server includes native performance packs for SSL operations. |
|
| (Mostly X.509 is used) | ||
| Total number of clients required : | ||
| The number of SSL connections required : | Typically, for every SSL connection that the server can handle, it can handle three non-SSL connections |
Web Server Process Load
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| Other Applications / services running on the machine in addition to a WebLogic Server ? | -Consider how much of your WebLogic Server machine’s processing power is consumed by processes unrelated to WebLogic Server. -In the case in which WebLogic Server (or the machine on which it resides) is doing substantial additional work, you need to determine how much processing power will be drained by other processes. |
3.Concurrent Sessions
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum number of concurrent sessions WebLogic Server will be called upon to handle. | -Oracle recommends that you install a minimum of 256 MB of memory for each WebLogic Server installation that will be handling more than minimal capacity. -For each session, you will need to add more RAM for efficiency. -Get the maximum number of clients that will make requests at the same time, and how frequently each client will be making a request. The number of user interactions per second with WebLogic Server represents the total number of interactions that should be handled per second by a given WebLogic Server deployment. Typically for Web deployments, user interactions access JSP pages or servlets. User interactions in application deployments typically access EJBs. Consider also the maximum number of transactions in a given period to handle spikes in demand. For example, in a stock report application, plan for a surge after the stock market opens and before it closes. If your company is broadcasting a Web site as part of an advertisement during the World Series or World Cup Soccer playoffs, you should expect spikes in demand. |
4.Clusters greatly improve efficiency and failover
Clustering configuration
| Parameter | Value | Recommendation / Recommended Values |
|---|---|---|
| Is your weblogic server deployed on a cluster (Yes – No) | –If no, consider clustering as it can enhance performance in a great way. -In case of clustering, Consider increasing the size of session data and the size of the cluster as clustered to support EJBs sessions performance |
FAQ
1. What is the primary objective of this performance assessment?
The primary goal is to highlight key tuning parameters for the Oracle WebLogic Server to ensure it is optimized for high-load performance. It provides a structured methodology for tracking resource usage against established baselines to identify and resolve capacity issues.
2. What are the recommended CPU utilization thresholds for WebLogic?
For non-latency sensitive applications, CPU utilization should not exceed 90% to maintain a buffer for background tasks. Latency-sensitive applications require more overhead and should ideally maintain a utilization range between 70% and 80%.
3. How should disk utilization issues be addressed on the server?
If disk utilization consistently reaches 100%, Oracle recommends moving to faster disks or a RAID configuration to handle high-frequency application writes. Additionally, administrators should tune SQL Select statements to reduce unnecessary I/O strain on the database server.
4. What is the minimum memory requirement for a WebLogic Server installation?
Oracle recommends a minimum of 256 MB of RAM for each WebLogic Server installation that handles more than minimal capacity. To maintain efficiency, additional RAM must be allocated for every concurrent user session added to the environment.
5. How does SSL processing impact overall server capacity?
A server’s capacity for SSL connections is significantly lower than for standard connections; typically, it can handle three non-SSL connections for every one SSL connection. To mitigate this overhead, WebLogic includes native performance packs specifically optimized for SSL operations and X.509 certificate authentication.
6. Why is non-tunneled RMI preferred over RMI tunneling?
Non-tunneled RMI is preferred because tunneling RMI through HTTP introduces overhead that prevents the server from delivering high-degree performance. While tunneling is useful for bypassing firewalls, direct RMI remains the most efficient method for client-to-server traffic.
7. What are the key benefits of deploying WebLogic in a cluster?
Clustering greatly improves system efficiency and provides essential failover support, particularly for EJB sessions. It allows the server to scale by distributing the processing load across multiple instances, ensuring the application remains available even if one server fails.
8. Why must administrators monitor processes unrelated to WebLogic?
It is critical to determine how much processing power is drained by other services on the machine to avoid resource starvation for the WebLogic Server. Substantial additional work on the same hardware can lead to unpredictable latency and reduced throughput for middleware applications.
9. How should user interactions be measured to handle demand spikes?
Performance planning should focus on user interactions per second for JSP pages, servlets, and EJBs to account for peak demand surges. Identifying these patterns allows administrators to prepare for specific events, such as market openings, that cause sudden spikes in transaction volume.
10. What is the best practice for adjusting server tuning parameters?
The recommended approach is to adjust and monitor parameters one by one while tracking resource usage against a baseline established in a production-equivalent environment. This incremental strategy ensures that the impact of each change is understood and prevents the introduction of new performance regressions.
References
