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Date: 23 Apr 2001 13:17:36 EDT
From: doug@hornig.net (Douglas E. Hornig)
Subject: Solaris Sparc Performance Problem
To: tomcat-dev@jakarta.apache.org
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I posed this problem to the good folks on the users list.  While =
they are a great bunch, and several offered some suggestions, I was =
unable to get any help from them so I'm trying the dev list now.

The problem in a nutshell is that requests I make to tomcat running =
on a Solaris Sparc from a Windows client take at least 0.15 to 0.20 =
seconds.  If I run tomcat on a Linux PC, or use a Linux PC as a =
client instead of Windows, the turnaround time is more like 0.01 =
seconds.

Here are the particulars:

* All machines are on the same 100Mbit ethernet.
* Tomcat is running standalone.
* I tried a couple of different Sparcs, a 420R and an Ultra 5, =
neither with any load.  No difference.
* I wrote a simple Java program to use as the test client so there =
are no browsers involved.
* I tried various different Java VM releases on the Sparcs, 1.2.1 =
and 1.3.0 with no difference seen.
* I tried a couple different PCs (NT4 and Win2000) and found the =
same results.
* Other programmers here reported slowness using VisualBasic as the =
client instead of Java (that's how I got started investigating =
this).  Java Web Server 2.0 also appeared to have the same problem =
as tomcat.  I have not personally been able to verify these =
assertions.
* The results seem very repeatable.
* I used a generic tomcat 3.2.1 for the server and hit the =
examples/servlet/HelloWorldExample URL for these tests.

This is a very serious problem for us.  The above mentioned VB =
client that we're developing can make dozens of calls to the server =
per screen, so those 0.2 second delays add up.  I like Linux a lot =
myself but the bosses here feel more comfortable with more =
traditional business models, and besides shouldn't Java run best on =
a Sparc with Solaris?  I am perplexed as to what the problem is and =
would greatly appreciate any help or ideas I can get.

Thanks in advance,

Douglas Hornig
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH