Zend Server User Guide > Tasks > Working with Optimizer+

Working with Optimizer+

The Optimizer+ runs out-of-the-box (by default, after installation). Optimizer+ allows you to gain a performance boost by reducing code compilation time. When PHP code is compiled for the first time, it is saved in the server’s memory. Each time the code is called, the pre-compiled version is used instead of waiting for the code to compile, which causes a delay each time the code is used.

Note:

Using the Optimizer+ should not be confused with caching. The Optimizer+ saves a compiled script to the server's memory, while Caching saves the script’s output to the server’s memory.

The general recommendation is to always keep the Optimizer+ loaded to boost Web application performance.

When Not to Use Optimizer+ (Blacklist)

There are some instances where it is preferable not to store PHP byte-code for certain PHP files. To do so, you can make a list (a blacklist) of file names that you want the Optimizer+ to ignore or increase the Optimizer+ resource allocation.

 

Files and directives should be blacklisted under the following conditions:

Increasing Optimizer+ Resource Allocation

The following procedure describes how to change Optimizer+ resource allocation. This procedure is used as an alternative to blacklisting files and should be tried first, before adding a file to a blacklist (unless the file meets one of the criteria above). Optimizer+ settings can be changed to increase allocated memory and the maximum quantity of files. This alternative depends on the amount of memory available to allocate to the Accelerator.

Memory allocation can only be increased when the Optimizer+ is set to 'On'.

 

 

To increase the Optimizer+ memory allocation:

  1. In the UI, go to Configurations | Components and verify that the Zend Optimizer+ component is loaded.

  2. Select the component from the Components list to display the list of Optimizer+ directives.

  3. Locate the directive: zend_optimizerplus.memory_consumption and increase the value according to your system's memory allocation abilities.

To increase the quantity of files:

  1. In the UI, go to Configurations | Components and verify that the Zend Optimizer+ component is loaded.

  2. Select the component from the Components list to display the list of Optimizer+ directives.

  3. Locate the directive: zend_optimizerplus.max_accelerated_files and increase the value according to your system's memory allocation abilities.

If the memory fills up quickly (especially if there are only a few files), increase the memory allocation or blacklist the file. Files which exceed the allocated memory or file quantity are not accelerated.
Blacklisting Files

If none of the alternatives (described above) are suitable, or if the file meets one of the criteria for blacklisting a file, use the following procedure to create a blacklist file that contains the file names of the files you do not want to be byte-code cached by Optimizer+.

 

 

To create a blacklist file:

  1. Create a .txt file using a text editor.

  2. Write a list of the file names to blacklist (i.e., ignored by the Optimizer+).
    List each file name in a new line.

  3. In the UI, go to Configurations | Components, verify that the Zend Optimizer+ component is loaded.

  4. Select the component from the Components list to display the list of Optimizer+ directives.

  5. Locate the directive: zend_optimizerplus.blacklist_filename  and specify the full path to the file location.

The files in the blacklist are now ignored by Optimizer+.
Optimizer+ Duplicate Functions Fix

In situations where certain functions were (or were not) defined, some PHP code produces different opcodes, depending on the circumstances. This causes a discrepancy for the Optimizer+ in the situation where the Optimizer+ caches one version and a sequence of eventsAn event is a collection of runtime-related information collected by the Monitor component. This information is collected when an event is triggered, according to the conditions defined by the Monitoring Rules. arises that requires a different function. If the discrepancy is not addressed, the script stops working and raises a "duplicate functions" error.

To maintain proper performance in these and similar situations, activate the zend_optimizerplus.dups_fix parameter. This parameter shuts down the Optimizer+ duplicate function check to prevent these errors from occurring.

This parameter can be defined in Configurations | Components | Optimizer + | Directives by searching for zend_optimizerplus.dups_fix.

Configuring Zend Optimizer+

This procedure describes how to configure the Zend Optimizer+ component.

 

 

Instructions on how to complete a procedure

To configure the component:

  1. In the UI, go to Configurations | Components.
  2. From the Components list, select the component.
    The Expanded view will display the directives associated with the component.
  3. Review the assorted directives and their descriptions, and configure the component according to your personal preferences. For information on how to configure directives, see Working with Components.
  4. In the Action bar, click .

  5. In the toolbar, the restart icon lights up , indicating a restart is needed to apply changes. Click to restart server and apply changes.
    For information on restarting in Zend Server, see Server Restart.

For information on configuring the component daemon directives, see Configuring Component Daemon Directives (Zend Session Clustering, Zend Deployment, Zend Java Bridge, Zend Job Queue, and Zend Monitor).

 

 

Related Links

Related Links:

Optimizer+

 

 

 

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