Re: some ideas for open discussion

If we change /error/index.php -> /error.php and re-evaluate the way we use include, we can eliminate a whole bunch of stat() syscalls (see Ilia's recent commit, and also Rasmus' commits). This also solves the relative links problem that you mentioned. If we have a well maintained search "center", and it is capable of handling the load (a *LOT* of requests are made to search.php), then I'm all for using it. Adopting the country detection code on ch.php.net and having it link to an appropriate mirror will help (essentially making ch.php.net into a dedicated search engine, rather than serving pages). Having at least one mirror per country with search facilities will avoid killing ch.php.net. Having a second search mirror in the USA will help a great deal also. revising /search.php so that it doesn't redirect to /manual-lookup.php (instead, handle the lookup itself), will save a redirect. These are the obvious problem areas; if re-thinking how phpweb works is needed to address these issues, so be it (better that than a dead box!). Ilia has spotted a couple of other areas that can be tuned (that don't require radical changes); he is planning to take a look this weekend. I've got nothing against your ideas; please stop insinuating that I've taken over the phpweb; all I have done is to prevent a machine-killing load, so that we can now discuss a nicer long term solution at leisure. --Wez. On Fri, 23 May 2003, Gabor Hojtsy wrote: > Hi! > > In case anyone is interested in my ideas to provide better user > experience and / or take load off the server, here are two, which are > open for discussion: > > 1. Codename: onehalf. Cut the request numbers for URL shortcuts in half > > - include the found manual page or webpage in > error/index.php instead of redirecting to it > > - the problem with this is that relative links will not work > > - no problem, we need to add a <base href=""> to all the pages > (fixable in layout.inc). just this base need to point to the > right page everytime > > how this can be done automatically is a good question, we can > fool the browsers with "$MYSITE/webdirname/index.php" on all > pages so the relative links will work (they only need the > directory) > > This way URL shortcuts will only mean *one* apache request, > and not more, while any clicks will lead to a proper page on that > manual page. > > Possible problems: > > - search engines will store these in indexes (those shortcuts > which are linked to from somewhere) > - local search indexing may have problems with this, though this > is easy to overcome > - includes in the manual PHP files should keep using the > include_path, otherwise they won't work > > 2. Codename: local search. Use htdig for searching if properly set up. > > Some facts: > > - php.net has [had] htdig improperly set up > - some mirrors also have htdig improperly set up > - htdig results are IMHO better the public search engine results > if a properly set up htdig is used > - these results will be the same for all mirrors regardless of > how deeply they are indexed in public search engines > - many mirror maintainers already invested significant time in > setting up, troubleshooting, and sometimes even fine tuning theit > local search support > - mirrors without search support used ch.php.net for external > searching, and results pointed back to the originating server > > Problem: > > - php.net cannot take the load of htdig > > > Solution: > > - keep the good old way of using ch.php.net for searching if a > mirror has no support for local search > - redirect to ch.php.net from www.php.net, but provide a > different originating server adress, fooling ch.php.net to > direct the user to a different server instead of php.net > > Note: > > - php.net already has code to choose a close mirror in case of high > load, so it can provide that address as "originating server" when > redirecting searches to ch.php.net > - the maintainers of ch.php.net need to agree to this before this > can be implemented [CCd] > > Result: > > - the good old search engine experience > - the many times spent on htdig setup across the globe is > not worthless > - every mirror is searcheable, with the same good results > for all mirrors > - there will never be search results pointing to php.net, > driving users away from the main mirror > > I am not sure that any of these two ideas can help you, but I hope they > can help make the user service better, and that is why I have been here > for a long time now. > > I also hope that reading this you may realize that others may have ideas > too, and that may help optimize the time *you* work on php.net as there > may be ideas which need less work, are based on already existing > infrastructure or are simply a very different way of implementing > things, and therefore the time spent by you on the original idea would > be useless. > > I am here for discussions, and I am not going to perform major > modifications before talking about it in the open. > > Goba > > >