this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2023
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Lemmy Server Performance

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Lemmy Server Performance

lemmy_server uses the Diesel ORM that automatically generates SQL statements. There are serious performance problems in June and July 2023 preventing Lemmy from scaling. Topics include caching, PostgreSQL extensions for troubleshooting, Client/Server Code/SQL Data/server operator apps/sever operator API (performance and storage monitoring), etc.

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I have been working with pg_stat_statements extension to PG and it give us a way to see the actual SQL statements being executed by lemmy_server and the number of times they are being called.

This has less overhead than cranking up logging and several cloud computing services enable it by default (example) - so I don't believe it will have a significant slow down of the server.

A DATABASE RESTART WILL BE REQUIRED

It does require that PostgreSQL be restarted. Which can take 10 or 15 seconds, typically.

Debian / Ubuntu install steps

https://pganalyze.com/docs/install/self_managed/02_enable_pg_stat_statements_deb

Following the conventions of "Lemmy from Scratch" server install commands:

sudo -iu postgres psql -c "ALTER SYSTEM SET shared_preload_libraries = 'pg_stat_statements';"

Followed by a restart of the PostgreSQL service.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

This query is asking the database to slice into a string in ORDER BY and in WHERE criteria:

SELECT "comment"."id", "comment"."creator_id", "comment"."post_id", "comment"."content", "comment"."removed", "comment"."published", "comment"."updated", "comment"."deleted", "comment"."ap_id", "comment"."local", "comment"."path", "comment"."distinguished", "comment"."language_id", "person"."id", "person"."name", "person"."display_name", "person"."avatar", "person"."banned", "person"."published", "person"."updated", "person"."actor_id", "person"."bio", "person"."local", "person"."banner", "person"."deleted", "person"."inbox_url", "person"."shared_inbox_url", "person"."matrix_user_id", "person"."admin", "person"."bot_account", "person"."ban_expires", "person"."instance_id", "post"."id", "post"."name", "post"."url", "post"."body", "post"."creator_id", "post"."community_id", "post"."removed", "post"."locked", "post"."published", "post"."updated", "post"."deleted", "post"."nsfw", "post"."embed_title", "post"."embed_description", "post"."embed_video_url", "post"."thumbnail_url", "post"."ap_id", "post"."local", "post"."language_id", "post"."featured_community", "post"."featured_local", "community"."id", "community"."name", "community"."title", "community"."description", "community"."removed", "community"."published", "community"."updated", "community"."deleted", "community"."nsfw", "community"."actor_id", "community"."local", "community"."icon", "community"."banner", "community"."hidden", "community"."posting_restricted_to_mods", "community"."instance_id", "comment_aggregates"."id", "comment_aggregates"."comment_id", "comment_aggregates"."score", "comment_aggregates"."upvotes", "comment_aggregates"."downvotes", "comment_aggregates"."published", "comment_aggregates"."child_count", "comment_aggregates"."hot_rank", "community_person_ban"."id", "community_person_ban"."community_id", "community_person_ban"."person_id", "community_person_ban"."published", "community_person_ban"."expires", "community_follower"."id", "community_follower"."community_id", "community_follower"."person_id", "community_follower"."published", "community_follower"."pending", "comment_saved"."id", "comment_saved"."comment_id", "comment_saved"."person_id", "comment_saved"."published", "person_block"."id", "person_block"."person_id", "person_block"."target_id", "person_block"."published", "comment_like"."score"

 FROM ((((((((((("comment" INNER JOIN "person" ON ("comment"."creator_id" = "person"."id")) INNER JOIN "post" ON ("comment"."post_id" = "post"."id")) INNER JOIN "community" ON ("post"."community_id" = "community"."id")) INNER JOIN "comment_aggregates" ON ("comment_aggregates"."comment_id" = "comment"."id")) LEFT OUTER JOIN "community_person_ban" ON ((("community"."id" = "community_person_ban"."community_id") AND ("community_person_ban"."person_id" = "comment"."creator_id")) AND (("community_person_ban"."expires" IS NULL) OR ("community_person_ban"."expires" > CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "community_follower" ON (("post"."community_id" = "community_follower"."community_id") AND ("community_follower"."person_id" = $1))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "comment_saved" ON (("comment"."id" = "comment_saved"."comment_id") AND ("comment_saved"."person_id" = $2))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "person_block" ON (("comment"."creator_id" = "person_block"."target_id") AND ("person_block"."person_id" = $3))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "community_block" ON (("community"."id" = "community_block"."community_id") AND ("community_block"."person_id" = $4))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "comment_like" ON (("comment"."id" = "comment_like"."comment_id") AND ("comment_like"."person_id" = $5))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "local_user_language" ON (("comment"."language_id" = "local_user_language"."language_id") AND ("local_user_language"."local_user_id" = $6)))

 WHERE ((("community"."hidden" = $7) OR ("community_follower"."person_id" = $8)) AND (nlevel("comment"."path") <= $9)) ORDER BY subpath("comment"."path", $10, $11), "comment_aggregates"."hot_rank" DESC LIMIT $12 OFFSET $13

the nlevel on comment.path field <= and the ORDER BY subpath on the same field are really dragging down this query.

I am still trying to figure out the circumstances on the lemmy-ui webapp where this particular 13 parameter query is triggered. A GitHub grep of the source code shows 'subpath' is only used in a single place.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

There seems a variation of this query that takes 14 parameters instead of 13:

SELECT "comment"."id", "comment"."creator_id", "comment"."post_id", "comment"."content", "comment"."removed", "comment"."published", "comment"."updated", "comment"."deleted", "comment"."ap_id", "comment"."local", "comment"."path", "comment"."distinguished", "comment"."language_id", "person"."id", "person"."name", "person"."display_name", "person"."avatar", "person"."banned", "person"."published", "person"."updated", "person"."actor_id", "person"."bio", "person"."local", "person"."banner", "person"."deleted", "person"."inbox_url", "person"."shared_inbox_url", "person"."matrix_user_id", "person"."admin", "person"."bot_account", "person"."ban_expires", "person"."instance_id", "post"."id", "post"."name", "post"."url", "post"."body", "post"."creator_id", "post"."community_id", "post"."removed", "post"."locked", "post"."published", "post"."updated", "post"."deleted", "post"."nsfw", "post"."embed_title", "post"."embed_description", "post"."embed_video_url", "post"."thumbnail_url", "post"."ap_id", "post"."local", "post"."language_id", "post"."featured_community", "post"."featured_local", "community"."id", "community"."name", "community"."title", "community"."description", "community"."removed", "community"."published", "community"."updated", "community"."deleted", "community"."nsfw", "community"."actor_id", "community"."local", "community"."icon", "community"."banner", "community"."hidden", "community"."posting_restricted_to_mods", "community"."instance_id", "comment_aggregates"."id", "comment_aggregates"."comment_id", "comment_aggregates"."score", "comment_aggregates"."upvotes", "comment_aggregates"."downvotes", "comment_aggregates"."published", "comment_aggregates"."child_count", "comment_aggregates"."hot_rank", "community_person_ban"."id", "community_person_ban"."community_id", "community_person_ban"."person_id", "community_person_ban"."published", "community_person_ban"."expires", "community_follower"."id", "community_follower"."community_id", "community_follower"."person_id", "community_follower"."published", "community_follower"."pending", "comment_saved"."id", "comment_saved"."comment_id", "comment_saved"."person_id", "comment_saved"."published", "person_block"."id", "person_block"."person_id", "person_block"."target_id", "person_block"."published", "comment_like"."score"

 FROM ((((((((((("comment" INNER JOIN "person" ON ("comment"."creator_id" = "person"."id")) INNER JOIN "post" ON ("comment"."post_id" = "post"."id")) INNER JOIN "community" ON ("post"."community_id" = "community"."id")) INNER JOIN "comment_aggregates" ON ("comment_aggregates"."comment_id" = "comment"."id")) LEFT OUTER JOIN "community_person_ban" ON ((("community"."id" = "community_person_ban"."community_id") AND ("community_person_ban"."person_id" = "comment"."creator_id")) AND (("community_person_ban"."expires" IS NULL) OR ("community_person_ban"."expires" > CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "community_follower" ON (("post"."community_id" = "community_follower"."community_id") AND ("community_follower"."person_id" = $1))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "comment_saved" ON (("comment"."id" = "comment_saved"."comment_id") AND ("comment_saved"."person_id" = $2))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "person_block" ON (("comment"."creator_id" = "person_block"."target_id") AND ("person_block"."person_id" = $3))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "community_block" ON (("community"."id" = "community_block"."community_id") AND ("community_block"."person_id" = $4))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "comment_like" ON (("comment"."id" = "comment_like"."comment_id") AND ("comment_like"."person_id" = $5))) LEFT OUTER JOIN "local_user_language" ON (("comment"."language_id" = "local_user_language"."language_id") AND ("local_user_language"."local_user_id" = $6)))

 WHERE (("comment"."path" <@ $7 AND (("community"."hidden" = $8) OR ("community_follower"."person_id" = $9))) AND (nlevel("comment"."path") <= $10)) ORDER BY subpath("comment"."path", $11, $12), "comment_aggregates"."hot_rank" DESC LIMIT $13 OFFSET $14