[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #23216: Create "WP Heartbeat" API

[WordPress Trac]

#23216: Create "WP Heartbeat" API
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 Reporter:  azaozz          |       Owner:
     Type:  task (blessed)  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal          |   Milestone:  3.6
Component:  Administration  |     Version:
 Severity:  normal          |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  autosave-redo   |
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Comment (by DavidAnderson):

 Well, here's a crude estimation. On a 4-core Intel Xeon X3360 @ 2.83GHz
 webserver that I use, loading the WordPress dashboard (the server is using
 PHP via CGI) uses 0.3 seconds of CPU time (not wall time). On my laptop
 it's about double that. I've seen plenty of cheap VPSes that are
 comparable to my laptop.

 Once very 15 seconds = one CPU can serve 50 WP admin logins on the Xeon,
 or one CPU can serve 25 WP admin logs on a cheaper setup. That seems like
 significant enough to take into account, or at least do more investigation
 into.

 For example, we know that many web hosts disable loopback connections -
 pointless, annoying, but they do it. If word gets round that you can spare
 your CPUs + get more out of your servers by blocking heartbeat connections
 ("and all that happens is that WordPress users don't see login warnings,
 or lose some advanced functionality"), that'll not be fun. I wonder if
 something like login expiration warnings is worth taxing CPUs for every 15
 seconds; or at least, the algorithm needs more attention. For example,
 login-expiration time is known when the page loads. Wouldn't it make more
 sense to just re-poll that once a minute before the known time rather than
 ask the question every 15 seconds? Rather than having a heartbeat every 15
 seconds regardless of demand, why not have a heartbeat only when demanded
 by a consumer? (And for login expiration warnings, why not just use a one-
 off JavaScript setTimeout rather than polling it anyway?).

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Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/23216#comment:61>
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