mon.itor.us, a service which also provides free Web performance measurement services, appears to be having a wee problem.

The most recent GrabPERF data on this site is available here. The issue may be corrected by the time you look at the data.

I don’t wish suffering like this on anyone. GrabPERF had it’s own 3-4 day outage a few months ago. It’s just sad to see when monitoring services go down.

Tags: app, ARIN, data, GrabPERF, GrabPERF.org, HTTP, IE, IM, it, measurement, Om, One, outage, performance, performance measurement, PHP, pr, web, Web Performance, Web performance measurement

It has been at least a year since I last updated everyone on the state of GrabPERF. That’s because for most of the last year, the system has been rolling along without a hitch or a major systemic change. The last major change to the agent code was alomost exactly a year ago, when I added the ability to capture text matches.

It wasn’t until last week, however, that I allowed folks to be able to see the results of these text match failures. Let’s just say that motivation has been low and my real job has been keeping me busy.

I did want to share the growth, and mellowing of the system as it progresses into year three.

Total Measurements Per Day

Unique Tests Measured Per Day

Back in July 2005 when I started this grand experiment, I was gathering 10,000 measurements a day from less than forty tests. The system spiked at 390,000 measurements per day (April 2006) and 147 tests (June 2006).

Starting just after that, I started reducing the number of tests to improve system efficiency, and began developing the text match capability.

There have been some changes to the number of measurements, but on the whole, the system has been completely stable for the last 12 months.

As some of you may have noted, I have add some new features in the last 10 days, and re-organized the structure of the system to allow for better tracking of usage. Over the next few months, I will be attacking the code to make it process things more efficiently, but not substantially change the appearance or functionality of GrabPERF.

It has been noted by some commentators that the design doesn’t pop and sizzle. No AJAX, DHTML, or other flashy gizmos. Guess what? The system is designed to deliver data efficiently and effectively. And as someone who has seen the performance fall-out from badly delivered Web 2.0 implementations, I will stick with clunky and effective, as, in the end, you gotta put all those bytes on the wire.

For those that have stuck with the system over the last year, thanks. I enjoy delivering the best measurement data money can’t buy, and hope you stick around for the ride.

Tags: ajax, app, ARIN, cbc, content, data, design, GrabPERF, HTML, HTTP, IE, IM, ISP, it, live, measurement, Om, One, performance, pr, Technorati, tracking, update, web, web 2.0, Web Performance

If you use GrabPERF on a regular basis, the somewhat flaky navigation method has become second nature to you. In fact, to circumvent some of the idiosyncrasies, you have probably bookmarked your favourite pages.

Yesterday, I broke your links.

When I redesigned GrabPERF in February 2006, I had just discover the require function in PHP, and decided to build the entire the structure using a single container page as the framework, and individual functions called using URL parameters.

As time went on, my own “brilliance” started to get in the way of maintaining and updating the code. It took me 10-15 minutes to figure out how I constructed pages, and then find the right code to fix or update.

Yesterday, I got completely fed up with this structure.

Now, all functions have their own unique pages, making maintenance a snap. And as an added benefit, I can now effectively track the usage of individual pages, so I know where to through development efforts.

Some of the changes.

http://grabperf.org/homepage.php?page=compare&test=2&tests%5B%5D=276&tests%5B%5D=277&tests%5B%5D=279&tests%5B%5D=280

becomes

http://grabperf.org/compare.php?test=2&tests%5B%5D=276&tests%5B%5D=277&tests%5B%5D=279&tests%5B%5D=280

http://grabperf.org/homepage.php?page=scatter&test=277&hours=2

becomes

http://grabperf.org/scatter.php?test=277&hours=2

I apologize for the confusion that this may cause, but in the long run, this will help me make the code better, and more robust.

Tags: book, content, design, GrabPERF, GrabPERF.org, HTTP, IE, IM, improvement, ISP, it, maintain, maintenance, Om, optimize, Pages, performance, PHP, pr, run, Technorati, update, web, Web Performance

A colleague of mine suggested that the Tour de France give up all pretense of being drug free, and embrace the performance-enhancing image it has developed so carefully over the last quarter century.

His idea was to have the racing teams sponsored by the major pharmaceutical firms, pitting one performance-enhancing approach against another, in a competition to demonstrate not the strength of the human spirit, but the power to manipulate the human body.

Samantha further suggested that they then abandon all of the rules that make the race civilized, and turn it into a free-for-all, a Tour de France, EXTREME EDITION!

That would get the le tour on Spike.

Tags: app, content, France, HTML, HTTP, IM, IP, ISP, it, Mac, Om, One, performance, pr, Technorati, tv

Netcraft noted that Yahoo encountered a bit of a headache today. So I fired up my handy-dandy little performance system and had a look.

Although for an organization and infrastructure the size of Yahoo’s this may have been a big event, in my experience, this was a "stuff happens on the Internet" sort of thing.

Move along people; there’s nothing to see. It is not the apocalyptic event that Netcraft is making it out to be. Google burps and barfs all the time, and everyone grumbles. But there is no need to run in circles and scream and shout.

Yeesh!

Tags: GrabPERF, Netcraft, Yahoo, outage, performance issues, panic, crisis

Tags: app, ARIN, EAD, Google, GrabPERF, HTML, HTTP, IE, IM, Internet, Issues, it, Om, One, outage, performance, performance issues, run, Technorati

This morning, I noticed that Gizmo has one more advantage over Skype: substantially better performance over slower/less optimal WiFi connections.

Skype is slowly getting the can from me. Sorry kids.

Tags: IM, Om, One, performance

I have set up measurements to monitor the main pages of some of the world’s largest mobile phone providers.

• US Providers
• Canadian Providers
• European Providers
• AsiaPac / South Asia Providers

Just something to do on a rainy Sunday.

Tags: GrabPERF, Web performance, GSM, CDMA, Web site, mobile, wireless, US, Asia, Europe

Tags: Asia, Europe, GrabPERF, GrabPERF.org, GSM, HTTP, it, measurement, metrics, Om, One, Pages, performance, PHP, pr, Technorati, web, Web Performance, Web+performance

The client visit this week (and don’t expect too many details) was to MySpace. It is interesting to get an inside perspective on their performance challenges, as well as their beyond unique infrastructure.

I am bagged, and off to write up a document for another client.

Tags: LA, MySpace, myspace.com

Tags: Challenges, client, HTTP, IE, it, Om, performance, Technorati

Many thanks to Otis Gospodnetic of Simpy for putting me in contact with Benjamin Reitzammer. Benjamin has graciously set up the GrabPERF measurement script on his server in Zurich.

Now that the Europeans have a growing presence on the GrabPERF Network, we need some locations in the US and Asia-Pacific.

Tags: GrabPERF, Simpy, Benjamin Reitzammer, measurement agent, Web performance, Zurich, Asia-Pacific, USA

Tags: Asia, Asia-Pacific, blog, Europe, GrabPERF, HTTP, IM, IP, it, LAN, measurement, Om, performance, pr, server, Switzerland, Technorati, web, Web Performance, Web+performance

This morning, after months of increasing performance issues, and connectivity issues, I have retired the Boston Verizon measurement location. This location hosted 2 measurement agents.

The machines, hosted in my basement, are connected using Verizon FiOS, which has become increasingly flaky over the last couple of months. As well, the machines are 7 year old Pentium IIs, and require a substantial amount of spoon-feeding that I don’t have time for at the moment.

I have re-enabled the Technorati #1 Agent to fill the gap, but this leaves only 4 measurement locations running. I again put out my plea for more volunteers to host GrabPERF measurement locations. I have had one volunteer contact me about this (thanks Henrik!), and this location should be up in about 3 weeks.

If you have a spare linux box and a static IP, have I got a project for you!

PS: The contact page is fixed. It was set to auto-refresh and overwrite your e-mails. Ooooops.

Tags: GrabPERF, Agent, Verizon, Web Performance, measurement, performance measurement

Tags: Boston, connectivity, GrabPERF, GrabPERF.org, HTTP, IM, IP, Issues, it, leave, Linux, Mac, measurement, Om, One, performance, performance issues, performance measurement, PHP, pr, run, Technorati, tv, Verizon, web, Web Performance, Web+performance