Performance Tuning Basics

A few simple settings can make Apache faster and more efficient. This lesson introduces the most common ones for beginners.

KeepAlive

KeepAlive lets a browser reuse one connection for several requests, avoiding the cost of opening a new one each time:

KeepAlive On
MaxKeepAliveRequests 100
KeepAliveTimeout 5

• MaxKeepAliveRequests: how many requests per connection.
• KeepAliveTimeout: seconds to wait for the next request before closing.

Timeout

Timeout sets how long Apache waits on a slow client before giving up:

Timeout 60

A lower value frees up workers faster but may cut off very slow connections.

MPM Worker Limits

The active MPM controls how many requests can run at once. With the event MPM:

<IfModule mpm_event_module>
    StartServers 2
    MaxRequestWorkers 150
    ThreadsPerChild 25
</IfModule>

MaxRequestWorkers caps the total simultaneous requests, protecting memory.

Disable What You Do Not Need

Turn off unused modules and avoid .htaccess when possible. Each adds overhead.

Test and Reload

sudo apache2ctl configtest
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Start with these defaults, then measure real traffic before tuning further.