Using Apache's mod_perl and mod_deflate to scale dynamic websites

[mandy]

This article presents our experience on setting up a mod_perl-based server on a VPS. The article also touches upon the utility of mod_proxy in this context, and that of mod_deflate in general. Using the right technologies will not only keep hosting costs under control, but also reduce them when deployed correctly...

For the unfamiliar, mod_perl and mod_cgi are two ways to run Perl scripts/applications on a web server. mod_perl is much more efficient, as it keeps a Perl interpreter in memory. Depending on the setup, precompiled scripts and modules may also be resident in the memory. mod_cgi, on the other hand, invokes the Perl interpreter on every request, loading and compiling the scripts and modules for execution. Therefore, it is much slower. Benchmark tests have shown mod_perl to be anywhere between 10 to 100 or more times as fast as mod_cgi (results may vary based on your application;...

full article: http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/apache/2006/...aling.html