Hey everyone, I’m new to deploying Rails apps and I’m a bit worried about memory usage. I set up a super simple Rails 8 app on a small VPS with just one controller and one worker. I’m using Docker combined with MySQL.
The issue is that even without any traffic, the app is using nearly all the memory on my 1GB droplet, with MySQL alone consuming around 40%. I was expecting Rails 8 to be more efficient with jemalloc, but that’s not what I’m seeing.
Is this expected, or is there something I’m overlooking? Any advice or tweaks I could make to better optimize memory usage? Here’s a sample of what I’m monitoring:
# Memory usage snapshot
total_memory = 1024 # MB
used_memory = 998 # MB
mysql_usage = 410 # MB
puts "Total memory usage: #{(used_memory.to_f / total_memory * 100).round(2)}%"
puts "MySQL memory usage: #{(mysql_usage.to_f / total_memory * 100).round(2)}%"
Thanks in advance for your insights!
yo, that memory usage seems kinda high for a basic setup. have u tried tweaking ur mysql config? maybe lower innodb_buffer_pool_size or max_connections. also, check if ur using unnecessary gems or backgroundjobs. docker can be memory-hungry too, so maybe consider running rails natively if possible. good luck!
As someone who’s deployed numerous Rails apps on small VPSs, I can tell you that high memory usage isn’t uncommon, especially with Docker and MySQL in the mix. However, there are ways to optimize.
First, take a look at your MySQL configuration. Adjusting parameters like innodb_buffer_pool_size and key_buffer_size can significantly reduce memory footprint. For a 1GB VPS, you might want to set these much lower than default.
Next, review your Gemfile. Remove any unnecessary gems, particularly those that load large libraries or spawn background processes. Every bit counts on a small VPS.
Also, consider using a reverse proxy like Nginx to handle static assets, reducing the load on your Rails app. This can free up valuable memory.
Lastly, if possible, consider upgrading to a slightly larger VPS. The jump from 1GB to 2GB can make a world of difference for Rails apps.
Remember, optimization is an iterative process. Monitor, adjust, and repeat until you find the sweet spot for your specific app and infrastructure.
I’ve encountered similar issues with Rails apps on small VPS setups. While the memory usage seems high, it’s not entirely unusual. MySQL is often the culprit in these scenarios. Consider optimizing your database queries and indexing to reduce memory load. Additionally, you might want to look into using a lightweight alternative like SQLite for development if you’re not dealing with complex data operations. As for Rails itself, ensure you’re running in production mode and have proper caching mechanisms in place. Lastly, monitor your Docker container resources closely - sometimes containers can hog more memory than expected due to improper configuration.
hey man, yea that’s pretty high usage for a basic app. have u tried using a lighter database like sqlite? might help save some memory. also, check ur docker config, sometimes it can eat up more ram than needed. maybe try running without docker first to see if that’s the issue. good luck with ur setup!