TTFB Too high, 2-4 secs on Wordpress with Apache, PHP-fpm

Same issue here with $60/mo droplet with dedicated CPU and 8G RAM.

I have also switched to http2 and fastcgi and I still get the same huge TTFB. I have my wordpress in another server and the TTFB there is 1/5 of DO and don’t know what to do…

I would definitely like to switch but can’t fix the TTFB issue.

For anyone else stumbling upon this still.

there are several strategies you can implement to optimize server performance and reduce TTFB.

1. Optimize PHP-FPM Configuration

PHP-FPM manages PHP processes, and its configuration directly affects response times.

• Adjust pm Settings: Modify the process manager settings to better handle your site’s load.

sudo nano /etc/php/7.4/fpm/pool.d/www.conf

Update the following directives:

pm = dynamic
pm.max_children = 50
pm.start_servers = 5
pm.min_spare_servers = 5
pm.max_spare_servers = 35

• These values are examples; adjust them based on your server’s resources and traffic patterns.

• Enable OPcache: OPcache improves PHP performance by storing precompiled script bytecode in memory.

sudo nano /etc/php/7.4/fpm/php.ini

Ensure the following settings are present:

opcache.enable=1
opcache.memory_consumption=128
opcache.max_accelerated_files=10000
opcache.revalidate_freq=0

After making changes, restart PHP-FPM.

2. Optimize Apache Configuration

Apache’s configuration plays a crucial role in handling requests efficiently.

• Enable HTTP/2: HTTP/2 reduces latency by allowing multiple requests over a single connection.

sudo a2enmod http2

Then, update your Apache configuration to use HTTP/2:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/your-site.conf

Add the following line within the <VirtualHost *:443> block:

Protocols h2 http/1.1

• Restart Apache to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

• Optimize KeepAlive Settings: Persistent connections can improve performance.

sudo nano /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

Set the following:

KeepAlive On
MaxKeepAliveRequests 100
KeepAliveTimeout 2

3. Optimize MySQL Configuration

Efficient database performance is vital for reducing TTFB.

• Adjust innodb_buffer_pool_size: Allocate a significant portion of RAM to InnoDB buffer pool.

sudo nano /etc/mysql/my.cnf

Under the [mysqld] section, add or modify:

innodb_buffer_pool_size = 2G

• This allocates 2GB; adjust based on your server’s RAM.

• Enable Query Caching: Although deprecated in newer MySQL versions, if available, it can improve performance.

query_cache_type = 1
query_cache_size = 64M

After changes, restart MySQL:

sudo systemctl restart mysql