Troubleshooting Slow Requests in PAS

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This topic provides experiments you can run to help determine what part of the Pivotal Application Service (PAS) request flow is adding latency to your requests. The procedures in this topic are intended to be run in order.

Overview

App requests typically transit the following components. Only the router (Gorouter) and app are within the scope of PAS. Operators can deploy the HAProxy load balancer that comes with PAS instead of, or in addition to, an infrastructure load balancer.

See the following diagram:

There are four boxes labeled, from left to right, 'Client', 'Load Balancer', 'Router', and 'Backend'. A black box frames the 'Router' and 'Backend' boxes and is labeled 'CF'. A horizontal black arrow points left to right from the 'Client' box to the 'Load Balancer' box. A horizontal black arrow points left to right from the 'Load Balancer' box to the 'Router' box. A horizontal black arrow points left to right from the 'Router' box to the 'Backend' box. A horizontal black arrow points right to left from the 'Backend' box back to the 'Router' box. A horizontal black arrow points right to left from the 'Router' box back to the 'Load Balancer' box. A horizontal black arrow points right to left from the 'Load Balancer' box back to the 'Client' box.

Any of the components in the diagram above can cause latency. Delays can also come from the network itself.

To troubleshoot slow requests and diagnose what might be causing latency to your app requests:

After you determine the cause of latency, see the following sections for more information:

Experiment 1: Measure Total Round-Trip App Requests

To measure the total round-trip time for your deployed app that is experiencing latency, run time curl -v APP-ENDPOINT on the command line, where APP-ENDPOINT is the URL endpoint for the deployed app.

For example:

$ time curl -v http://app1.app_domain.com

GET /hello HTTP/1.1
Host: app1.app_domain.com
User-Agent: curl/7.43.0
Accept: */*

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json;charset=utf-8
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2016 00:31:32 GMT
Server: nginx
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
X-Vcap-Request-Id: c30fad28-4972-46eb-7da6-9d07dc79b109
Content-Length: 602
hello world!

real    2m0.707s
user    0m0.005s
sys   0m0.007s

The real time output shows that the request to http://app1.app_domain.com took approximately 2 minutes, round-trip. This seems like an unreasonably long time, so it makes sense to find out where the delay is occurring.

To narrow down the cause of latency, see the following table for information about the output you see after running time curl -v APP-ENDPOINT:

Result Explanation Action
The output shows latency. A component of your app request flow is causing a delay. Continue with the rest of the experiments to try to narrow down which component is causing latency.
The output does not show latency. Your app experiences inconsistent delays. Try to find an endpoint that is consistently experiencing latency. If that is not possible, then continue with the following experiments, running each of them multiple times.
The output shows the error: Could not resolve host: NONEXISTENT.com. DNS failed to resolve. Troubleshoot your DNS configuration.
The output of curl returns normally, but there is no value for X-Vcap-Request-Id. The request from the load balancer did not reach PAS. Troubleshoot your load balancer configuration.

Experiment 2: View Request Time in Access Logs

If you suspect that you are experiencing latency, the most important logs are the access logs. The cf logs command streams log messages from Gorouter as well as from apps. This section describes how to find and understand the access log timestamps.

To view request time in access logs:

  1. (Optional) Run cf apps to determine the name of the app.
  2. Run cf logs APP-NAME. Replace APP-NAME with the name of the app.
  3. From another command line window, send a request to your app.

  4. After your app returns a response, enter Ctrl-C to stop streaming cf logs.

    For example:

    $ cf logs app1

2016-12-14T00:33:32.35-0800 [RTR/0] OUT app1.app_domain.com - [14/12/2016:00:31:32.348 +0000] "GET /hello HTTP/1.1" 200 0 60 "-" "HTTPClient/1.0 (2.7.1, ruby 2.3.3 (2016-11-21))" "10.0.4.207:20810" "10.0.48.67:61555" x_forwarded_for:"52.3.107.171" x_forwarded_proto:"http" vcap_request_id:"01144146-1e7a-4c77-77ab-49ae3e286fe9" response_time:120.00641734 app_id:"13ee085e-bdf5-4a48-aaaf-e854a8a975df" app_index:"0" x_b3_traceid:"3595985e7c34536a" x_b3_spanid:"3595985e7c34536a" x_b3_parentspanid:"-"
2016-12-14T00:32:32.35-0800 [APP/PROC/WEB/0]OUT app1 received request at [14/12/2016:00:32:32.348 +0000] with "vcap_request_id": "01144146-1e7a-4c77-77ab-49ae3e286fe9"
^C

    In the example above, the first line contains timestamps from Gorouter for both when it received the request and what was its response time processing the request:

    • 14/12/2016:00:31:32.348: Gorouter receives request
    • response_time:120.00641734: Gorouter round-trip processing time

    This output shows that it took 120 seconds for Gorouter to process the request, which means that the 2-minute delay above takes place within PAS. In PAS, delays can occur within Gorouter, within the app, or within the network between the two.

To narrow down the cause of latency, see the following table for information about the output you see after running cf logs APP-NAME:

Result Explanation Action
The output shows latency within response_time. Gorouter, the network, or the app itself is causing latency. Continue with the rest of the experiments to try to narrow down which component is causing latency.
The output does not show latency within response_time. A component before Gorouter is causing latency. Continue with the rest of the experiments to try to narrow down which component is causing latency.
The output does not show a log line. Every incoming request should generate an access log message. If a request does not generate an access log message, it means Gorouter did not receive the request. Troubleshoot your Gorouter configuration.

Experiment 3: Duplicate Latency on Another Endpoint

The next step to debugging latency is finding an endpoint that consistently experiences delays. Use a test app that does not make any internal or external requests or database calls. For example, see dora on GitHub.

If you cannot push any apps to your foundation, find an API endpoint that does not make any external calls to use for the rest of the experiments. For example, use a health or information endpoint.

To duplicate latency on another endpoint:

  1. Push an example app.
  2. Use time to measure a request’s full round-trip time from the client and back.
  3. On a command line, run time curl -v TEST-APP-ENDPOINT, where TEST-APP-ENDPOINT is the URL endpoint for the test app. While every network is different, this request should take less than 0.2 seconds.

See the following table for information about the output you see after running time curl -v TEST-APP-ENDPOINT:

Result Explanation Action
The output shows latency. One of the components in the app request path is causing latency. Continue with the rest of the experiments, using the test app, to try to narrow down which component is causing latency.
The output does not show latency. Something in your app configuration is causing latency. Evaluate your app for recent changes. See below for more information.

If this experiment shows that something in your app is causing latency, use the following questions to start troubleshooting your app:

  • Did you recently push any changes?
  • Does your app make database calls?
    • If so, have your database queries changed?
  • Does your app make requests to other microservices?
    • If so, is there a problem in a downstream app?
  • Does your app log where it spends time? For more information, see Use App Logs to Locate Delays in PAS below.

Experiment 4: Remove the Load Balancer from the Request Path

The next step is to remove the load balancer from the test path by sending the request directly to Gorouter. You can do this by accessing the network where Gorouter is deployed, sending the traffic directly to the Gorouter IP address, and adding the route in the host header.

To remove the load balancer from the request path:

  1. Choose a router VM from your deployment and get its IP address. Record this value and use it as the ROUTER-IP when you run the command in a later step.
  2. Run bosh ssh router/ROUTER-GUID, where ROUTER-GUID is the unique identifier for the router VM. For more information about using this tool, see Advanced Troubleshooting with the BOSH CLI.
  3. To determine the amount of time a request takes when it skips the load balancer, run time curl ROUTER-IP -H "Host: TEST-APP-ENDPOINT", where:
    • ROUTER-IP is the router VM IP address you located in the first step.
    • TEST-APP-ENDPOINT is the URL endpoint for the test app.

See the following table for information about the output you see after removing the load balancer from the app request path:

Result Explanation Action
The output shows latency. The load balancer is not causing latency. Continue with the rest of the experiments, using the test app, to try to narrow down which component is causing latency.
The output does not show latency. A component before Gorouter is causing latency. Look at your load balancer logs and logs for any other components that exist between the end client and Gorouter.

Experiment 5: Remove Gorouter from the Request Path

The next step is to remove Gorouter from the request path. You can SSH into the router VM and send a request directly to the app.

To remove Gorouter from the app request path:

  1. To get the IP address and port number of the Diego Cell where your test app instance is running, run cf ssh TEST-APP -c "env | grep CF_INSTANCE_ADDR", where TEST-APP is the name of the test app.

    For example:

    cf ssh my-app -c "env | grep CF_INSTANCE_ADDR"

  2. Choose any router VM from your deployment and SSH into it by running bosh ssh router/ROUTER-GUID, where ROUTER-GUID is the unique identifier for the router VM. For more information about using this tool, see Advanced Troubleshooting with the BOSH CLI.

  3. To determine the amount of time a request takes when it skips Gorouter, run time curl CF_INSTANCE_ADDR.

See the following table for information about the output you see after removing Gorouter from the app request path:

Result Explanation Action
The output shows latency. Gorouter is not causing latency. Continue with the rest of the experiments, using the test app, to try to narrow down which component is causing latency.
The output does not show latency. Gorouter is causing latency. See Causes for Gorouter Latency and Operations Recommendations below.

Experiment 6: Test the Network between the Router and the App

The next step is to time how long it takes for your request to make it from the router VM to the Diego Cell where your app is deployed. You can do this by using tcpdump on both VMs.

To test the network between the router and the app:

  1. Choose a router VM from your deployment and record its IP address. Use this value as the ROUTER-IP in later steps.
  2. To get the IP address of the Diego Cell where your test app instance is running, run cf ssh TEST-APP -c "env | grep CF_INSTANCE_IP", where TEST-APP is the name of the test app.
  3. To get the port number of the Diego Cell where your test app instance is running, run cf ssh TEST-APP -c "env | grep CF_INSTANCE_PORT", where TEST-APP is the name of the test app.
  4. On the command line, locate the router VM that matches the ROUTER-IP value from the first step.
  5. To SSH into the router VM, run bosh ssh router/ROUTER-GUID, where ROUTER-GUID is the unique identifier for the router VM. For more information about using this tool, see Advanced Troubleshooting with the BOSH CLI.
  6. On the router VM, log in as root.
  7. To capture all packets going to your app, run tcpdump 'dst CF_INSTANCE_IP and dst port CF_INSTANCE_PORT'.
  8. In a second command line window, SSH into the Diego Cell that corresponds with CF_INSTANCE_IP. Run bosh ssh digeo-cell/DIEGO-CELL-GUID, where DIEGO-CELL-GUID is the unique identifier for the Diego Cell where your app is running.
  9. On the Diego Cell, log in as root.
  10. To capture all packets going to your app, run tcpdump 'dst port CF_INSTANCE_PORT and src ROUTER-IP', where ROUTER-IP is the router VM IP address you recorded in the first step.
  11. In a third command line window, run ssh ROUTER-IP, where ROUTER-IP is the router VM IP address.
  12. To make a request to your app, run curl CF_INSTANCE_IP:CF_INSTANCE_PORT.
  13. Look at the first packet captured on both the router VM and the Diego Cell. The packets should match. Use the timestamps to determine how long it took the packet to traverse the network.

    Note: If you are using a test app, this should be the only traffic to your app. If you are not using a test app and there is traffic to your app, then these tcpdump commands could result in many packet captures. If the tcpdump results are too verbose to track, you can write them to a pcap file and use wireshark to find the important packets. To write tcpdump commands to a file, use the -w flag. For example: tcpdump -w router.pcap.

See the following table for information about the output you see after testing the network between the router and the app:

Result Explanation Action
The output shows latency. Your network is causing latency. Troubleshoot your network configuration.
The output does not show latency. A component in your app request path is causing latency. Repeat the diagnostic experiments to narrow down which component is causing latency. Follow the steps in Experiment 1: Measure Total Round-Trip App Requests and ensure that you are consistently experiencing latency.

Use App Logs to Locate Delays in PAS

To gain a more detailed picture of where delays exist in your request path, augment the logging that your app generates. For example, call your logging library from the request handler to generate log lines when your app receives a request and finishes processing it:

2016-12-14T00:33:32.35-0800 [RTR/0] OUT app1.app_domain.com - [14/12/2016:00:31:32.348 +0000] "GET /hello HTTP/1.1" 200 0 60 "-" "HTTPClient/1.0 (2.7.1, ruby 2.3.3 (2016-11-21))" "10.0.4.207:20810" "10.0.48.67:61555" x_forwarded_for:"52.3.107.171" x_forwarded_proto:"http" vcap_request_id:"01144146-1e7a-4c77-77ab-49ae3e286fe9" response_time:120.00641734 app_id:"13ee085e-bdf5-4a48-aaaf-e854a8a975df" app_index:"0" x_b3_traceid:"3595985e7c34536a" x_b3_spanid:"3595985e7c34536a" x_b3_parentspanid:"-"
2016-12-14T00:32:32.35-0800 [APP/PROC/WEB/0]OUT app1 received request at [14/12/2016:00:32:32.348 +0000] with "vcap_request_id": "01144146-1e7a-4c77-77ab-49ae3e286fe9"
2016-12-14T00:32:32.50-0800 [APP/PROC/WEB/0]OUT app1 finished processing req at [14/12/2016:00:32:32.500 +0000] with "vcap_request_id": "01144146-1e7a-4c77-77ab-49ae3e286fe9"

Comparing the router access log messages from Experiment 2: View Request Time in Access Logs with the new app logs above, you can construct the following timeline:

  • 14/12/2016:00:31:32.348: Gorouter receives request
  • 2016-12-14T00:32:32.35: App receives request
  • 2016-12-14T00:32:32.50: App finishes processing request
  • 2016-12-14T00:33:32.35: Gorouter finishes processing request

The timeline indicates that Gorouter took close to 60 seconds to send the request to the app and another 60 seconds to receive the response from the app. This suggests either of the following:

  • A delay with Gorouter. See Causes for Gorouter Latency below.
  • Network latency between Gorouter and the Diego Cells that host the app.

Causes for Gorouter Latency

Two potential causes for Gorouter latency are:

  • Routers are under heavy load from incoming client requests.

  • Apps are taking a long time to process requests. This increases the number of concurrent threads held open by Gorouter, reducing capacity to handle requests for other apps.

Operations Recommendations

  • Monitor CPU load for Gorouters. At high CPU (70%+), latency increases. If the Gorouter CPU reaches this threshold, consider adding another Gorouter instance.

  • Monitor latency of all routers using metrics from the Firehose. Do not monitor the average latency across all routers. Instead, monitor them individually on the same graph.

  • Consider using Pingdom against an app on your PAS deployment to monitor latency and uptime. For more information, see the Pingdom website.

  • Consider enabling access logs on your load balancer. To enable access logs, see your load balancer documentation. Just as you use Gorouter access log messages above to determine latency from Gorouter, you can compare load balancer logs to identify latency between the load balancer and Gorouter. You can also compare load balancer response times with the client response times to identify latency between client and load balancer.

  • Deploy a nozzle to the Loggregator Firehose to track metrics for Gorouter. For more information, see Deploying a Nozzle to the Loggregator Firehose. Available metrics include:

    • CPU utilization
    • Latency
    • Requests per second