rConfig - PHP Settings

3 mins V7 Pro V6 Core

rConfig relies on PHP to execute its core functionality. Understanding and properly configuring key PHP settings can significantly impact system performance and stability, particularly when dealing with large network environments or resource-intensive operations.

Note

Modifying PHP settings should be done with caution. Improper configurations can lead to system instability or security vulnerabilities. We recommend creating a system backup before making changes to critical settings.

Key PHP Settings

Two critical PHP configuration settings directly affect rConfig’s performance and ability to handle large workloads:

Setting	Description	Recommendation
max_execution_time	Maximum time in seconds a script is allowed to run before it is terminated	300-600 seconds for environments with many devices
memory_limit	Maximum amount of memory a script may consume	Allocating a much larger portion of your available RAM to PHP (see guidelines below)

Memory Limit

The memory_limit setting defines how much memory a PHP script can consume. For rConfig, this is especially important when:

• Processing large configuration files
• Executing tasks across hundreds of devices simultaneously
• Running complex compliance checks
• Generating reports with extensive data

Caution

Setting memory_limit too low can cause operations to fail with “Allowed memory size exhausted” errors. Setting it too high could cause server instability by allowing PHP processes to consume excessive resources.

Recommended Memory Limit Settings

For dedicated rConfig servers, we recommend allocating a much larger portion of your available RAM to PHP:

Server RAM	Recommended memory_limit (dedicated server)
4GB	3072M (3GB)
8GB	6144M (6GB)
16GB	12288M (12GB)
32GB+	28672M (28GB)

Tip

These recommendations assume your server is primarily or exclusively dedicated to running rConfig. If you’re running other memory-intensive applications on the same server, you’ll need to balance memory allocation appropriately.

For servers with multiple applications, adjust these values based on resource allocation across all services. Remember that setting memory_limit too high on a shared system could negatively impact other applications.

Execution Time

The max_execution_time setting controls how long a PHP script can run before PHP automatically terminates it.

Recommended Execution Time Settings

Environment Size	Recommended max_execution_time
Small (< 100 devices)	300 seconds (5 minutes)
Medium (100-500 devices)	600 seconds (10 minutes)
Large (500+ devices)	900-1200 seconds (15-20 minutes)

Note

When running particularly large tasks, you should consider using rConfig’s queueing system rather than relying solely on extended execution times. See our Queue Manager documentation for more information.

How to Modify PHP Settings

PHP settings can be modified in this ways:

1. php.ini file (recommended)

   • Locate your active php.ini file (typically in /etc/php/x.x/apache2/ or /etc/php/x.x/fpm/)
   • Modify the settings and restart your web server

2. Through .htaccess (for Apache)

   php_value memory_limit 4096M
   php_value max_execution_time 600

Step-by-Step Guide to Change PHP Settings

CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux/AWS

1. Find the active PHP version:

php -v

2. Locate your php.ini file:

php -i | grep "Loaded Configuration File"

This will show something like: /etc/php.ini

3. Create a backup of your php.ini file:

sudo cp /etc/php.ini /etc/php.ini.backup

4. Edit the php.ini file:

sudo vi /etc/php.ini

5. Find and modify the settings:

• Press / to search
• Type memory_limit and press Enter
• Change the value using i to enter insert mode
• Change from something like memory_limit = 128M to memory_limit = 4096M
• Search for “max_execution_time” with /max_execution_time
• Change the value from something like max_execution_time = 30 to max_execution_time = 600
• Press ESC to exit insert mode
• Type :wq and press Enter to save and quit

6. Restart your web server:

• For Apache:

sudo systemctl restart httpd
sudo systemctl restart php-fpm

• For Nginx with PHP-FPM:

sudo systemctl restart php-fpm
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Debian/Ubuntu

1. Find the active PHP version:

php -v

2. Locate your php.ini file:

php -i | grep "Loaded Configuration File"

This will show something like: /etc/php/7.4/apache2/php.ini or /etc/php/8.1/fpm/php.ini

3. Create a backup of your php.ini file:

sudo cp /etc/php/7.4/apache2/php.ini /etc/php/7.4/apache2/php.ini.backup

4. Edit the php.ini file:

sudo nano /etc/php/7.4/apache2/php.ini

5. Find and modify the settings:

• Use CTRL+W to search for “memory_limit”
• Change the value from something like memory_limit = 128M to memory_limit = 4096M (adjust according to your server’s RAM)
• Search for “max_execution_time”
• Change the value from something like max_execution_time = 30 to max_execution_time = 600

6. Save the file:

• Press CTRL+O to write the file
• Press ENTER to confirm
• Press CTRL+X to exit nano

7. Restart your web server:

• For Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2

• For Nginx with PHP-FPM:

sudo systemctl restart php7.4-fpm
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Verifying Your Changes

After making changes, verify they’ve been applied correctly:

All Systems

1. Create a PHP info file:

echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/phpinfo.php

2. Access the file in your browser:

• Navigate to http://your-rconfig-server/phpinfo.php
• Search for “memory_limit” and “max_execution_time” to verify your new settings

3. Remove the phpinfo file for security:

sudo rm /var/www/html/phpinfo.php

Tip

If you’re not comfortable editing server configurations directly, consider using the support services offered by rConfig to assist with these changes.

Need Help?

If you’re experiencing performance issues even after adjusting these settings, please open a support ticket with details about your environment and the specific operations causing problems.