Database Optimization

Database Optimization: Performance Tuning and Maintenance for rConfig V8

rConfig V8 relies on efficient database operations to manage device configurations, historical data, and system operations. Proper database configuration directly impacts query performance, write throughput, and the ability to handle large-scale network management operations across thousands of devices.

This addresses the challenge of database systems’ default conservative resource limits, which are designed for general-purpose applications but inadequate for configuration management systems storing millions of historical records and processing thousands of concurrent device operations. Organizations can leverage database tuning to eliminate slow queries, reduce disk I/O bottlenecks, and maintain responsive operations under heavy load.

Accessing Database Optimization Recommendations

rConfig V8 provides a comprehensive Database Optimization interface accessible at System Settings → System Optimization. This page displays a detailed analysis of your current database configuration compared against recommended values for optimal performance.

The Database Optimization card presents each database setting in a clear tabular format showing:

• Setting name: The specific database parameter being evaluated
• Current Value: Your active configuration
• Suggested Value: Recommended setting based on your hardware and deployment size
• Status: Visual indicator showing “Optimal” (green) or “Needs Optimization” (yellow/red)
• Impact: Priority level (HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, INFO) indicating performance significance
• Information: Detailed description of the setting’s purpose and configuration file location
• Documentation links: Direct access to relevant configuration guidance

Settings are automatically categorized by impact level, with HIGH impact settings like shared_buffers (PostgreSQL) or innodb_buffer_pool_size (MySQL/MariaDB) prominently highlighted. The interface also displays warnings for critically undersized configurations that can severely impact performance.

This real-time analysis eliminates guesswork in database tuning, providing specific, actionable recommendations tailored to your server’s memory capacity and database size. The system automatically detects your database type (MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL) and presents appropriate settings for your configuration.

Tip

Settings displayed on the System Optimization page are cached for 15 minutes to minimize database overhead. Use the Refresh button to force an immediate update after making configuration changes, allowing you to verify settings took effect correctly.

Understanding Critical Database Settings

Buffer Pool / Shared Buffers

The buffer pool (MySQL/MariaDB) or shared buffers (PostgreSQL) is the most critical database setting for performance. This in-memory cache stores frequently accessed table data and indexes, dramatically reducing disk I/O and improving query response times.

For rConfig operations, adequate buffer allocation is essential when:

• Querying configuration history across millions of archived device snapshots
• Executing compliance checks that scan large configuration datasets
• Generating reports that aggregate data from multiple large tables
• Processing device polling operations across hundreds of concurrent connections
• Running searches across configuration text spanning gigabytes of data

Insufficient buffer allocation manifests as slow query performance, high disk I/O, and degraded system responsiveness. A properly sized buffer pool can improve query performance by 95% or more, as demonstrated in production deployments where increasing from 128MB to 10GB eliminated performance bottlenecks.

Example Performance Impact:

Before (128MB buffer pool, 7.9GB database):
- Configuration migration: 38 minutes
- Heavy disk I/O, query timeouts

After (10GB buffer pool, 7.9GB database):
- Configuration migration: ~2 minutes
- 95% performance improvement

Max Connections

The max_connections setting controls the maximum number of simultaneous database connections. For rConfig, this impacts:

• Web interface users browsing concurrently
• Background queue workers processing device tasks
• API integrations querying configuration data
• Scheduled jobs running database maintenance
• Monitoring systems checking database health

Insufficient connection limits cause “Too many connections” errors, preventing legitimate operations from accessing the database and requiring manual intervention.

Write-Ahead Logging (WAL) / Redo Logs

Write-ahead logging settings control how database writes are buffered and committed to disk. For rConfig, this impacts:

• Configuration change commits during device polling
• Task execution logging to database
• User activity tracking and audit trails
• Large bulk operations like policy assignments
• Database backup and recovery operations

Properly sized log files improve write performance and reduce checkpoint overhead, while undersized logs cause frequent disk flushes and performance degradation.

Database Version Support

rConfig V8 supports multiple database systems. Choose based on your organization’s existing infrastructure and expertise:

MySQL/MariaDB (Recommended for most deployments)

• Mature, well-documented InnoDB storage engine
• Extensive tooling and community support
• Proven performance at scale
• Easier administration for general users

PostgreSQL (Recommended for advanced deployments)

• Advanced features and query optimization
• Superior handling of concurrent writes
• More configurable performance tuning
• Better for very large datasets (10GB+)

Note

This guide covers optimization for both MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL. Configuration file locations and setting names differ between database systems, so follow the instructions specific to your database.

Using the Database Optimization Interface

The System Settings → System Optimization page provides comprehensive analysis of your database configuration:

Key Features:

• Automatic database detection: Identifies MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL and displays relevant settings
• Smart recommendations: Calculates optimal values based on available system RAM and current database size
• Impact prioritization: Highlights HIGH impact settings requiring immediate attention
• Real-time status: Shows which settings are optimal and which need adjustment
• Configuration paths: Displays exact file locations for making changes
• Warning system: Alerts for critically undersized configurations (e.g., buffer pool < 50% of recommended)

Additional Monitoring:

• Database size tracking: Shows total database size and largest table information
• Table maintenance alerts: Identifies fragmented (MySQL/MariaDB) or bloated (PostgreSQL) tables exceeding thresholds
• Connection monitoring: Tracks max_connections against recommended values

Navigate to the page periodically to monitor database health and verify optimization efforts. After making configuration changes, use the Refresh button to clear the cache and view updated settings immediately.

Note

The system analyzes tables for maintenance needs automatically:

• MySQL/MariaDB: Tables with >20% fragmentation and >100MB size
• PostgreSQL: Tables with >20% dead tuple ratio and >10,000 dead tuples

Run OPTIMIZE TABLE (MySQL/MariaDB) or VACUUM (PostgreSQL) on identified tables during maintenance windows.

Recommended Configuration Values

Buffer Pool / Shared Buffers Guidelines

Memory allocation for database caching should scale with available RAM and database size:

MySQL/MariaDB: innodb_buffer_pool_size

Server RAM	Database Size	Recommended innodb_buffer_pool_size	Deployment Size
4GB	< 2GB	2GB	Small: < 500 devices
8GB	< 4GB	6GB	Medium: 500-1,000 devices
16GB	< 10GB	10GB	Large: 1,000-5,000 devices
32GB+	< 20GB	22GB	Enterprise: 10,000+ devices

Rule of thumb: Allocate 70-75% of available RAM to the buffer pool, or 125% of database size (whichever is smaller).

PostgreSQL: shared_buffers

Server RAM	Database Size	Recommended shared_buffers	Deployment Size
4GB	< 2GB	1GB	Small: < 500 devices
8GB	< 4GB	2GB	Medium: 500-1,000 devices
16GB	< 10GB	4GB	Large: 1,000-5,000 devices
32GB+	< 20GB	8GB	Enterprise: 10,000+ devices

Rule of thumb: Allocate 25% of available RAM to shared buffers (PostgreSQL is more conservative than MySQL).

Caution

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.

These changes should be made in consultation with rConfig support and your system administrator to ensure overall system stability.

Connection Limits Guidelines

Connection limits should accommodate concurrent operations:

Server RAM	Recommended max_connections	Rationale
4GB	100-150	Limited concurrent web users and workers
8GB	200	Moderate concurrent operations
16GB	300	High concurrent operations
32GB+	500	Enterprise-scale concurrent operations

Note

Each connection consumes memory (1-4MB per connection). Balance connection limits against available RAM to prevent memory exhaustion. Monitor actual connection usage through the database optimization page to inform adjustments.

Write-Ahead Log / Redo Log Guidelines

MySQL/MariaDB: innodb_log_file_size

Server RAM	Recommended innodb_log_file_size	Workload Type
4GB	256MB	Light write operations
8GB	512MB	Moderate write operations
16GB	1GB	Heavy write operations
32GB+	2GB	Very heavy write operations

PostgreSQL: wal_buffers

Server RAM	Recommended wal_buffers	Workload Type
All sizes	16MB	Standard for most workloads

Tip

PostgreSQL’s wal_buffers typically doesn’t need adjustment beyond 16MB. Focus optimization efforts on shared_buffers and work_mem instead.

Modifying Database Settings

Caution

Always create backups before modifying database configuration. Incorrect settings can prevent the database from starting, potentially taking rConfig offline until corrected. Test configuration changes in non-production environments when possible.

Consult rConfig support before making changes on production systems if you’re uncertain about the impact.

Configuration File Locations

MySQL/MariaDB

Common locations:

• Ubuntu/Debian: /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf or /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf
• CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux: /etc/my.cnf.d/server.cnf or /etc/my.cnf

Locate active configuration:

mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'datadir';"

Settings are placed under the [mysqld] section.

PostgreSQL

Common locations:

• Ubuntu/Debian: /etc/postgresql/14/main/postgresql.conf (version may vary)
• CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux: /var/lib/pgsql/14/data/postgresql.conf (version may vary)

Locate active configuration:

sudo -u postgres psql -c "SHOW config_file;"

Settings are placed directly in the file (no sections).

Step-by-Step Configuration Procedure

MySQL/MariaDB

Step 1: Identify Configuration File

# Find the active configuration file
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'datadir';"

# Common locations
ls -la /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf
ls -la /etc/my.cnf.d/server.cnf

Step 2: Create Configuration Backup

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo cp /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d)

# CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
sudo cp /etc/my.cnf.d/server.cnf /etc/my.cnf.d/server.cnf.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d)

Step 3: Edit Configuration File

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo nano /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf

# CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
sudo nano /etc/my.cnf.d/server.cnf

Step 4: Add/Modify Settings Under [mysqld]

Locate the [mysqld] section and add or modify these settings based on your server specifications:

[mysqld]
# InnoDB Buffer Pool (MOST CRITICAL - adjust based on RAM)
innodb_buffer_pool_size = 10G
innodb_buffer_pool_instances = 8

# Connection Settings
max_connections = 300

# InnoDB Log Files (improves write performance)
innodb_log_file_size = 1G
innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 2
innodb_flush_method = O_DIRECT

# Temporary Tables
tmp_table_size = 64M
max_heap_table_size = 64M

# Query Optimization
slow_query_log = 1
long_query_time = 2
slow_query_log_file = /var/log/mysql/slow-query.log

# Thread Cache
thread_cache_size = 100

# Disable Query Cache (deprecated in MySQL 8.0, causes contention in MariaDB)
query_cache_type = 0
query_cache_size = 0

Key settings explained:

• innodb_buffer_pool_size: Most critical setting - set to 70% of RAM or 125% of database size
• innodb_buffer_pool_instances: Set to 8 for buffer pools > 1GB (improves concurrency)
• max_connections: Set based on concurrent operations (see guidelines above)
• innodb_log_file_size: Larger values improve write performance
• innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 2: Improves performance (slightly less crash-safe)
• innodb_flush_method = O_DIRECT: Prevents double buffering with OS cache
• slow_query_log: Enable to identify performance issues
• query_cache_type = 0: Disable query cache (deprecated/problematic)

Step 5: Validate Configuration

# Test configuration syntax (MariaDB)
sudo mysqld --help --verbose | head -n 20

# Look for errors in output

Step 6: Restart Database Service

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo systemctl restart mariadb
sudo systemctl status mariadb

# CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
sudo systemctl restart mariadb
sudo systemctl status mariadb

Caution

If the database fails to start, check the error log:

sudo tail -100 /var/log/mysql/error.log
# or
sudo journalctl -u mariadb -n 100

Common issues:

• innodb_log_file_size changed requires removing old log files
• Syntax errors in configuration file
• Insufficient disk space for larger buffer pool

If uncertain, restore backup and contact rConfig support.

Step 7: Verify Settings Applied

mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'innodb_buffer_pool_size';"
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'max_connections';"
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'innodb_log_file_size';"

Step 8: Verify in rConfig

1. Navigate to System Settings → System Optimization
2. Click Refresh to clear cache
3. Review Database Settings section
4. Verify settings show as optimal

PostgreSQL

Step 1: Identify Configuration File

# Find the active configuration file
sudo -u postgres psql -c "SHOW config_file;"

# Common locations
ls -la /etc/postgresql/14/main/postgresql.conf
ls -la /var/lib/pgsql/14/data/postgresql.conf

Step 2: Create Configuration Backup

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo cp /etc/postgresql/14/main/postgresql.conf /etc/postgresql/14/main/postgresql.conf.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d)

# CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
sudo cp /var/lib/pgsql/14/data/postgresql.conf /var/lib/pgsql/14/data/postgresql.conf.backup.$(date +%Y%m%d)

Step 3: Edit Configuration File

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo nano /etc/postgresql/14/main/postgresql.conf

# CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
sudo nano /var/lib/pgsql/14/data/postgresql.conf

Step 4: Modify Settings

Locate and modify these settings based on your server specifications:

# Memory Settings (MOST CRITICAL)
shared_buffers = 4GB                    # 25% of RAM
effective_cache_size = 12GB             # 75% of RAM
work_mem = 32MB                         # Per-operation memory
maintenance_work_mem = 1600MB           # For VACUUM, indexing

# Connection Settings
max_connections = 300

# Write-Ahead Log
wal_buffers = 16MB
checkpoint_completion_target = 0.9

# Query Planner (adjust for SSD storage)
random_page_cost = 1.1
effective_io_concurrency = 200

# Logging (for performance monitoring)
log_min_duration_statement = 2000       # Log queries > 2 seconds

Key settings explained:

• shared_buffers: Most critical setting - set to 25% of RAM (PostgreSQL is conservative)
• effective_cache_size: Helps query planner - set to 75% of RAM
• work_mem: Memory per sort/hash operation - balance against max_connections
• maintenance_work_mem: For VACUUM and CREATE INDEX - set to 10% of RAM (max 2GB)
• max_connections: Set based on concurrent operations
• wal_buffers: Write-ahead log buffers - 16MB standard
• checkpoint_completion_target: Spreads checkpoint I/O over time
• random_page_cost: Lower for SSD (1.1) vs HDD (4.0)
• effective_io_concurrency: Higher for SSD storage

Step 5: Validate Configuration

# Check for syntax errors
sudo -u postgres /usr/lib/postgresql/14/bin/postgres -C shared_buffers -D /etc/postgresql/14/main/

# Look for errors in output

Step 6: Restart Database Service

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo systemctl restart postgresql
sudo systemctl status postgresql

# CentOS/RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux
sudo systemctl restart postgresql-14
sudo systemctl status postgresql-14

Caution

If the database fails to start, check the error log:

sudo tail -100 /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-14-main.log
# or
sudo journalctl -u postgresql -n 100

Common issues:

• shared_buffers exceeds system shared memory limits
• Syntax errors in configuration file
• Insufficient permissions on data directory

If uncertain, restore backup and contact rConfig support.

Step 7: Verify Settings Applied

sudo -u postgres psql -c "SHOW shared_buffers;"
sudo -u postgres psql -c "SHOW effective_cache_size;"
sudo -u postgres psql -c "SHOW max_connections;"
sudo -u postgres psql -c "SHOW work_mem;"

Step 8: Verify in rConfig

1. Navigate to System Settings → System Optimization
2. Click Refresh to clear cache
3. Review Database Settings section
4. Verify settings show as optimal

Database Maintenance Tasks

Table Fragmentation / Bloat

Over time, database tables accumulate fragmentation (MySQL/MariaDB) or bloat (PostgreSQL), reducing query performance and wasting disk space.

Detection: The rConfig optimization page automatically detects fragmented or bloated tables exceeding thresholds:

• MySQL/MariaDB: >20% fragmentation and >100MB size
• PostgreSQL: >20% dead tuple ratio and >10,000 dead tuples

Resolution:

MySQL/MariaDB

# Optimize specific fragmented tables
mysql -u root -p rconfig_db -e "OPTIMIZE TABLE config_changes;"
mysql -u root -p rconfig_db -e "OPTIMIZE TABLE device_history;"
mysql -u root -p rconfig_db -e "OPTIMIZE TABLE task_logs;"

# Optimize all tables (WARNING: can take hours on large databases)
mysqlcheck -u root -p --optimize --all-databases

Scheduling regular maintenance:

# Create cron job for weekly optimization (Sunday 2 AM)
sudo crontab -e

# Add line:
0 2 * * 0 mysqlcheck -u root -p'YOUR_PASSWORD' --optimize rconfig_db >> /var/log/mysql-optimize.log 2>&1

Note

OPTIMIZE TABLE rebuilds the table, which can take considerable time and locks the table during the operation. Schedule during maintenance windows for large tables.

PostgreSQL

# VACUUM specific bloated tables (releases dead tuples)
sudo -u postgres psql rconfig_db -c "VACUUM ANALYZE config_changes;"
sudo -u postgres psql rconfig_db -c "VACUUM ANALYZE device_history;"
sudo -u postgres psql rconfig_db -c "VACUUM ANALYZE task_logs;"

# VACUUM FULL (WARNING: locks table, reclaims disk space)
sudo -u postgres psql rconfig_db -c "VACUUM FULL ANALYZE config_changes;"

# Alternative: pg_repack (online, no lock - requires installation)
pg_repack -d rconfig_db -t config_changes

Scheduling regular maintenance:

# PostgreSQL autovacuum should handle routine maintenance automatically
# Verify autovacuum is enabled:
sudo -u postgres psql -c "SHOW autovacuum;"

# For manual weekly VACUUM (Sunday 2 AM):
sudo crontab -e

# Add line:
0 2 * * 0 /usr/bin/vacuumdb -U postgres -d rconfig_db -z >> /var/log/postgres-vacuum.log 2>&1

Tip

PostgreSQL’s autovacuum typically handles routine maintenance automatically. Manual VACUUM is only needed for heavily bloated tables or after bulk delete operations. Consider pg_repack for online table reorganization without locks.

Monitoring Database Performance

Using Built-in rConfig Monitoring

Navigate to System Settings → System Optimization to view:

• Current vs. recommended settings with impact levels
• Database size and largest tables
• Table fragmentation or bloat status
• Connection usage patterns

Impact Levels:

• HIGH: Critical performance impact - address immediately
• MEDIUM: Moderate impact - address during next maintenance
• LOW: Minor impact - address when convenient
• INFO: Informational only

Command-Line Monitoring

MySQL/MariaDB

Monitor current connections:

mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW PROCESSLIST;"
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW STATUS LIKE 'Threads_connected';"
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW STATUS LIKE 'Max_used_connections';"

Monitor buffer pool efficiency:

mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW STATUS LIKE 'Innodb_buffer_pool%';"

View slow queries:

sudo tail -100 /var/log/mysql/slow-query.log

Check table sizes:

mysql -u root -p -e "
SELECT
    table_name,
    ROUND(((data_length + index_length) / 1024 / 1024), 2) AS 'Size (MB)'
FROM information_schema.TABLES
WHERE table_schema = 'rconfig_db'
ORDER BY (data_length + index_length) DESC
LIMIT 10;
"

PostgreSQL

Monitor current connections:

sudo -u postgres psql -c "SELECT count(*) FROM pg_stat_activity;"
sudo -u postgres psql -c "SELECT * FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE state = 'active';"

Monitor cache hit ratio (should be >99%):

sudo -u postgres psql -c "
SELECT
    sum(heap_blks_read) as heap_read,
    sum(heap_blks_hit) as heap_hit,
    sum(heap_blks_hit) / (sum(heap_blks_hit) + sum(heap_blks_read)) as ratio
FROM pg_statio_user_tables;
"

View slow queries:

sudo -u postgres psql -c "
SELECT
    query,
    calls,
    total_time,
    mean_time
FROM pg_stat_statements
ORDER BY mean_time DESC
LIMIT 10;
"

Check table sizes:

sudo -u postgres psql -c "
SELECT
    schemaname || '.' || tablename AS table,
    pg_size_pretty(pg_total_relation_size(schemaname || '.' || tablename)) AS size
FROM pg_tables
WHERE schemaname = 'public'
ORDER BY pg_total_relation_size(schemaname || '.' || tablename) DESC
LIMIT 10;
"

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Symptom: Database Won’t Start After Configuration Changes

Diagnosis: Configuration error or resource limits exceeded.

Resolution:

1. Check error logs:

   # MySQL/MariaDB
   sudo tail -100 /var/log/mysql/error.log
   
   # PostgreSQL
   sudo tail -100 /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-14-main.log

2. Common issues:

   • MySQL innodb_log_file_size changed: Remove old log files (ib_logfile*) and restart
   • PostgreSQL shared_buffers too large: System shared memory limits need adjustment
   • Syntax errors: Typos in configuration file

3. Restore backup configuration:

   sudo cp /etc/my.cnf.d/server.cnf.backup.YYYYMMDD /etc/my.cnf.d/server.cnf
   sudo systemctl restart mariadb

4. Contact rConfig support if issue persists

Symptom: “Too Many Connections” Errors

Diagnosis: max_connections limit reached.

Resolution:

1. Check current connection usage:

   # MySQL/MariaDB
   mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW STATUS LIKE 'Threads_connected';"
   mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW PROCESSLIST;"
   
   # PostgreSQL
   sudo -u postgres psql -c "SELECT count(*) FROM pg_stat_activity;"

2. Identify connection sources (web users, queue workers, integrations)

3. Increase max_connections in configuration (see guidelines above)

4. Restart database service

5. Contact rConfig support if connections seem excessive (may indicate connection leak)

Symptom: Slow Query Performance Despite Buffer Tuning

Diagnosis: Missing indexes, inefficient queries, or bloated tables.

Resolution:

1. Check for table fragmentation/bloat in System Optimization page

2. Run OPTIMIZE TABLE (MySQL) or VACUUM (PostgreSQL) on identified tables

3. Enable slow query logging and review problematic queries

4. Contact rConfig support for query optimization assistance

Symptom: Settings Don’t Appear Changed in rConfig

Diagnosis: Cache not cleared after configuration change.

Resolution:

1. Click Refresh button in System Optimization page to clear cache

2. Verify database service was restarted after configuration change

3. Confirm correct configuration file was modified (check paths above)

Best Practices

Security

Backup before changes: Always create timestamped backups of configuration files before modifications. This enables rapid recovery if settings cause issues.

Test in non-production first: Validate configuration changes in staging environments when possible to identify issues before production impact.

Monitor resource usage: After configuration changes, monitor system memory, disk I/O, and CPU usage to ensure settings don’t cause resource exhaustion.

Performance

Start conservative, adjust based on monitoring: Begin with recommended values, then fine-tune based on actual usage patterns observed through monitoring.

Prioritize buffer pool / shared buffers: This setting has the largest performance impact. Allocate generously before optimizing other settings.

Balance memory across settings: Ensure total memory allocation (buffer pool + connections + OS + applications) doesn’t exceed available RAM.

Schedule maintenance during off-hours: Table optimization operations can lock tables or consume significant resources. Schedule during maintenance windows.

Organization

Document configuration changes: Maintain internal documentation noting database settings, when they were changed, and why. Include before/after performance metrics when available.

Version control configuration files: Store copies of database configuration files in version control for audit trails and rapid restoration after server rebuilds.

Review settings quarterly: As deployments grow, revisit database configuration quarterly to ensure settings remain adequate for current scale.

When to Contact rConfig Support

Consult rConfig support when:

• Database won’t start after configuration changes and logs are unclear
• Performance issues persist despite following optimization guidelines
• Uncertain about safe values for your specific hardware configuration
• Managing extremely large deployments (10,000+ devices, 100GB+ databases)
• Migrating between database systems (MySQL to PostgreSQL or vice versa)
• Experiencing connection leaks or abnormal connection patterns
• Planning major version upgrades of database software

Support can provide:

• Configuration review and validation
• Performance profiling and bottleneck identification
• Hardware sizing recommendations
• Migration assistance and planning
• Custom optimization for specific workloads

Related Documentation

• System Requirements - Hardware and software prerequisites including database version requirements
• Installation Guide - Initial rConfig setup including database configuration
• PHP Settings - PHP optimization that complements database tuning
• System Logs - Viewing database errors and slow queries
• Performance Tuning - Comprehensive performance optimization strategies

Quick Reference

Critical Settings Summary

Setting	MySQL/MariaDB	PostgreSQL	Impact
Buffer Cache	innodb_buffer_pool_size	shared_buffers	HIGH
Query Planner Cache	N/A	effective_cache_size	HIGH
Connections	max_connections	max_connections	MEDIUM
Write-Ahead Logs	innodb_log_file_size	wal_buffers	MEDIUM
Temp Memory	tmp_table_size	work_mem	LOW
Maintenance Memory	N/A	maintenance_work_mem	LOW

Configuration File Quick Access

# MySQL/MariaDB
sudo nano /etc/my.cnf.d/server.cnf
sudo systemctl restart mariadb

# PostgreSQL
sudo nano /etc/postgresql/14/main/postgresql.conf
sudo systemctl restart postgresql

Verification Commands

# MySQL/MariaDB
mysql -u root -p -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'innodb_buffer_pool_size';"

# PostgreSQL
sudo -u postgres psql -c "SHOW shared_buffers;"

Summary

Proper database configuration is fundamental to rConfig V8 performance at scale. The buffer pool (MySQL/MariaDB) or shared buffers (PostgreSQL) represents the single most important performance setting, with properly sized allocation improving query performance by 95% or more in production deployments.

Key takeaways for effective database optimization:

• Allocate 70-75% of RAM to buffer pool (MySQL/MariaDB) or 25% to shared buffers (PostgreSQL) on dedicated servers
• Monitor and adjust based on actual usage rather than relying solely on generic recommendations
• Schedule regular maintenance to address table fragmentation and bloat
• Use rConfig’s built-in optimization page to identify and track configuration issues
• Contact rConfig support when uncertain about changes or experiencing persistent performance issues

The rConfig optimization interface provides real-time monitoring and recommendations tailored to your specific deployment, making database tuning accessible without deep database administration expertise. Regular review and adjustment ensures rConfig maintains reliable, performant operations as deployments scale.