Optimizing Node.js for a large number of outbound HTTP requests?

Question

My node.js server is experiencing times when it becomes slow or unresponsive, even occasionally resulting in 503 gateway timeouts when attempting to connect to the server.

Answer 1

It sounds to me that the Agent is capping your requests to the default level of 5 per-host. Your tests show that cranking up the agent's maxSockets helped... you should do that.

You can prove this is the issue by firing up a packet sniffer, or adding more debugging code to your application, to show that this is the limiting factor.