Optimal number of connections in connection pool

Question

Currently we are using 4 cpu windows box with 8gb RAM with MySQL 5.x installed on same box. We are using Weblogic application server for our application. We are targeting fo

Answer 1

The connection pool should be able to grow and shink based on actual needs. Log the numbers needed to do analysis on the running system, either through logging statements or through JMX surveillance. Consider setting up alerts for scenarios like "peak detected: more than X new entries had to be allocated in Y seconds", "connection was out of pool for more than X seconds" which will allow you to give attention to performance issues before they get real problems.

Answer 2

You should profile the different expected workflows to find out. Ideally, your connection pool will also dynamically adjust the number of live connections based on recent usage, as it's pretty common for load to be a function of the current time of day in your target geographical area.

Start with a small number and try to reach a reasonable number of concurrent users, then crank it up. I think it's likely that you'll find that your connection pooling mechanism is not nearly as instrumental in your scalability as the rest of the software.