Q1: What are the main types of traffic in Drupal and how do they affect performance?

A: Drupal handles two main types of traffic: Authenticated Users and Anonymous Users. Authenticated Users receive dynamic and unique pages, making caching more challenging, while Anonymous Users are served static pages that can be fully cached, optimizing performance.

Q2: Where can I find basic performance tuning settings in Drupal?

A: Basic performance tuning settings can be accessed at Administration > Configuration > Development > Performance (admin/config/development/performance). This is where you can enable block and page caching for improved performance.

Q3: Should caching be enabled during development in Drupal?

A: It’s recommended to disable caching during development to facilitate real-time updates. However, in production environments, caching should always be enabled for optimal performance.

Q4: How can I clear the cache in Drupal?

A: Cache can be cleared in Drupal by navigating to the “Flush Cache” section and clicking the “Clear all caches” button. Alternatively, you can use Drush, a command-line tool, with the command drush cr to flush the cache.

Q5: What are the performance areas to focus on in Drupal?

A: Key performance areas in Drupal include Opcode Caching (PHP), Database Caching, and Web Server (Proxy) Caching. These optimizations help reduce CPU usage, improve database performance, and accelerate page load times.

Q6: How can I optimize PHP performance in Drupal?

A: To optimize PHP performance, consider using an opcode caching add-on like Opcache or APC. These tools convert PHP pages into memory (byte code), reducing load times and CPU usage.

Q7: What is Memcached, and how can it enhance Drupal performance?

A: Memcached is a distributed memory object caching system that can be integrated with Drupal to cache database query results in memory, reducing database traffic and improving performance.

Q8: What is Varnish Cache, and how does it benefit Drupal websites?

A: Varnish Cache is an HTTP accelerator that significantly reduces resource requirements and page load times by serving cached content. It acts as a reverse proxy, retrieving resources before they are requested by website visitors.

Q9: Are there specific performance modules that can enhance Drupal performance?

A: Yes, there are performance modules like Boost, Authcache, Cache Router, Varnish, Memcache, Redis, etc., which can be installed to further optimize Drupal performance based on the hosting environment and site requirements.