How to Troubleshoot ServiceNow MID Server Performance In High-Concurrent Java Sessions

Is your ServiceNow MID Server experiencing slow performance during high concurrent Java sessions? 🤔 The issue might be related to handling multiple Java sessions efficiently. In this article, we’ll guide you through troubleshooting ServiceNow MID Server performance issues under high concurrency. Discover effective methods to enhance the performance and reliability of your ServiceNow environment. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in!

Understanding the Impact of High Concurrent Java Sessions on Performance

High concurrent Java sessions occur when multiple Java processes or threads run simultaneously, leading to resource competition and potential performance bottlenecks. This can result in increased CPU and memory usage, causing the system to slow down. Inefficient thread management and excessive context switching further exacerbate the issue, increasing overhead. High concurrency also challenges Java’s garbage collection, leading to more frequent pauses and slowdowns. Additionally, concurrent sessions can strain database systems, causing delays and contention. Lastly, network latency and bandwidth limitations can become bottlenecks when multiple sessions are making simultaneous requests.

How High Concurrent Java Sessions Affect Your ServiceNow MID Server

1. Degraded Performance: High concurrent Java sessions can significantly degrade MID Server performance. The increased load can cause the JVM to struggle with resource management, resulting in slower operations.
2. Frequent Freezes and Timeouts: With a high number of concurrent sessions, the MID Server is more prone to application freezes and timeouts. This leads to delayed responses and potential missed requests, affecting service reliability.
3. Extended Response Times: As the number of concurrent sessions increases, the time it takes for your MID Server to respond also increases. This leads to a slower user experience and delays in executing critical tasks.
4. Increased Resource Consumption: High concurrency leads to higher CPU and memory usage. The JVM must work harder to manage the increased number of sessions, putting an additional load on the system.
5. Challenging Diagnostics: Identifying and troubleshooting performance issues due to high concurrency can be difficult without detailed logs and in-depth analysis. These issues often remain hidden until significant performance degradation occurs.
6. Scalability Constraints: Poor management of concurrent Java sessions hinders the ability of your application to scale effectively. Handling more requests or larger data volumes becomes increasingly challenging.

Troubleshooting ServiceNow MID Server Performance During High-Concurrent Java Sessions

Managing high concurrent Java sessions can be challenging, especially on a ServiceNow MID Server where performance and reliability are critical. By simulating multiple concurrent sessions, this Java program illustrates how handling high concurrency can strain JVM resources, potentially leading to performance bottlenecks and degraded system efficiency.

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

public class ConcurrentSessionSimulator {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        List<Thread> sessionThreads = new ArrayList<>();
        int counter = 0;

        while (true) {
            counter++;
            SessionSimulator sessionSimulator = new SessionSimulator();
            Thread thread = new Thread(sessionSimulator);
            sessionThreads.add(thread);
            thread.start();

            if (counter % 100 == 0) {
                System.out.println("Concurrent sessions: " + sessionThreads.size());
                try {
                    Thread.sleep(100); // Simulate some delay
                } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                    Thread.currentThread().interrupt(); // Reset interrupted status
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

class SessionSimulator implements Runnable {

    @Override
    public void run() {
        try {
            // Simulate session work
            Thread.sleep(1000); // Simulated work duration
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            Thread.currentThread().interrupt(); // Reset interrupted status
        }
    }
}

This program continuously starts new threads, simulating multiple concurrent sessions. Each session is represented by a Thread running an instance of SessionSimulator. The simulated session work includes a Thread.sleep(1000), representing some ongoing task or session work.

The program prints the number of concurrent sessions every 100 iterations, with a brief delay (Thread.sleep(100)) to simulate real-world conditions where not all sessions start simultaneously.

Simulation ServiceNow MID Server Performance During High Concurrent Java Sessions

Let’s run our application on the ServiceNow MID Server and see how the High Concurrent Java Sessions problem looks. First, create a JAR file from the program using the command:

javac ConcurrentSessionSimulator.java


jar cf ConcurrentSessionSimulator.jar ConcurrentSessionSimulator.class

Once a JAR file is created, let’s upload and run this program in the ServiceNow MID Server as documented in the MID Server setup guide. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough on how to run a custom Java application in the ServiceNow MID Server infrastructure. It walkthrough following steps:

1. Creating a ServiceNow application
2. Installing MID Server in AWS EC2 instance
3. Configuring MID Server
4. Installing Java application within MID Server
5. Running Java application from MID server

We strongly encourage you to check out the guide if you are not sure on how to run custom Java applications in ServiceNow MID server infrastructure.

yCrash’s Guide to Troubleshooting ServiceNow MID Server Performance During High-Concurrent Java Sessions

The yCrash report highlights that 200 threads are in the WAITING state on the method, all sharing the same stack trace. This indicates potential performance bottlenecks due to excessive thread waiting, which can cause the MID Server to become unresponsive or slow during high concurrent Java sessions. By identifying this pattern, administrators can focus on optimizing thread management and reducing unnecessary delays. This insight helps streamline resource utilization and improve overall system performance. Addressing these issues ensures that the ServiceNow MID Server handles high concurrency more efficiently.

The yCrash report provides a detailed breakdown of thread states within the JVM, revealing that most threads (202) are in the TIMED_WAITING state, which might indicate inefficiencies in thread management. It also shows a majority of threads (208) are non-daemon, focusing on user operations. This insight aids in diagnosing potential performance bottlenecks, as excessive threads in TIMED_WAITING can lead to resource saturation and unresponsive behavior under high concurrency. Additionally, the heap usage data indicates efficient memory utilization (1.06 GB allocated, 4.24 MB used), which helps in ruling out memory issues as a primary cause. By addressing the thread management inefficiencies highlighted in the report, you can optimize resource utilization and improve overall system responsiveness. You can see the detailed report here.

Conclusion

In summary, yCrash’s analysis provides valuable insights into thread behavior within our ServiceNow MID Server, particularly during high concurrent Java sessions. The tool’s detailed thread count and stack trace analysis help pinpoint potential performance bottlenecks, such as identifying that 202 threads are in the TIMED_WAITING state, indicating possible inefficiencies in thread management.

Additionally, yCrash offers comprehensive visibility into memory utilization patterns, facilitating the identification of resource contention issues. The tool also highlights critical factors like heap size utilization and the nature of daemon versus non-daemon threads, providing a thorough understanding of the root causes affecting MID Server performance. The actionable recommendations derived from yCrash’s detailed reports can significantly enhance the stability and responsiveness of the ServiceNow MID Server under high concurrency.

If you want to diagnose and resolve performance problems in your ServiceNow MID Server using yCrash, you may register here.