Exponential Velocity in the ecosystem
"Velocity is a web server written in PHP, bundled with Exponential, that keeps the application loaded between
requests" (README.md, "Exponential Velocity — the fast option").
Contents
- Its place in the ecosystem
- The three engines
- Why it is faster
- When a traditional server is still right
- Where it is developed
Its place in the ecosystem
- "As of 6.0.15 Velocity is part of Exponential itself.
composer.jsonrequiresse7enxweb/exponential-velocity ~0.0.4.57(throughse7enxweb/exponential-php-floor, on PHP 8.0 and later), socomposer installinstalls the server with the rest of the product" (README.md). - It "is based on the Qbix server and is developed alongside Exponential, so the two are tuned against each other" (same).
- It is MIT licensed (Exponential Velocity).
- The whole story: Velocity is part of Exponential 6.0.15.
The three engines
| Engine | Role, as the README states it |
|---|---|
| Qbix | Velocity's own server: "The recommended engine for every stage, from development to production, and the fastest"; serves HTTP and HTTPS itself |
| FrankenPHP | Caddy with PHP built in, one checksum-verified binary: "The production-ready alternative" |
| PHP's built-in server | Nothing to install; for development, "and the shipped default because it always works" |
The engine is chosen with [ServerSettings] Engine in velocity.ini. Details:
Velocity engines.
Why it is faster
Velocity "loads the framework once into a parent process and forks workers that share it", and adds "a response
cache that answers a repeat request without waking the application at all" (README.md). The README also says:
"Most of the speed came from fixing Exponential and the cache, not from the server process model", so 6.0.15 "is fast
under load on Apache or Nginx too".
When a traditional server is still right
From README.md, "When a traditional server is still the right answer":
- you need per-site operating-system isolation (run one Velocity instance per site instead);
- your hosting will not let you run a long-lived process, as is usual on shared hosting;
- you already have a tuned Nginx or Apache in front (Velocity is happy behind a reverse proxy).
Where it is developed
- Repository and issues: se7enxweb/exponential-velocity.
- History: Velocity chronicle.
- Feature pages: Persistent-worker server, Response cache, HTTPS certificates.
Related pages
- Products
- Web servers and engines
- Velocity for businesses
- Talking points: speed and Velocity
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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