The Layershift Logbook

Key Takeaways

• Enable the slow query log with slow_query_log = ON and a long_query_time of 1 second or lower. The 10-second default is too lax for most web apps.
• The key signal in each entry is Rows_examined versus Rows_sent: a huge gap usually means a full table scan and a missing index.

Key Takeaways

• MariaDB performance rarely fails outright. It drifts, as your workload grows while your configuration stays put.
• You can measure drift: watch Innodb_buffer_pool_reads climb as a share of Innodb_buffer_pool_read_requests as reads shift from memory to disk.

Key Takeaways

• The same query can get slower with no code change, because its conditions shift: data volume, index selectivity, memory, and concurrency.
• Use EXPLAIN to see the plan. type: ALL with key: NULL means a full table scan with no index.

Key Takeaways

• The InnoDB buffer pool decides whether reads come from RAM or disk, so it is the highest-impact setting to get right.

• Size it to 50-75% of the node's memory (up to about 80% on a dedicated 8 GB or larger node), always leaving 1-2 GB for the OS, and never so large that it swaps.

Deciding which AI bots to allow used to be one checkbox. It is now twenty-two named user agents across a dozen operators, several of which do the opposite of what their name suggests, and two of which never touch your server at all.

Virtual patching is a security layer that sits in front of your WordPress site. It blocks requests matching a known plugin or theme exploit, protecting the site before you apply the official update.