Azure web role using docToPdf slow after upgrade

[Truls Rødfjell]

Hey,

I have an issue with one of your components after i deploy it to a web server. I have a web role in azure that is using docToPdf to convert word documents to pdf.

The method does this:

var converter = new DocToPDFConverter();

var pdfDoc = converter.ConvertToPDF(wordDocument);

return pdfDoc;

When I do a update to a deployment, the method is unusable slow, can take up to 10 seconds to convert a single page word document to PDF.

If I publish this role using a full deployment, converting a doc is fast (<500ms). Also if I reimage the instance it will be fast again, until I do a new deployment update.

If I reboot the slow instance it has no effect.

It also seems to be speeding up a bit after we run it multiple times after an update. But it's still quite slow (around 3-4 seconds).

For all other functionality in the role there is no performance difference between full deployment and upgrade deployment. 

The method runs fast locally on IIS, so it's a problem I have only on Azure.

I have no idea what might be causing this, you guys have any idea about what it might be ? 

Reported incident on direct track aswell (ID: 127358)

[Sathish K]

Hi Truls,

 

Thank you for using Syncfusion products.

 

The reason behind this time delay in azure is that, Azure needs certain time while loading the web page first time. This is because the cloud service stops when the service is idle state, while updating the cloud service. But the service keeps running immediately after full deployment, hence it doesn’t require to restart service. This is purely resides in azure deployment process and it is not an issue with DocIO. Kindly refer the below blog to get more information on this.

 

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/cie/archive/2013/05/17/session-state-management-in-windows-azure-web-roles.aspx

 

Please refer the below blog too to get more information on this:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsazure/en-US/8478c10a-59cb-492b-8352-3348796e7017/cloud-service-web-role-very-slow-to-serve-first-page-in-a-given-time-span?forum=windowsazuretroubleshooting

 

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

 

Regards,

Sathish

[Truls Rødfjell]

Thanks for the reply, but the the Azure web role is not only slower the first time after an upgrade, it's slower all the time after upgrade.

[Sathish K]

Hi Truls,

 

Thank you for your update.

 

Usually azure web sites runs in Azure server and it takes its own time initiate the service and other binding time while running the application. Here binding time plays a vital role in the deploying process. If the service has stopped in before the upgrade, then it will take time to reboot the service again. Kindly refer the below link to know more about these things.

 

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsazure/en-US/8478c10a-59cb-492b-8352-3348796e7017/cloud-service-web-role-very-slow-to-serve-first-page-in-a-given-time-span?forum=windowsazuretroubleshooting

 

If you are retrieving the input word document from the database, surely azure will take some extra time to access the content from the database. If this is your case kindly try to use WCF service as a background cloud service and perform the conversion operation in the cloud service. Then deploy the service and use that as a service reference in your project which will probably reduce the time. We have prepared a sample to illustrate the same.

 

WCF Service sample:

http://www.syncfusion.com/downloads/support/directtrac/general/GeneratePdf_CloudService723253345.zip

 

Sample using WCF service:

http://www.syncfusion.com/downloads/support/directtrac/general/GeneratePdf1078047113.zip

 

If you are manipulating any operations before the conversion operation, then it may also be a reason for this delay. Kindly try these possibilities in your side to reduce the time. If you are still facing the same problem, then kindly update us your sample project along with the input documents to reproduce the issue at our side. Thereby we will analyse further on this and provide you appropriate solution.

 

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

 

Regards,

Sathish