CA API Gateway: Seeing Inconsistent CPU and Memory Usage Across Nodes

Products

• CA API Gateway
• API SECURITY
• CA API Gateway Precision API Monitoring Module for API Gateway (Layer 7)
• CA API Gateway Enterprise Service Manager (Layer 7)
• STARTER PACK-7
• CA Microgateway

Issue/Introduction

In a typical multi-node CA API Gateway Environment with MySQL Database Replication enabled users may notice that Nodes 1 and Nodes 2 have a higher CPU and Memory usage than subsequent processing nodes (Node 3, Node 4, etc...)

Sometimes users interpret this perceived imbalance as a Load Balancing issue but it is a normal consequence of the CA API Gateway cluster architecture. 


  

Environment

Release : 9.x

Component : CA API Gateway

Cause

The reason compute utilization is typically Higher on Nodes 1 and Nodes 2 of your CA API Gateway cluster is due to Node 1 and Node 2 containing and processing MySQL Database activity

Resolution

1. In many cases the differences in memory and CPU compute usage between Nodes 1 and Nodes 2 compared to subsequent processing nodes is normal and no actions are necessary
2. Consider Increasing the Memory and CPU on Nodes 1 and Nodes 2 to account for the extra work MySQL is doing
3. Consider disabling unnecessary Auditing in your Policy to reduce the load on the nodes

See the additional information section for general documentation on how your CA API Gateway architecture and load balancing function

Additional Information

https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/layer7-api-management/api-gateway/11-0/install-configure-upgrade/configure-a-gateway-cluster/configuring-the-load-balancer.html 

https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/layer7-api-management/api-gateway/11-0/learning-center/about-the-layer7-api-gateway/Gateway-Architecture.html