The document discusses performance improvements in PHP 7 compared to PHP 5. It summarizes profiling results that show PHP 7 code runs 25% faster and uses 30% less memory than PHP 5 code. It then discusses various internal optimizations in PHP 7 that provide these performance gains, such as improved compiler optimizations, more efficient variable, hashtable and string handling. The document provides examples of how these internal changes help optimize CPU cache usage and reduce memory overhead.

1. PHP 7 performances
From PHP 5. Why ? How ?

2. Hello everybody
 Julien PAULI
 SensioLabs Blackfire team
 Programming with PHP since early 2000s
 Today working as Unix system programmer (C)
 PHP Internals programmer/contributor
 PHP 5.5 & 5.6 Release Manager
 @julienpauli
 Tech blog at http://jpauli.github.io
 jpauli@php.net

3. What we'll cover together
 Profiling a simple SF2 app
 Under PHP 5
 Under PHP 7
 Compare profiles using Blackfire graph comparison
 Analyze numbers
 Dive into PHP 7 performances
 Structures optimizations
 New variable model (zval)
 New HashTable model
 String management with zend_string
 Userland ideas for your code

4. Profiles
 Done on my laptop (not on prod env)
 LP64
 Done on app_dev.php (debug mode)
 Do not take numbers for real
 But relative measures
 Performed with Blackfire
 On PHP-5.6 latest to date
 On PHP-7.0 latest to date

5. Blackfire
 General profiler
 Not only PHP, but works best for PHP
 Free version exists
 Collects many metrics
 memory, CPU, IO, Network trafic, SQL ...
 Graphs useful info, trashes useless info
 Immediately spot your perf problems
 Nice graph comparison view

6. Blackfire collector
 Collector is a PHP extension
 ~ 5000 C lines
 Available for 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 7.0
 Available on most Unixes and Windows platforms
 Collector impact is NULL if not triggered
 Collector works in prod environment
 It is highly optimized for performances
 It is finely optimized for each PHP version
 But it will have an impact while profiling

7. Hello Hangman

8. Profiles
 Done on my laptop
 Done with app_dev.php
 Do not take numbers for real
 But relative measures

9. PHP 7 - PHP 5
 Overall time : -25%
 Overal memory : -30%

10. OPCode cache
 Let's see a comparison with OPCache enabled
 PHP 5 vs PHP 7 difference with OPCache
 PHP 5 vs PHP 7 difference without OPCache

11. Comparing view, with OPCache
 Some components benefit more than others of PHP
7 performance optimizations

12. PHP 7 optimizations
for userland

13. PHP 7 new compiler
 PHP 7 compiler is now based on an AST
 It has been fully rewriten, and can compute much
more things at compile time
 Every hash of every litteral string f.e
 Resolves every static/litteral expression
 Optimizes some function calls when result is known
at compile time
 defined(), strlen(), cufa(), is_{type}()
 Don't use namespaced calls but native_calls()

14. PHP 7 optimized compiled functions
namespace Foo;
class Bar
{
public function hello($str)
{
return "Hello" . strlen($str);
}
}
L7 #0 RECV 1 $str
L9 #1 INIT_NS_FCALL_BY_NAME "Foostrlen"
L9 #2 SEND_VAR_EX $str 1
L9 #3 DO_FCALL @0
L9 #4 CONCAT "Hello" @0 ~1
L9 #5 RETURN ~1

15. PHP 7 optimized compiled functions
namespace Foo;
class Bar
{
public function hello($str)
{
return "Hello" . strlen($str);
}
}
L7 #0 RECV 1 $str
L9 #1 STRLEN $str ~0
L9 #2 CONCAT "Hello" ~0 ~1
L9 #3 RETURN ~1
L10 #4 RETURN null

16. PHP 7 optimized compiled functions
$b = 'foo';
echo strlen($b);
L3 #0 ASSIGN $b "foo"
L5 #1 STRLEN $b ~1
L5 #2 ECHO ~1
echo strlen('foo');
L1 #0 ECHO 3
 Dynamic expr.
 Static expr.

17. PHP 7 new compiler
 PHP 7 compiler may take more time than PHP 5's
 It optimizes more things
 It must walk an AST
 Use OPCache to not suffer from compile time

18. PHP 7 compiler optim example, static arrays
 Arrays containg keys/vals that are static/litteral
 Such arrays are fully resolved at compile time
 They involve 0 runtime work
const FOO = ['bar', 'baz', 'foo', 34, [42, 'bar'=>'baz']];

19. Static arrays in PHP 5
 A lot of runtime is eaten to construct the same
array again and again
$a = ['bar', 'baz', 'foo', 34, [42, 'bar'=>'baz']];
3 0 E > INIT_ARRAY ~0 'bar'
1 ADD_ARRAY_ELEMENT ~0 'baz'
2 ADD_ARRAY_ELEMENT ~0 'foo'
3 ADD_ARRAY_ELEMENT ~0 34
4 INIT_ARRAY ~1 42
5 ADD_ARRAY_ELEMENT ~1 'baz', 'bar'
6 ADD_ARRAY_ELEMENT ~0 ~1
7 ASSIGN !0, ~0

20. Static arrays in PHP 7
 No runtime impact (but compile-time)
 You'd better use OPCache
$a = ['bar', 'baz', 'foo', 34, [42, 'bar'=>'baz']];
L3 #0 ASSIGN $a array(5)

21. Packed arrays

22. Packed arrays
 If your keys are integer only (no string key)
 If your keys are constantly increasing
 No matter if they don't follow each other with +1
 Then you'll benefit from packed arrays optimization
 Packed arrays will reduce memory size compared
to "normal" array
 Reduction of (table_size - 2) * 4 bytes
 ~ 4Kb for a 1000 entry table
 May be noticeable for BIG arrays

23. Packed arrays example
const N = 1024 * 1023;
for ($i=0; $i<N; $i++) {
$tab[] = random_bytes(3);
}
echo memory_get_usage();
const N = 1024 * 1023;
for ($i=0; $i<N; $i++) {
$tab[] = random_bytes(3);
}
$tab['foo'] = 'bar';
echo memory_get_usage();
const N = 1024 * 1023;
for ($i=0; $i<N; $i++) {
$tab[] = random_bytes(3);
}
unset($tab[1000]);
$tab[1000] = 1000;
echo memory_get_usage();
~67Mb
~71Mb
~71Mb

24. Packed arrays conditions (recalled)
 Do NOT use string keys
 Always use increasing integer-based keys
 Contiguous or not is not important
 For example, if you need lists , then you'll benefit
from this optimisation

25. PHP 7 optimizations
from internal

26. Optimizing CPU time
 Latency Numbers Every Programmer Should Know
 http://lwn.net/Articles/250967/
 http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~rcs/research/interactive_l
atency.html
2016 numbers (may vary with chip)
---------------------------------------------------
L1 cache reference 1 ns
Branch mispredict 3 ns
L2 cache reference 4 ns 4x L1 cache
L3 cache reference 12 ns 3X L2 cache, 12x L1 cache
Main memory reference 100 ns 25x L2 cache, 100x L1 cache
SSD random read 16,000 ns
HDD random read(seek) 200,000,000 ns

27. Optimizing CPU cache efficiency
 If we can reduce payload size, the CPU will use its
caches more often
 CPU caches prefetch data on a "line" basis
 Improve data locality to improve cache efficiency
 https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/optimize-data-
structures-and-memory-access-patterns-to-improve-
data-locality
 That means in C
 Reduce number of pointer indirections
 Stick data together (struct hacks, struct merges)
 Use smaller data sizes

28. PHP 7 cache efficiency
 If we can reduce payload size, the CPU will use its
caches more often
PHP 7.0.7-dev (debug)
3048,519220 task-clock
299 context-switches
29 CPU-migrations
7 468 page-faults
7 982 214 752 cycles
9 662 629 105 instructions
1 615 685 619 branches
35 078 036 branch-misses
3,055671598 seconds time elapsed
PHP 5.6.22-dev (debug)
5362,520255 task-clock
889 context-switches
79 CPU-migrations
30 270 page-faults
14 141 874 423 cycles
16 596 383 001 instructions
2 641 376 889 branches
60 273 407 branch-misses
5,418137861 seconds time elapsed

29. PHP 7 optimizations
 Every variable in PHP is coded on a zval struct
 This struct has been reorganized in PHP 7
 Narrowed / shrinked
 separated

30. PHP 5 variables
value
refcount is_ref
type
gc_info
dval
str_val* str_len
hashtable*
object*
lval
ast*
zval
zval_value
...
...
HashTable
32 bytes
$a
8 bytes
zval *
XX bytes
 40 bytes + complex value size
 2 indirections

31. PHP 7 variables
value
type
internal_int
dval
zend_string*
object*
lval
...
zval
zval_value
...
...
HashTable
16 bytes
$a
zval
XX bytes
 16 bytes + complex value size
 1 indirection
hashtable*
gc_infos
refcount
infosflags
gc_infos

32. PHP 5 vs PHP 7 variable design
 zval container no longer stores GC infos
 No more need to heap allocate a zval *
 Very less pressure on the heap allocator
 GC infos stored into each complex types
 each complex type may now be shared
 In PHP 5, we had to share the zval containing them
 PHP 7 variables are much more CPU cache efficient

33. New Memory Allocator
 PHP 7 has a fully new heap memory allocator
 Zend Memory Manager
 It now uses several allocator pools
 Huge
 Medium
 Small
 ... for better efficiency
 Uses mmap(), no more libc's malloc() overhead
 May use Kernel Huge Pages if told to
 Better CPU TLB usage

34. Hashtables (arrays)
 In PHP, HashTables are used to represent the PHP
array type
 But HashTables are also used internally
 Everywhere
 HashTables optimization in PHP 7 are well felt as
they are heavilly used internally

35. HashTables in PHP 5
 Each element needs
 4 pointer indirections
 72 bytes for a bucket + 32 bytes for a zval
zval
zval *
HashTable
$a
zval *
HashTable*
bucket *
zval
64 bytes
72 bytesbucket

36. HashTables in PHP 7
 Each element needs
 2 pointer indirections
 32 bytes for a bucket
zval
bucket
HashTable
$a
zval
HashTable*
zval
56 bytes
32 bytes
bucket*

37. PHP 7 Hash
 Memory layout is as contiguous as possible
hash"foo" 1234 | (-table_size) -3
nIndex

38. PHP 7 Hash
 Memory layout is as contiguous as possible
hash"foo" 1234 | (-table_size) -3
buckets*
arData
-1-2-3
2 X XX
-4 1 2
nIndex
nIndex idx
idx
hash
key
zval
bucket
zval
zvalnext
zval

39. PHP 7 HashTables memory layout
 $a['foo'] = 42;
arData
-6-7
arData[0]
arData[1]
42 bucket

40. HashTables in PHP 7 : go further
 http://jpauli.github.io/2016/04/08/hashtables.html

41. Strings
$a = "bar";

42. String management
 In PHP 5, strings don't have their own structure
 String management is hard
 Leads to many strings duplication
 And thus many memory access
 In PHP 7, strings share the zend_string structure
 They are refcounted, thus shareable
 hashes are precomputed, often at compile time
 struct hack is used to compact memory

43. Strings in PHP
char * str
...
zval
gc_infos
int len
refcount is_ref zend_string *
...
zval
...
hash
gc_infos
char str[1]size_t len
...
zend_string
PHP 5 PHP 7

44. Strings in PHP 5
 $a = "foo";
3 0X00007FFFF7F8C708
foo0

45. Strings in PHP 7
 $a = "foo";
foo0
C struct hack
3
memory border

46. Strings tip
 Don't forget to use OPCache
 OPCache shares interned strings buffer between
processes
interned string shared memory
PHP master process
PHP child #1 PHP child #2 PHP child #3

47. Virtual Machine

48. Comparing VM times for array operations
PHP 7
PHP 5

49. Other VM operation comparisons
 Casts
PHP 7
PHP 5

50. Other VM operation comparisons
 Concatenations
PHP 7
PHP 5

51. Other VM operation comparisons
 @ usage (error suppression)
PHP 7
PHP 5

52. Encapsed string optimisation
 Encapsed string are double-quoted strings that get
parsed
 They need to be analyzed for variables
 PHP 5 used to reallocate the string at each step
$a = "foo and $b and $c";
3 0 E > ADD_STRING ~0 'foo+and+'
1 ADD_VAR ~0 ~0, !1
2 ADD_STRING ~0 ~0, '+and+'
3 ADD_VAR ~0 ~0, !2
4 ASSIGN !0, ~0
4 5 > RETURN 1

53. Encapsed string in PHP 5
$a = "foo and $b and $c";
3 0 E > ADD_STRING ~0 'foo+and+'
1 ADD_VAR ~0 ~0, !1
2 ADD_STRING ~0 ~0, '+and+'
3 ADD_VAR ~0 ~0, !2
4 ASSIGN !0, ~0
4 5 > RETURN 1
foo and
foo and b
foo and b and
foo and b and c
 Lot of pressure on the allocator
 Needs to find new chunk
 At every new allocation
 Browses through a free-chunk
linked-list
 Bad for performances
$b = 'b';
$c = 'c';

54. Encapsed string optimisation in PHP 7
 PHP 7 uses a "rope", and only reallocates memory
once, at the end
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope_(data_structure)
$a = "foo and $b and $c";
L3 #0 ROPE_INIT "foo and " ~1
L3 #1 ROPE_ADD ~1 $b ~1
L3 #2 ROPE_ADD ~1 " and " ~1
L3 #3 ROPE_END ~1 $c ~0
L3 #4 ASSIGN $a ~0
L3 #5 RETURN 1

55. Encapsed strings in PHP 7
$a = "foo and $b and $c";
L3 #0 ROPE_INIT "foo and " ~1
L3 #1 ROPE_ADD ~1 $b ~1
L3 #2 ROPE_ADD ~1 " and " ~1
L3 #3 ROPE_END ~1 $c ~0
L3 #4 ASSIGN $a ~0
L3 #5 RETURN 1
foo and
foo and b
foo and b and
foo and b and c
foo and b and c
INIT
ADD
ADD
ADD
END
 Keep every piece of string
as its own buffer
 Stack them
 At the end, merge them
as one operation

56. So ?
 So you'd better use this :
 encapsed strings
 Than this :
 Concatenations
 ... in PHP 7 (in PHP 5, both perf will be the same)
$a = "foo and $b and $c";
$a = 'foo and ' . $b . ' and ' . $c;

57. PHP 7 is released :-)
get it now <3

58. Thank you for listening