Hardware Requirements  «Prev  Next»
Lesson 4 Transfer loads
Objective List the Steps for Estimating the Server's Transfer Load.

Server Transfer Load

Steps for Estimating the Server's Transfer Load

The transfer load refers to the quantity of data the server will need to transfer in order to accommodate the number of users that are likely to download Web pages from the site. Calculating the anticipated transfer load helps identify the bandwidth requirements for the server and the site. To calculate the bandwidth requirements for a server:
Transfer Load = (Web Page Size x 8 x Visitors) / 86,340secs
  1. Add the sizes, in bytes, of all the components of the Web page visited (including HTML text, images, video, audio, and JavaScript code).
  2. Multiply by 8 to convert bytes to bits.
  3. Multiply by the number of visitors expected for the Web page in a specified time (usually a 24-hour period).
  4. Divide by the number of seconds in the specified time period (e.g. 86,400 seconds per 24-hour period).
Be aware that this formula only calculates the AVERAGE load over a 24 hour period. Most Web sites experience peak load times whose maximum transfer load requirements should be recalculated for just that specific period (such as 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.).
The following SlideShow illustrates how a server'a bandwidth requirements are calculated


Estimating Server Transfer Load
In the next lesson, you will learn about connectivity devices.

Server Response Time

Server response time measures how long it takes to load the necessary HTML to begin rendering the page from your server, subtracting out the network latency between the search engine and your server. There may be variance from one request to the next, but the differences should not be that big. Highly variable server response time may indicate an underlying performance issue and may require you to optimize CSS and Javascript.

Understanding Hardware Requirements- Quiz

Click the Quiz link below to check your understanding of server hardware.
Understanding Hardware Requirements - Quiz

Transfer Loads - Exercise

Click the Exercise link below to determine bandwidth requirements for Asteron.com.
Transfer Loads - Exercise