2010/12/15 - Apache Excalibur has been retired.

For more information, please explore the Attic.

Why MPool Was Created

MPool (Managed Pool) was created as an experiment in dynamic pool management. The theory is that by determining whether to shrink or grow a pool can be a costly endeavor. That is especially true when you want to play with "intelligent" pools.

What we observed after we used MPool in practice is that under load, pool sizing algorithms begin to choke the efficiency of the pool. In fact, it can get so bad that it would be better not to have a pool at all. An unbounded pool (one that does not shrink) is a resource hog, especially during inactive times. By moving the pool sizing logic into an asyncronous Command, we were able to achieve the efficiency of an unbounded pool while keeping an eye on pool size. During times of inactivity we destroy pooled objects that we don't need. During times of stress, we create a new object immediately and in a background process we add new objects.

When To Use MPool

Use MPool any time you need a pool without hard limits, and you expect heavy loads. The pool size is checked periodically, so we don't incur extra overhead of having to check that while the pool size grows and shrinks.

Core Concepts

MPool has two pool types: fixed size and variable size. A fixed size pool is not managed externally. There is a fixed limit to the number of resources it can manage so we don't have to manage it. A variable sized pool is a managed pool. A managed pool will be created by the PoolManager, and that manager will manage all of its pool sizes in the background.

Object Factory

An Object Factory is what the pools use to create new objects or destroy old ones. They are particularly helpful when there is a complex creation/destruction policy. They are also essential for ManageablePools.

Pool

The base Pool interface is how the client code interacts with the pool. You acquire and release pooled objects from the pool.

Managable Pool

A Managable Pool is a special interface that allows a PoolManager to register itself with a "magic key" so that the managed pool only responds to the PoolManager responsible for it.

Pool Manager

The Pool Manager is how you obtain a Managable Pool. It also takes care of the management functions for that pool.