Expert Python Programming - Third Edition

Optimization strategy

Let's say your program has a real performance problem you need to resolve. Do not try to guess how to make it faster. Bottlenecks are often hard to find by simply looking at the code, and usually you will have to use a set of specialized tools to find the real problem cause.

A good optimization strategy can start with the following three steps:

• Look for another culprit: Make sure a third-party server or resource is not faulty
• Scale the hardware: Make sure the resources are sufficient
• Write a speed test: Create a scenario with speed objectives

Let's describe the preceding strategies in the following sections.