Planon runs on a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The initial and maximum memory that will be allocated to a JVM can be controlled in configuration files. The allocated memory is called heap space.

The total amount of maximum heap space on a system should be less than the memory allocated to the system. Sufficient memory should remain for the operating system and potentially other applications.

JVMs make use of a garbage collector to free up memory. The garbage collector runs occasionally, or when memory is needed. The JVM controls when collection is done. (Please note that the Windows Task Manager only displays the allocated heap size, not the heap size used.)

The Planon web server JVM has a more dynamic nature of memory usage than the application server JVM. This causes the web server JVM to benefit more from additional memory than the application server JVM. Contrary to the application server, to grow the number of users on the web server, we need to increase its assigned heap size.

A CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the primary component of a computer that performs most of the processing inside the system, executing instructions from programs and managing tasks. The performance of an application is significantly influenced by the CPU's speed and efficiency, as a faster CPU can execute more instructions per second, reducing the time required for computations and improving overall application responsiveness. The CPU usage of the Planon application server, web server, and database is linear and scalable with the load.

Disk I/O (Input/Output) refers to the read and write operations performed by the storage devices, such as hard drives or SSDs, within a computer system. Disk performance is not considered to have a major impact on the performance with respect to the application server and web server.

Network I/O (Input/Output) characteristics refer to the performance attributes of a network, such as bandwidth, latency, and throughput, which determine the speed and efficiency of data transfer between systems.

When the application server and database are located on different servers, we recommend not only to consider throughput but also latency. Also consider network characteristics like (reverse) proxies, firewalls, and communication protocols (HTTP(s), RMI).

End users communicate with the Planon Universe system via a graphical user interface (GUI), accessible via a browser on a laptop or a smartphone app. The GUI communicates via the network/Internet with the Planon backend systems, where most business logic calculations are executed.

The client’s system is responsible for displaying the content received from the backend system. The hardware, network, and software capabilities of the end user’s system impact the speeds at which the content can be rendered. The impact of the system’s capabilities is especially seen when a lot of data needs to be displayed, such as complex CAD or BIM drawings.