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### Managing Ruby on Rails for High Performance

In his presentation at LA RubyConf 2009, Bill Lapcevic discusses the crucial aspects of managing Ruby on Rails applications to achieve high performance using New Relic's RPM (Rails Performance Management) tool. He opens with a humorous anecdote from a Raiders game, emphasizing the importance of a strong community around specific interests, which parallels the Ruby on Rails community's focus on optimal performance.

Key points from the presentation include:  
- **Importance of Performance Monitoring:** Lapcevic stresses the need for web applications to perform well and scale efficiently. He highlights that monitoring is vital as performance issues directly impact customer satisfaction. The use of New Relic RPM is integral to ensuring high server performance.
- **Usage of RPM Tool:** The RPM tool is described as a production performance monitoring tool designed specifically for Rails applications. It captures real-time data from applications and helps in troubleshooting issues that arise after deployments.
- **Deployment Practices:** The speaker contrasts typical Java deployment practices with Rails, noting that while Java may deploy every six to nine months, many Rails developers actively deploy multiple times a day, necessitating robust monitoring capabilities to swiftly address any arising bugs and performance bottlenecks. 
- **Critical Metrics and Features:** Lapcevic discusses several key features of RPM, including Apdex scores (a standard for measuring user satisfaction), error tracking, transaction monitoring, and deployment performance analytics. He emphasizes that knowing whether a performance issue stems from the application or the database is fundamental in addressing problems quickly.
- **Case Study and Examples:** He shares insights from their dashboard data, detailing how they monitor errors and the steps they take when performance degrades post-deployment. A specific case involving unexpected behavior from a Mac widget installation serves to illustrate how monitoring enables rapid identification and resolution of performance issues.
- **Business Model and Tools:** Lapcevic concludes with an overview of New Relic’s pricing models and the promotional offer for attendees. He refers to partnerships and resources available to users, fostering a supportive environment for Rails developers.

The main takeaway from the video is the critical role of performance monitoring in maintaining the efficiency and reliability of Rails applications. Lapcevic highlights how tools like New Relic RPM provide insights that help developers make informed decisions, optimize application performance, and address issues swiftly as they arise.

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