Performance Engineer: Node 16 to Node 18 upgrade

This example illustrates performance benchmark importance in finding the perf degradation if present

The node 18 upgrade showed consistent 20% overall increase memory across all benchmark scenarios

To triage and identify the root cause of increased memory usage in a Node.js 19, you can follow these steps:

Profiling: Use Node.js profiling tools like — inspect` and ` — prof` flags to generate memory snapshots and CPU profiles. Analyze these snapshots to identify memory leaks, inefficient code, or other performance bottlenecks.

Heap Analysis: Utilize tools like Chrome DevTools or Node.js built-in `v8` module to analyze memory heap snapshots. Look for objects that are consuming excessive memory and understand their retention paths.

Garbage Collection: Understand the garbage collection behavior of the new Node.js version. Adjusting garbage collection settings or strategies can sometimes lead to improved memory management.

Third-party Dependencies: Update third-party packages to their latest versions compatible with the new Node.js release. Older dependencies might not be optimized for the new runtime.

Memory Leak Detection Libraries: Implement memory leak detection libraries like `leakage` or `memwatch-next` to automatically detect and report memory leaks in your application.

Code Review: Review your code for potential memory leaks, circular references, and inefficient data structures. Ensure that resources are properly released after they are no longer needed.

Memory Profiling Tools: Explore external memory profiling tools like `clinic.js` or `heapdump` to get a more comprehensive view of memory usage patterns and potential issues.

Environment and Configurations: Check if there are any environmental changes or runtime configurations that might impact memory usage. Some configurations might need adjustment for optimal memory management.

Community and Forums: Engage with the Node.js community and forums to see if others have encountered similar issues with the new version. You might find insights, workarounds, or fixes from others’ experiences.

Memory usage can be influenced by a variety of factors, including application code, runtime changes, and external dependencies. By systematically investigating each of these areas, you should be able to pinpoint the root cause of the increased memory usage and take appropriate actions to optimize your application’s performance.