1. Check Apache Configuration: The first step is to check your Apache configuration. Ensure that the server isn’t trying to handle more processes than it has resources for. You can do this by checking the MaxClients, MaxSpareServers, MinSpareServers and ServerLimit directives in your httpd.conf file.
1. Use Apache Modules: Make use of Apache modules such as mod_status and mod_info to monitor the server’s resource usage and performance.
1. Optimize Apache: You can optimize Apache by using caching modules like mod_cache, mod_disk_cache and mod_mem\_cache. These modules store the outputs of your scripts, reducing the need for repetitive CPU usage.
1. Optimizing your scripts and database queries can also help to reduce the CPU usage.
1. Disable unnecessary Apache modules: Apache loads a lot of modules by default which may not be necessary for your use. Unloading these modules can free up some resources.
1. Check for Viruses: High CPU usage can also be caused by malware or viruses on your server.
1. Server upgrade: If none of the above steps help, it may mean your server does not have enough resources to handle the workload. It may be time to upgrade to a more powerful server.
1. Use a CDN: Implementing a CDN (Content Delivery Network) can also help reduce server load by serving static files from servers closest to the visitor’s location.
Finally, regularly monitor your CPU usage trends and logs to discover when spikes occur and try to associate them with specific events, web requests, or activities.
