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Can WP MU handle 50000+ users at one go?

Hello all,

I have just started learning WP MU. I think its wonderful. I have worked with WP before and I loved it. I hope WP MU provides a great working experience too.

I am developing a site using WP MU. I wanted to know if WP MU can handle loads of up to 50000+ users. We also plan on using plugins extensively. Would that affect the site’s performance in any way?

Also needed to know, whether Buddypress is an extension of WP MU or its just something that is completely different? Since I am developing an interactive site, would I need this API as well? Does it integrate easily with WP MU?

Lots of questions there, but I have been reading the forums, people seem really helpful !!

Thanks in advance,

Sib

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 22:36:22
  • Hiranthi
    • Recruit

    I’d reckon wp.com has more than 50000 users, so the answer is yes. If the servers can handle it depends on the setup (take a look a the multi-db plugin here, btw).

    If you need BuddyPress depends totally on your what you want. I haven’t worked with it myself, yet, but from what I understand BuddyPress ‘takes over’ your WPMU install (I guess that would also depend on what plugins of BP you decide to install). There are a few plugins released here (friends, communities and messaging, I believe they’re called) that can help you with some parts of the interactivity without installing BuddyPress.

  • James Kirk
    • WPMU DEV Initiate

    Not sure if I’d describe WPMU + BP as BuddyPress "taking over" the install! I think it might be better described as adding a layer on top of the WPMU install that provides all kinds of social networking capabilities, with the blog owner or user being able to create the social connections, plus have a blog (if set up that way).

    Pretty cool stuff. I’ve started developing the foundation for such a site at http://InVerdeValley.com, though most of what’s there is simply test/faux data. I would love to have the challenge of providing for 50K simultaneous users, unfortunately there are only about 300K folks living in the Verde Valley!

    Cheers!

  • indianbill007
    • Flash Drive

    Thank you Hiranthi and James for your responses.

    I have already installed WP MU on my server and am currently developing a custom theme for it as per the client’s requirements. Have done this before with WP, so I hope that knowledge will come handy here as well.

    Hiranthi, I did hear about the multi-db plugin, haven’t used it yet, but will need to as things progress.

    I checked out James’ s http://InVerdeValley.com, pretty cool I must say ! Its using Buddypress I suppose. I too am aiming for something similar for my site.

    Thanks pals, will surely keep you posted.

    Cheers,

    Sib.

  • James Kirk
    • WPMU DEV Initiate

    Hey DrMike,

    Just curious, what’s it about BP that your not fans of? The effects on the server? How it integrates with WPMU? The relative challenges with styling its pages (and general sparseness of theme availability)?

    Or for some other reasons? Just curious!

    Thanks.