[mod_python] ModPython + Virtual Hosting Apache2 instance = poor performance.

I'm getting slowdowns from my apache 2.0.63 + mod_python 3.3.1 server. This server is built on FreeBSD 7.2 using stock components from the FreeBSD ports collection. The webserver is doing multiple virtual hosts with a mixture of static and dynamic content. The dynamic pages are currently a php5. I intended to add mod_python to the mix so I could put together some sites with Django but I noticed a slowdown on the webserver immediately after adding mod_python as an apache DSO and adding:

     LoadModule libexec/apache2/mod_python.so

to my httpd.conf file. This slowdown condition occurs for all content. It's especially apparent on a small collection of photos that I'm serving completely statically. Commenting out the LoadModule line for mod_python.so restores my performance to normal. 

I plan to continue investigating this but I have to say that it has me baffled. Has anyone got any ideas?

-- Chris

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                                       "There will be an answer, Let it be."
                                                          chris at vindaloo.com