Description:
------------
My PHP scripts include dozens of PHP files. Caching technologies like APC and opcache make this happen faster. However, it's the same include files that get included over and over again with every Apache HTTP request. The Apache child process only starts to include all the files once the HTTP request is being serviced. This means that even with the acceleration provided by APC & friends, there is still an overhead to load all the files. APC & friends just make the overhead e.g. half as much.

Request: Modify auto_prepend_file so that it prepends *before* the HTTP request is serviced. This means that once the HTTP request is made, the Apache child process already has the auto_prepend_file included files parsed and included (thus saving time), and then continues to parse and include the regular PHP script(s) to service the request.

Such a mechanism would be similar to the preload [1] mechanism in mod_perl.

Does this save CPU or RAM? No. Does it make the HTTP request faster from the perspective of the client? Yes, if Apache can keep ahead of the client request rate, i.e. always have a child process ready to go with preloaded PHP include files.

[1] http://perl.apache.org/docs/1.0/guide/performance.html#Preloading_Perl_Modules_at_Server_Startup