notmuch vs mu (maildir-utils) indexing performance

notmuch-vs-mu-performance--cmdline-session.txt

The following tests were run in 2014 (the November timestamps) and 2015
(the March and May timestamps).

After initial email ingest, the following command-line demonstrate the
performance of re-checking the same maildir folders
    'notmuch new' = 11-13 seconds   (mean 12s)
    'mu index'    = 170-190 seconds (mean 180s)
Based upon these figures, notmuch offers a 180s / 12s = 15X improvement.

The above presumably represents the most-frequently-executed command for
each application, given said command is typically executed every time
after receiving new email.

Question: where these tests configured and executed correctly? The
performance difference is remarkable, generating concerns about correct
application setup, environment.

---- command-line sessions ----
Nov 10 14:56:57 ~$ /usr/bin/time mu index --maildir=~/data.email/mbsync
indexing messages under /Users/user1/data.email/mbsync [/Users/user1/.mu/xapian]
\ processing mail; processed: 1007100; updated/new: 1720, cleaned-up: 0
cleaning up messages [/Users/user1/.mu/xapian]
\ processing mail; processed: 1007332; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 171
elapsed: 78 second(s), ~ 12914 msg/s
| processing mail; processed: 1007332; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 171
elapsed: 180 second(s), ~ 5596 msg/s
      181.35 real        16.51 user       131.11 sys
Nov 10 15:00:15 ~$ 
Nov 10 15:10:59 ~$ /usr/bin/time notmuch new 2>&1 | grep -vi ignoring
Processed 9466 total files in 40s (233 files/sec.).
Added 725 new messages to the database. Detected 171 file renames.
       40.87 real        10.09 user        10.28 sys
Nov 10 15:11:41 ~$ /usr/bin/time notmuch new 2>&1 | grep -vi ignoring
Processed 74 total files in 11s (6 files/sec.).
No new mail.
       11.93 real         0.74 user         2.81 sys
Nov 10 15:12:42 ~$ /usr/bin/time notmuch new 2>&1 | grep -vi ignoring
Processed 74 total files in 12s (5 files/sec.).
No new mail.
       12.53 real         0.76 user         2.97 sys
Nov 10 15:12:58 ~$ /usr/bin/time mu index --maildir=~/data.email/mbsync
indexing messages under /Users/user1/data.email/mbsync [/Users/user1/.mu/xapian]
\ processing mail; processed: 1007100; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 0
cleaning up messages [/Users/user1/.mu/xapian]
| processing mail; processed: 1007161; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 0
elapsed: 74 second(s), ~ 13610 msg/s
/ processing mail; processed: 1007161; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 0
elapsed: 170 second(s), ~ 5924 msg/s
      170.64 real        11.58 user       134.26 sys
Nov 10 15:15:54 ~$ 

Mar 16 16:54:51 ~/.../mbsync$ /usr/bin/time mu index -m .
indexing messages under /Users/user1/data.email/mbsync [/Users/user1/.mu/xapian]
/ processing mail; processed: 961350; updated/new: 961059, cleaned-up: 0
cleaning up messages [/Users/user1/.mu/xapian]
/ processing mail; processed: 1031361; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 69999
elapsed: 214 second(s), ~ 4819 msg/s
- processing mail; processed: 1031361; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 69999
elapsed: 2519 second(s), ~ 409 msg/s
     2519.66 real      1510.73 user       489.33 sys
Mar 16 17:37:04 ~/.../mbsync$ 
Mar 16 17:40:57 ~/.../mbsync$ 
Mar 16 17:41:42 ~/.../mbsync$ 
Mar 16 17:41:42 ~/.../mbsync$ /usr/bin/time mu index -m .
indexing messages under /Users/user1/data.email/mbsync [/Users/user1/.mu/xapian]
/ processing mail; processed: 961350; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 0
cleaning up messages [/Users/user1/.mu/xapian]
| processing mail; processed: 961362; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 0
elapsed: 92 second(s), ~ 10449 msg/s
/ processing mail; processed: 961362; updated/new: 0, cleaned-up: 0
elapsed: 190 second(s), ~ 5059 msg/s
      191.29 real        12.36 user       156.05 sys
Mar 16 17:44:56 ~/.../mbsync$ 


Mar 16 17:52:29 ~/.../mbsync$ /usr/bin/time notmuch new 2>&1 | grep -vi ignoring
Processed 13199 total files in 4m 55s (44 files/sec.).
Added 3443 new messages to the database. Removed 3719 messages. Detected 53619 file renames.
      296.94 real       216.72 user        31.81 sys
Mar 16 17:57:31 ~/.../mbsync$ 
Mar 16 17:57:41 ~/.../mbsync$ /usr/bin/time notmuch new
No new mail.
       11.11 real         0.76 user         2.86 sys
Mar 16 17:57:54 ~/.../mbsync$ /usr/bin/time notmuch new
No new mail.
       11.56 real         0.77 user         2.73 sys
Mar 16 17:58:13 ~/.../mbsync$ 

May 16 17:07:43 ~$ mu --version
mu (mail indexer/searcher) version 0.9.11
Copyright (C) 2008-2013 Dirk-Jan C. Binnema
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
May 16 17:07:47 ~$ notmuch --version
notmuch 0.19
May 16 17:07:51 ~$