Prev Next

Python / Uvicorn Fundamentals Interview Questions

How do you configure Uvicorn's timeout settings?

Uvicorn provides several timeout parameters that control how long the server waits for client activity and worker health before taking action.

Uvicorn timeout settings
SettingDefaultPurpose
--timeout-keep-alive5sSeconds to wait for a new request on a keep-alive connection before closing
--timeout-notify30sSeconds to notify worker processes during graceful shutdown before sending SIGKILL
--timeout-graceful-shutdownNone (no limit)Maximum seconds for the server to wait for ongoing requests to complete during shutdown
--timeout-worker-healthcheck5sSeconds to wait for a worker to respond to a health check
# Configure keep-alive timeout (how long idle connections stay open)
uvicorn main:app --timeout-keep-alive 10

# Graceful shutdown timeout (force-kill after N seconds if requests don't finish)
uvicorn main:app --timeout-graceful-shutdown 30

# Worker health check timeout
uvicorn main:app --timeout-worker-healthcheck 10

# Programmatic:
uvicorn.run(
    "main:app",
    timeout_keep_alive=10,
    timeout_graceful_shutdown=30,
)

# Gunicorn has its own timeout settings that overlay Uvicorn's:
# gunicorn --timeout 120  (worker timeout for handling a request)
# gunicorn --graceful-timeout 30  (graceful shutdown window)

Keep-alive tuning: the default 5-second keep-alive timeout is appropriate for most use cases. For high-throughput APIs with many short-lived requests, a lower value (2-3s) reduces idle connections. For APIs with slower clients or large payloads, a higher value reduces connection setup overhead.

What does the --timeout-keep-alive setting control in Uvicorn?
What happens when --timeout-graceful-shutdown is reached during Uvicorn shutdown?

Invest now in Acorns!!! 🚀 Join Acorns and get your $5 bonus!

Invest now in Acorns!!! 🚀
Join Acorns and get your $5 bonus!

Earn passively and while sleeping

Acorns is a micro-investing app that automatically invests your "spare change" from daily purchases into diversified, expert-built portfolios of ETFs. It is designed for beginners, allowing you to start investing with as little as $5. The service automates saving and investing. Disclosure: I may receive a referral bonus.

Invest now!!! Get Free equity stock (US, UK only)!

Use Robinhood app to invest in stocks. It is safe and secure. Use the Referral link to claim your free stock when you sign up!.

The Robinhood app makes it easy to trade stocks, crypto and more.


Webull! Receive free stock by signing up using the link: Webull signup.

More Related questions...

What is Uvicorn and what problem does it solve for Python web development? What is ASGI and how does it differ from WSGI? How do you install Uvicorn and what is the difference between the minimal and standard installations? How do you run a basic Uvicorn server from the command line? What are Uvicorn's default host, port, and log level settings? What is uvloop and how does it improve Uvicorn's performance? What are httptools and h11, and when would you choose each? How does Uvicorn's --reload flag work and what does it require? How do you run Uvicorn programmatically using uvicorn.run() and uvicorn.Config/Server? What are Uvicorn workers and how do you configure multi-process deployments? How do you deploy Uvicorn with Gunicorn for production? How do you configure SSL/TLS (HTTPS) in Uvicorn? What is the ASGI lifespan protocol and how does Uvicorn support it? How do you configure Uvicorn logging and access logs? What are proxy headers in Uvicorn and how do you configure trusted proxies? How does Uvicorn handle WebSocket connections? What is the --root-path setting in Uvicorn and when do you need it? How do you use Uvicorn with a Unix domain socket instead of a TCP port? What is the --factory flag in Uvicorn and when is it useful? How do you configure Uvicorn with environment variables? What is Uvicorn's --interface flag and what application types does it support? How do you run Uvicorn inside a Docker container? What is the difference between Uvicorn, Hypercorn, and Daphne as ASGI servers? How do you handle graceful shutdown in Uvicorn? What are the key Uvicorn settings for a production-hardened deployment? How do you run Uvicorn with systemd for automatic restarts and log rotation? What is the relationship between Uvicorn and FastAPI? How do you configure Uvicorn's timeout settings? How do you write a minimal ASGI application that works with Uvicorn without any framework? How do you configure Uvicorn's log config file for custom logging formats? What is the --app-dir flag in Uvicorn and when do you need it? How do you test a Uvicorn-served ASGI application without starting the server? What is Granian and how does it compare to Uvicorn as an ASGI server alternative? What is the scope dictionary in the ASGI protocol and what does it contain? What are best practices for deploying Uvicorn in a Kubernetes environment?
Show more question and Answers...

Tools

Comments & Discussions