gistfile1.rb

require 'net/http'
require 'uri'

url   = URI.parse 'http://localhost:5984/test/test'
req   = Net::HTTP::Get.new(url.path)
start = Time.now

100.times do 
  http  = Net::HTTP.start(url.host, 5984)
  http.request(req)
end

p Time.now - start

# 2nd fastest

gistfile2.rb

require 'net/http'
require 'uri'

url   = URI.parse 'http://localhost:5984/test/test'
req   = Net::HTTP::Get.new(url.path)
start = Time.now
http  = Net::HTTP.start(url.host, 5984)


100.times do 
  http.request(req)
end

p Time.now - start

# fastest

gistfile3.rb

require 'eventmachine'
require 'em-http'
require 'fiber'
 
def async_fetch(url)
  f = Fiber.current
  http = EventMachine::HttpRequest.new(url).get :timeout => 10
  http.callback { f.resume(http) }
  http.errback { f.resume(http) }
 
  return Fiber.yield
end

start = Time.now

100.times do
  EventMachine.run do
    Fiber.new{
      data = async_fetch('http://localhost:5984/test/test')
      EventMachine.stop
    }.resume
  end
end

p Time.now - start

# slowest