Some view the cloud as a silver bullet to solve performance issues. If only it were that simple. The cloud provides a fantastic way to scale hardware on demand, but performance must be optimized at the application level to realize maximum gains. Apica COO, Craig Irwin, will present key strategic elements employed by today's progressive and innovative companies and actionable insights on how they are leveraging technology to proactively identify bottlenecks, improve performance, and optimize their environment. Learn from high profile crashes, common mistakes enterprises make, and how not to become another headline.

1. Excellence in Cloud
Performance
Performance and Success
Key Elements to Consider in the
Cloud
Craig Wesely Irwin
Craig.Irwin@apicasystems.com

2. The Cloud - Fact or Fiction?
 The Cloud = “It Just Works”
 All applications behave and scale the same way
 Theoretical analysis works when capacity planning for the cloud
 Texas Style - Bigger is better
 If my web or mobile app crashes, then that’s a good thing.
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3. Today’s Situation
 Web & Mobile Apps Continue to
Crash
 Slow Response Times
 Why?
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4. So you’re now in the cloud, how will you
prepare for the unexpected?...
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5. So you’re now in the cloud, so how do you
respond to the expected?
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6. The Peak Load Challenge
Load Server & Cloud
 Rapid Load Ramp-Up  Fixed Capacity
 Scalability
 Snowball Effect  Application Transparency
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7. Tips & Suggestions
 #1 For peak and high load
 Have backup “minimalistic start/landing pages“
 Small is Fast
 #2 Extensive use of Front End Cache systems
 Optimize the cache solution, consider Varnish
 Less traffic is less problem, no direct DB access
 #3 Implement Scaling & Queuing System
 Redirect excess traffic using Load Balancer
 Create Informative ”Wait” pages
 Bottom Line: Like a good boy scout
 Always be prepared : Test the solution before launch
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8. Why Run A Performance Load Test ?
Is the site stable?
When does it crash?
How can I make it faster?
Can my application scale?
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9. Capacity
vs.
Load
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10. Test
Environment
vs.
Production
Environment
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11. Load Test 1 to 1
 Load Maximum Throughput
Point of collapse
– How many users can we
handle?
– What is a good result? Complete
failure
Nr of
users
 Behavior in the ”Danger
Zone”
– Does the application become Response time
∞
unstable above load maximum?
 Problem Analysis
– Where are the bottlenecks?
Nr of
– How to fix them? users
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12. Do you have
Performance Targets?
Examples
 Stable beyond 100,000 Concurrent users
 Able handle 100,000 page views per hour
 < 4 second average response time
 Top 5 in our industry
 Our peak time response time shall be better
then competition’s
 95% of our users shall make a travel
selection for purchase in less then 30
seconds
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13. LoadTest Findings
 #1 Identify the Backend Calls
 Database calls don’t kill your application
 Lack of caching does!
 #2 Check the delivery of static Content
 Optimize the cache solution, consider Varnish
 Consider using a CDN, if needed
 #3 Web Infrastructure
 Load Balancer
 Server model
 Bandwidth
 Scaling & Failover
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14. Know Your Numbers - Not all Web & Mobile Apps are
equal
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15. Numbers Don’t Lie – Eliminate
Subjectivity
 Establish a baseline
 My start page | Login | Book a flight
 Response Time – Average 3.2 sec
 Typical Values – Median 2.5 sec
 Standard Deviation 2.8 sec
 SLA 99.9%
 95% is better than 11.8 sec
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16. WebPerformance Monitoring for the
Cloud
1 UP/Down 2 Browser 3 Application 4 Correlation
 Basic Monitor  Browser  Analytics  Inside
 Alerting  Scenarios  Trend
monitoring
 Vital Signs
 Up – down  Analytics  Complex
 Basic SLA  Response time
Application  Drill Down
 SLA on  Root cause
applications  Consolidation
with other
system
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17. End User Performance Monitoring – What’s the
value?
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18. Tips & Suggestions
 #1 Set Goals
 Uptime
 Performance
 #2 Hate the average
 Work with the exceptions
 Remove the 10 Worst transactions
every month
 #3 Fire drill
 Help identifying problems
 Correlation of data
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19. Cliff Notes
• Performance Testing will help
you discover the weakest link
in advance…
• Saving you time and $$$
• Check your numbers...Know
your application
• They don’t lie
• Plan for the unexpected...
• It happens everyday
All systems have a weak spot – what is 19
yours ?

20. Excellence in Cloud
Performance
Thank You!

21. Contact Apica
 Web
– www.apicasystems.com
 Twitter
– @apicasystems
 Email
– Craig.irwin@apicasystems.com
– Scott.Goddard@apicasystems.com
 Phone
– 1-800-701-5721
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