Cloud performance is crucial in today’s digital age, where speed and efficiency can make or break a business. It refers to how well your applications, workloads, and databases operate on the cloud. Your cloud infrastructure should support your business objectives and enable you to remain competitive.
Why Cloud Performance Matters
Your customers primarily interact with your product or service through your applications and website. Imagine migrating to the cloud from a legacy on-premises system only to encounter unexpected dips in website performance. Slow website loading times can negatively impact the user experience, leading potential customers to abandon their carts within seconds. This could result in lost opportunities and revenue.
For retailers, peak shopping seasons require a cloud platform that can handle high volumes of users without frustrating them or losing potential sales.
Additionally, your internal processes heavily rely on mission-critical workloads such as Microsoft SQL and Oracle. The performance of your cloud infrastructure should match the processing demand from internal users, ensuring high response times.
Tracking Cloud Performance Metrics
To gauge the performance of your cloud resources, you need to track specific metrics that provide a comprehensive view of your entire cloud deployment model. Here are some essential metrics:
IOPS – I/O Operations per Second
IOPS measures the rate at which your cloud platform can read and write to your application or database. However, it is influenced by factors such as data size and the number of pending read/write operations. Though cloud service providers may offer fixed IOPS, the actual performance will depend on your workload.
Latency
Latency refers to the speed at which operations can be executed on your cloud platform. While on-premises servers may offer faster processing speeds, cloud service providers may impose throttling to ensure fair resource usage among all users.
Resource Availability
Resource availability indicates whether your cloud instances are running as expected or if there are pending requests. High availability is essential for ensuring uninterrupted access to your applications for both customers and internal users.
Capacity
Capacity measures your cloud platform’s ability to provide adequate storage for your business needs. Higher available capacity generally correlates with better cloud performance.
Testing Cloud Performance
To assess your cloud performance, you can conduct various tests, such as:
- Load test: Measures application performance under normal and peak conditions.
- Stress test: Evaluates application performance under extreme conditions outside normal operations.
- Browser test: Ensures the application functions correctly across different web browsers.
- Latency test: Measures the time it takes to move data within the network.
- Targeted infrastructure test: Isolates and measures component performance to identify bottlenecks.
- Failover test: Checks the application’s ability to provide extra resources and switch to a backup system during server or system failures.
- Capacity test: Determines the number of users the application can handle before performance declines.
- Soak test: Evaluates performance under high load for an extended period.
Strategies for Optimizing Cloud Performance
To achieve optimal cloud performance, consider the following strategies:
Select the Right Cloud Data Platform
Different cloud service providers offer various cloud features. Research and choose a provider that aligns with your storage and processing requirements.
Pick the Right Compute Instance
Within your chosen cloud platform, select the compute instance that best suits your needs. Each instance is optimized for specific features, such as storage capacity or data-intensive workloads.
Right Sizing
Automatically scale your cloud resources to match customer demand. Ensure resources scale up during peak periods and scale down during lulls to avoid unnecessary costs.
Hire a Third-Party Cloud Performance Management Vendor
Consider engaging a third-party vendor to manage your cloud performance or provide the necessary tools for self-management. However, ensure compatibility with your cloud platform and future needs.
Achieve Faster Cloud Performance with Silk
Despite implementing the strategies mentioned above, your cloud performance may still fall short. In such cases, consider leveraging the Silk Cloud DB Virtualization Platform.
Silk acts as an intermediary between your cloud infrastructure, data, and applications. It breaks the link between computing and performance, eliminating the need for overprovisioning resources to achieve peak performance.
Silk offers rich enterprise data services like zero-footprint snapshots, data reduction, deduplication, and thin provisioning. These features aren’t available in native cloud solutions alone. By minimizing resource requirements, Silk helps control cloud costs while maintaining performance.
Migrate your applications to the cloud without the need for code refactoring using Silk. It supports large, complex, and mission-critical workloads like Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server. Monitor and manage your cloud resources with Silk’s intuitive Flex Dashboard, ensuring efficient resource utilization.
Silk’s cloud-agnostic nature allows seamless adaptation as your cloud computing needs evolve. Whatever your chosen cloud platform or multi-cloud strategy, Silk ensures optimal performance and customer satisfaction.
Take control of your cloud performance with Silk and experience the benefits of efficient and cost-effective operations.
Learn more about how Silk can help you achieve faster cloud performance at News Explorer Today.