- Latency check in Oracle cloud service - 15. März 2017
- virtual7 bei Catch-the-Job am 18.11.2015 - 11. November 2015
Many companies thinking about starting their way in the cloud. Usually a first natural step is the idea to put one or more databases from onpremise to the cloud – leaving the rest of the architecture as is. Unfortunately this approach comes with some challenges that need to be considered – especially the topic latency.
Cloud strategy
When moving in the cloud – may it be a public or a private cloud, a hosting plan or a cloud service like Oracles database cloud service (ODBCS) – you always have to think about the pros and cons of this way. There is no general rule to decide for or against the cloud. It does depend on the business situatuation that should be solved by this step.
Along with many arguments for the cloud and especially for the Oracle database cloud service there is one factor that is often seen as a showstopper: the latency of the cloud services.
To set this stopper in the right light we have to consider two general scenarios:
Mixed cloud architecture
As already mentioned there is a way to move a database in the cloud without changing the buisiness applications location. In this case the application would run onpremise wheras the data is stored in the cloud. Considerung the Oracle database cloud service this is possible in many ways.
Mixed cloud architecture
Cloud only architecture
Contrary to the mixed architecture there is also the option to move the applications and the database itself to the cloud. In this case you created a complete outsourcing solution.
Cloud only architecture
Latency check
In both mentioned scenarious there is an issue with the latency. However – the check has to be made on a different level. In case of a mixed cloud architecture the time for the application to get data from a cloud database is the critical area. The latency between the application and the database in the cloud needs to be appropriate to the business need. In case of a cloud only architecture in most cases you also have a latency issue – between your location and the application itself. In most cases this is however not the critical part.
Lets focus on the oracle database cloud service and how to check the latency of the database in the case that we have the application on premise.
In the Oracle cloud there is a diagnostic menu under your username menu:
Oracle cloud diagnostic menu
When you select the diagnostic menu you have the possibility to check the latency of your current location resp. your current browser and the cloud service in the according cpmputing center.
The result looks as in the following image.
Latency check result
Conclusion
This method of checking the latency is for sure not the one and only thing you should and can do to achieve a latency result of a cloud solution. But it does give you a first impression on what you are dealing with. Other methods might be to create a manual testing application that checks the latency of your database on particular or you are using tools that are on the market.
In any case this diagnostic feature of the Oracle cloud service is a starting point and helps you decide on the potential of a cloud solution for your business.
