https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • IWCE 2023 Pre-event Guide
    • IWCE 2022 Winter Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Proactive > reactive

Proactive > reactive

  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 19th September 2018

While the test unfolds, dozens of Hallmark employees pore over the data to start fixing anomalies well before the real day arrives.

"If we notice that the load coming from the Des Moines [Iowa] data center is having a problem, we can drill into the analytics to see what's going on with the databases right at that millisecond," Lounibos said. "It could be a load balancer that's configured wrong or a switch setting that needs to be toggled a different way. Or, if it's a mobile environment, what kind of phones were they using? By being able to drill into the information, they're able to isolate potential problems."

Davis agreed, saying that the CloudTest platform's reporting tools let Hallmark correlate server statistics — for example, memory, CPU and caching — back to the actual testing event.

"SOASTA helps us know whether we're good at the hardware layer or the memory layer, or if there's some slowdown on the database," she said. "It helps us pinpoint where we need to tune."

Generally conducted for two to three weeks prior to the big event, the test rovides a real-world picture that simply can't be produced in a laboratory, according to Lounibos.

'You can run these tests in minutes and get a really deep analysis of where you might have bottlenecks or problems that will cause latency or even [cause] the site to crash under stress," he said. "So, cloud computing has changed the way mobile applications and Web applications are forever tested, because it's fast, it scales and it's affordable."

Indeed, SOASTA has access to more than 500,000 cloud servers in 71 locations worldwide that are provisioned by 17 different cloud service providers, including Amazon, IBM, HP, Microsoft and Rackspace, according to Lounibos.

"When Hallmark utilizes the SOASTA test cloud, the servers are made available on a per-hour basis to us, and they're really affordable," he said. "Hallmark only needs those servers for 3 or 4 weeks prior to Valentine's Day, so why would they buy a bunch of them and stick them in a back room somewhere, when they won't use them 11 months out of the year?"

Davis agreed that the flexibility and scalability provided by the SOASTA platform — used by Hallmark for the past 5 years — are attractive features.

"Before cloud computing, you couldn't just add a lot of servers for your peak and then turn them back off — you had to build for peak," Davis said. "The nice thing about cloud computing is that you can use them when you need them and turn them off when you don't. Having a smaller baseline footprint is a lot more cost-effective for us — we don't need a huge server farm with everything built out."

Tags:

Related Content

  • IoT Radio finds traction in the US Markets
  • ITEC: Walt Magnussen, Joan Quintana outline features of upcoming Interoperability Institute
  • Public-safety drone usage takes flight in 2022
  • 7 steps to take right now to prepare for cyberattacks by Russia

Commentary


Updated: How ‘sidelink’ peer-to-peer communications can enhance public-safety operations

  • 1
27th February 2023

NG911 needed to secure our communities and nation

24th February 2023

How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Lynk inks New Zealand deals seeking cash to grow satellite fleet dlvr.it/SqNLhG

8th June 2023
UrgentComm

Barracuda warns all of its ESG appliances need urgent rip & replace dlvr.it/SqNHhV

8th June 2023
UrgentComm

NTT Docomo sees smart surfaces as key to 6G dlvr.it/SqN9dJ

8th June 2023
UrgentComm

Where local governments must allocate federal funds to support the future of cybersecurity dlvr.it/SqN935

8th June 2023
UrgentComm

FCC votes to launch NG911 proceeding to align wireline, wireless 911 requirements dlvr.it/SqN6Dh

8th June 2023
UrgentComm

CMA plans to release Airwave price-control order by end of July, impacting Motorola Solutions dlvr.it/SqGn3C

7th June 2023
UrgentComm

Why antivirus cannot protect your car dlvr.it/SqFLgL

6th June 2023
UrgentComm

ChatGPT hallucinations open developers to supply-chain malware attacks dlvr.it/SqF72D

6th June 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.