Lori MacVittie

Scaling applications that include AJAX and non-AJAX components may require more than just tuning your web server A common problem after deploying a Web 2.0 AJAX-based application shows itself through poor performance or lower capacity on the server, often both. Web serving tuning is almost always the first step in improving performance and capacity, but the inherently competing behavior of AJAX-requests and “normal” HTTP requests quickly becomes problematic as well. Tune for the AJAX requests and performance of regular old HTTP requests suffers. Tune for regular old HTTP requests, and performance of AJAX-requests suffer. This is primarily because of the way in which the client-side application, the browser, interacts with the server. “Regular old HTTP requests” are typi... (more)

Where is the Architecture?

We seem on the verge of repeating the mistakes associated with failed SOA implementations: ignoring the larger issue of architecture. Everyone – from pundit to public – is asking the same question: “Where are the network virtual appliances?” But fewer people seem to be asking a question that needs to go hand-in-hand with that one: “Where are the architectural guidelines to support deploym... (more)

Performance Metrics

SSL Journal on Ulitzer The difference between these two performance metrics is significant so be sure you know which one you’re measuring, and which one you wanted to be measuring. It may be the case that you’ve decided that SSL is, in fact, a good idea for securing data in transit. Excellent. Now you’re trying to figure out how to implement support and you’re testing solutions or perhap... (more)

VM Sprawl is Bad but Network Sprawl is Badder

We worry about VM sprawl but what about device sprawl? Management of a multitude of network-deployed solutions can be as operationally inefficient as managing hundreds of virtual machines, and far more detrimental to the health and performance of your applications. Turning them all into virtual network appliances that might need scaling themselves? That’s even badder. But all you hardware... (more)

How To Use CoralCDN On-Demand to Keep Your Site Available. For Free.

Cloud computing and content delivery networks (CDN) are both good ways to assist in improving capacity in the face of sudden, high demand for specific content but require preparation and incur operational and often capital expenditures. How about an option that’s free, instead? While it’s certainly in the best interests of every organization to have a well-thought out application delivery... (more)