Optimising the performance of an ERP or Enterprise application or is a highly specialized skill. It requires expertise in a wide range of technologies as well as a clear understanding of the business requirements/ drivers for your system, usage and end-user expectations. Each component in your system’s technical architecture needs to be considered and where appropriate tuned for optimal performance.
Convergent specialises in systems, database and applications performance and has expertise across all the technical components that in combination determine overall application performance.
The following details the scope of services when considering an end-to-end performance optimisation solution.
This is the first area that requires overall consideration. To maintain optimal performance a system must always adapt to changing business requirements and follow technology advancements in hardware and software. In light of this periodical reviews or redesign of the systems architecture may be necessary. Convergent Technical Architects will to design a new technical architecture based on business and technology requirements or analyse and evaluate the technical architecture of an existing system and make recommendations for performance optimisation.
The correct sizing and configuration of the hardware and Operating System are at the base of a high performance system. Convergent has highly skilled engineers who can quickly identify bottlenecks and fine tune your server, your disk subsystem and your OS for optimal performance.
Small changes in the configuration of a database can have large effects on the performance of your Enterprise Application. Convergent has experienced DBAs who will tune the many database parameters that impact performance e.g. memory usage, data storage, database statistics and SQL execution path.
Application Servers are often oversized or undersized and tuning them can have a dramatic effect on memory usage, stability and overall performance. Our engineers understand the central role of Application Servers in the technical architecture of an ERP system and are trained to size them correctly based on actual load.
A Web Server is the entry point for all your web based application connections. Tuning your web server can make the difference between a successful and a refused connection under high load. We understand the parameters involved and can tune Web Servers for optimal performance given your requirements.
The enterprise network infrastructure is by definition a shared resource that can be difficult to optimise for a single application. Convergent network engineers are able to identify, analyze and optimise those elements in your network infrastructure that are important for the performance of your application.
At Convergent we understand the impact that technical security measures such as encryption and firewalls can have on the performance of your application. Our engineers can help you analyse and optimise your system’s performance if technical security measures are introduced or enhanced.
An Enterprise Batch can add a lot of complexity to an ERP or Enterprise system. Common challenges are to optimise the batch run time so that it fits in a reserved time window, and to maintain data integrity and avoid contention for shared resources when allowing simultaneous online users. Our engineers know how to optimise dependencies in a complex Enterprise Batch environment and to balance configuration changes at various levels in the technical architecture for optimal performance of both batch and online processes.
Execution plans of SQL statements rely on complex algorithms in database engines. A bad execution plan can result in a statement never returning results and slowing down the system for all other users. Tuning SQL statements can be done in many different ways, from updating database statistics and creating indexes to changing the behaviour of the SQL Optimizer, to rewriting the SQL statement. Convergent has highly skilled engineers who understand the different options and can optimise your SQL statements without affecting the stability of other SQL code.
Collecting performance metrics of central components in your technical architecture enables you to spot bottlenecks and optimise your system before they cause performance problems. At Convergent we know which performance metrics are important, how to respond to changes in monitoring data and how to integrate a monitoring solution into common Enterprise Management Systems.
Correct configuration of your backup jobs and your backup infrastructure is essential to make it as transparent and low impact as possible. This is especially complex when dealing with a shared enterprise backup infrastructure. Convergent engineers have the experience and the expertise to optimise your system backups. |
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