Before: 20 seconds to load page
Complex security systems are more than just connected devices. Each sensor comes with a dashboard displaying the data so you can see what happens. The platform allows users to easily choose a location you are interested in. A few clicks, and you can see the real-time video feed from the place.
However, sometimes a switch takes a long time. In this application, our client experienced significant loading time. Every time they wanted to display new information, they had to wait up to 20 seconds for data to load. This delay not only meant poor user experience. It also hindered operations, where critical tasks required real-time responses.
Complex security systems consist of numerous connected devices, each with its own sensor and data dashboard. The platform allows users to easily select locations, switch between building sectors, device types, and individual devices, and view real-time video feeds with just a few clicks.
The problem’s root: database performance
When your system works slowly, there are several suspects. One of them is the database itself. Database performance plays a crucial role in every application's performance. It’s like the building foundation. If its schema is poorly designed, everything built on top of it becomes unstable and prone to collapse. A strong, well-designed database structure ensures a solid base for your application performance.
In the security system, database performance caused the majority of the 20-second delay
The structure of the delay causes.
Knowing that, Datali’s team decided to focus on 3 areas:
- Query optimization
- Database schema optimization
- Improving pagination
After: 32x faster with database optimization
This approach delivered outstanding results. One of the reasons behind the poor performance was the database query structure. It impacted the data extraction from the database. When the entire system was designed, the number of customers was rather small. The increase of customers using the system, managed locations and device types resulted in enormous growth of data in the database.
Initially, each query retrieved all records from the database, leading to redundant processing. Only then the results were filtered for the specific place and device. By changing database schema, and optimizing queries, we target only specific subsets of data, significantly reducing processing time.
Additionally, the pagination changed the way data were displayed. We divided the entire dataset into smaller groups, which allowed us to display data gradually. Instead of accessing all records at once, it divided the entire dataset into smaller groups. These groups could be later loaded or navigated through as needed, improving both performance and user experience.
Database loading time before and after the optimization.
The achieved reduction in loading time was astonishing. Initially, the loading time accounted for 16 seconds on average. After our database optimization, it decreased to just 0.5 seconds. With that, we could see 32x time reduction, even up to 240x times.
Even with that delay, the users can now enjoy a more seamless experience. Check it yourself: set a timer for 16 seconds. Observe the wait, and compare it to a mere 1 second. This difference is the tangible result of Datali’s expertise in action.
