Downtime

80% of application downtime is caused by application complexity and human error (a 2007 Gartner report)

Much of this downtime can be avoided. With traditional middleware systems, built of multiple tiers and dedicated servers, the need to perform maintenance on one tier (such as updating the database) requires bringing down the entire system. Updates to services typically have the same effect.

It doesn't have to be that way. Using GigaSpaces can eliminate many of the causes for planned and unplanned application downtime and failure.

GigaSpaces reduces failure caused by architecture limitations

Unlike traditional middleware, GigaSpaces does not require multiple tiers for the various elements of the system (e.g., business logic, messaging, data). The result is fewer moving parts that could malfunction and less complexity of integration -- meaning fewer opportunities for human-made errors. Also, because GigaSpaces leverages memory resources, there are less dependencies on databases and disks. Maintenance to the database or application services can be performed without downtime to other parts of the system.

GigaSpaces helps prevent failure from happening in the first place

Architects of distributed systems are forced to deal with complex issues such as high availability, scalability, security, performance and latency. These issues are often addressed with "brute force" development work, thereby creating a complex development process. As a result, testability is often ignored, or at least, considered a low priority issue.

Testing complexity grows exponentially when high-availability and scalability are considered, because it is difficult to set up an environment for testing these non-functional requirements. Consequently, high availability and scalability tests are often performed at a late stage in the development cycle -- and only then discovered to have a significant effect on application performance and latency -- causing project delays. At this point, architects and developers are often required to get back to the drawing board for an application re-design -- and the cycle repeats. This cumbersome process directly affects application quality, stability and reliability -- not to mention significant costs to the organization.

GigaSpaces simplifies and shortens application testing by allowing the entire process of both functional and non-functional (scalability, reliability) requirements to be tested in a single process. Consequently, the likelihood of identifying potential causes for failure is greatly increased.