Performance Tuning

It is the most effective way to reduce your IT operating costs by maximizing the processing efficiency of your existing resources.

From the end user point of view, the technology is merely an enabler of a business process and all that matters is the availability, performance and functionality of the application.

In general, fire-fighting is a standard support approach. This kind of reactive support will cause significant impact on the efficiency of an IT organization because support is an isolated function instead of an integrated process.

To control this reactivity, we need an efficient and effective problem management that could provide early problem identification, fast problem solving and automation of manually intensive processes.

As a matter of fact, the more you know the way your system processes your data, the greater your ability to tune your system, targeting high cost areas. It is frequently seen that a system design caters for the majority of data profiles, but the 10% that it handles in a clumsy fashion is costing 90% of the system resources.

It is only by the use of performance tuning probes in batch jobs or detailed analysis of online transactions that you can fully understand where this type of processing is occurring. This new knowledge also brings with it new ideas that can be tested against captured statistics to test their feasibility before implementation. Immediately, you have a target that you can aim for in the production environment.

Performance Tuning Model

Our model incorporates three processes; namely the performance audit, performance tuning and performance monitoring. They all focus on the identification and implementation of measurable improvements in your current IT resource utilization. The scope includes infrastructure design, hardware configurations, operating systems, system software, database management systems, business applications and information delivery methods.

The results of these programs have been outstanding where real dollars have been cut from the IT Operational budget. A cost savings in excess of 15% of the IT Operational Budget is not unusual.

In many organizations, performance tuning is either non-existent, or left to the technical areas to manage independently of existing business change processes. This approach can lead to conflicting priorities and implementation issues. At Westin Technology, our proven methodology ensures business buy-in and prioritization.

Scope of Performance Tuning Services

Architecture Tuning

Most major performance problems can be traced to initial design flaws in the application build phase or to 'improvements' implemented afterwards. Applications that are "fixed after design" to compensate for deficiencies usually exacerbate performance deficiencies. These types of problems are wide reaching, hardest to rectify and often involve entire application modules being redesigned and/or rewritten. We can help clients to avoid these costly experiences, designing flexible business orientated schemas capable of adapting to changing business practices while achieving required performance levels

Architecture tuning involves the periodic review of company IT architectures to provide feedback on performance trends and make strategic and tactical recommendations about company technical, data, application and system architectures. Once applications have been designed there is a continual need to ensure that measurements are put in place to objectively track key performance indicators. Our architecture tuning is complemented by measurement implementation programs. We offer a service that puts performance measurement programs in place to manage company IT architectures.

Server Tuning & Administration

Our approach to Server Performance Tuning centers on the efficient identification and reporting of areas where server performance can be enhanced or modified to lower overall costs.

At Westin Technology, we are experts in the use of a broad range of system performance tuning tools and utilities to identify the root cause of a performance bottleneck. A resolution and monitoring system will then be put in place to ensure your system running at the maximum efficiency.

Database Tuning & Administration

At Westin Technology, we have expertise in the design, implementation and operational management of a variety of databases including Oracle and SQL Server databases.

Our in-depth experiences span database performance tuning, capacity planning, data modelling, database optimization, SQL code reviews, backup and recovery, disaster recovery planning, data integrity and the use of system management tools/utilities.

With this expertise, we are able to rapidly review and audit database management systems and provide recommendations to enhance the quality of database management.

Capacity Planning

A credible capacity plan must be comprehensive and inclusive of historical data and current performance statistics, as well as all aspects of the system and applications that are likely to change during the period being planned. Items such as application software releases, performance tuning opportunities and new software releases can all impact the accuracy of the capacity plan dramatically.

The capacity plan today should be viewed as an investment in management information that will provide valuable data for purchase decisions (or postponements), assist in setting application development priorities and often be the driver behind system or application performance tuning initiatives.

Remote Technical Services

Our Remote Technical Services focus on maintaining your IT infrastructure in a high availability, high performance manner. This service is delivered by our experienced System and Database Administrators. When required, support can be extended to 24 x 7, to provide a total IT solution.