Use AWS's ECS Retail Demo Application to Test Sedai's Autonomous Optimization

Introduction & Setting up the Retail Demo App

‍

Sedai, an AI-powered cloud optimization software, is a powerful tool any developer can easily use.

For this example, we are optimizing a sample e-commerce store that will be deployed with and without Sedai for comparison using ECS. The retail demo store can simply be deployed by following the steps in the README.md of the Github repository linked above.

‍

Step 1: Setting up Sedai

The first step is to go to the Sedai website at sedai.io and begin by clicking the start free button as displayed below.

‍

Once you click the button, you are prompted to a simple account creation page to input your basic information for a one-month free trial. After signing up, you will begin an introduction to the autonomous tools used. Here, you can easily specify your goals and resource type for your application (ECS, EKS, Lambda, and Kubernetes compatible).

The next step involves connecting to your cloud account through the AWS Identity and Access Management pins on your account. If you are slightly unfamiliar with this, simply click the “Launch CloudFormation” button to create a stack in your AWS account, which will prompt you to create a stack – press create.

After that, simply go to your stack and copy and paste the ARN in the outputs tab as shown below:

‍

Congratulations – once you complete this step, you are ready to launch Sedai! Once you launch the UI, you will be prompted to a homepage with a directory bar on the left to specify the different tools and modes you can access, while the main page will simply display your activity on the application.

‍

Once you are ready to begin your optimization process, click on the Topology tab and specify the cloud name.

‍

Step 2: Simulating Traffic

‍

To effectively simulate the software for a variety of different-sized e-commerce stores, we simulated four different loads of traffic/engagement for the e-commerce site: new startup (low), growth company (medium), established (high), and market leader (very high). This was done through the Locust framework, where each traffic bot engaged with the website’s product and payment functionality. The GitHub repo for the traffic simulation is linked here.

‍

Step 3: Optimizing with Sedai

WhenWhen you have selected your desired cloud, cluster, application, etc., you will be able to see the optimization/availability actions. Once you are ready to optimize your resource, simply click on the resource name and specify the nature of optimization as displayed below.

‍

After specifying your optimizations, you should be all-set! Sedai does have a two-week learning period based on the data it ingests; however, there will be initial optimizations, where you can begin to see differences

‍

Optimization Results

‍Initially, the site faced performance challenges with an average response time of 341 ms for GET requests and a concerning 1,999 ms for PUT requests to the "/carts/5" endpoint. However, after implementing Sedai, significant improvements were observed. The average response time for GET requests dropped to 452 ms, while PUT requests saw a notable reduction to 534 ms. These enhancements are evident in the response time statistics, with the 50th percentile response time for GET requests reaching 160 ms, and PUT requests achieving a 50th percentile response time of 190 ms. Furthermore, Sedai's optimization efforts led to a considerable decrease in failures. The occurrence of PUT request failures decreased from 680 instances to just 116.

‍

Conclusion

User behavior can have a significant impact on the performance and reliability of cloud applications. Even small changes in user behavior can lead to decreased failures and improved response time. For example, a study by Google found that a 1% decrease in page load time can lead to a 2% increase in conversions. Similarly, a study by Amazon found that a 100ms decrease in response time can lead to a 1% increase in customer satisfaction. And a study by Microsoft found that a 10% decrease in latency can lead to a 5% increase in productivity. Sedai, an advanced optimization software, has proven highly effective in improving e-commerce website performance. By reducing response times and minimizing failures, Sedai enhances user experience, boosts customer satisfaction, and increases revenue potential. With optimized server-side processes, GET and PUT requests become faster and more efficient, enabling swift access to resources. The software's importance lies in its ability to provide a seamless and reliable online experience, enhancing customer trust and loyalty. Implementing Sedai is crucial for businesses aiming to gain a competitive edge and thrive in the fast-paced world of e-commerce