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Datanised Gaming Use Cases

Gaming

Case Study: Transforming Gaming Infrastructure with Datanised

Imagine being in the heat of an intense online game, only to be thwarted by lag and delays. For a top gaming company, this wasn't just a nightmare scenario—it was reality. Struggling with sluggish data management, soaring infrastructure costs, and delayed project launches, their competitive edge was slipping. Enter Datanised, with a mission to revolutionise their gaming performance and restore their standing in the industry.
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Client Objectives

  1. Enhance Game Performance:

    • Efficiently manage real-time data to ensure smooth gameplay.

    • Minimise latency to improve player experience.

  2. Optimize Database Management:

    • Implement NoSQL databases tailored for OLTP and full-text search.

    • Ensure high availability and strong data consistency.

  3. Achieve Cost Efficiency:

    • Utilise FinOps services to monitor and optimize cloud spending.

    • Reduce overall infrastructure costs while maintaining performance.

  4. Streamline Project Deployment:

    • Deploy projects quickly using scalable and flexible infrastructure.

    • Minimise delays in project launches to stay competitive.

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Challenges
The client’s infrastructure was buckling under the pressure of escalating real-time data demands. Latency issues were rampant, compromising the gaming experience. Their database setup couldn’t cope with diverse needs, causing inefficiencies and slow responses. Cloud costs were out of control, and the lack of a scalable infrastructure was delaying crucial project deployments. The situation was dire, and immediate intervention was required.
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Our Approach
We began with a meticulous assessment of the client's existing setup. It was clear that a complete overhaul was needed. We proposed leveraging Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) for its unmatched scalability and flexibility. The plan included integrating Red Panda for data streaming, Aerospike Enterprise for OLTP, and Elasticsearch (Open Source) for full-text search, all under Datanised support.

Implementation and Outcomes
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1. Data Streaming Platform: Red Panda
Red Panda was chosen for its high performance and low latency, meaning it processes data very quickly with minimal delay, which is crucial for real-time gaming experiences. Red Panda also offers the advantage of reduced operational complexity and lower infrastructure costs compared to managed Kafka services. Notably, Red Panda can achieve up to 10x better performance compared to Kafka, often using fewer nodes, which translates to significant cost savings and simpler maintenance.
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The client's existing Kafka Managed setup was replaced with Red Panda to improve performance and reduce costs. The migration involved a phased approach where data streams were carefully redirected to ensure zero downtime. Red Panda's 100% compatibility with Kafka APIs made the transition smooth and seamless.
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​Outcome
Red Panda ensured ultra-low latency and seamless data flow, crucial for enhancing the player experience. The data processing speed and reliability saw dramatic improvements. For example, with Red Panda, the client experienced a reduction in average message latency from 20 milliseconds (Kafka) to 2 milliseconds, and throughput increased by 5x, enabling the system to handle 10 million messages per second compared to 2 million with Kafka. These enhancements resulted in significantly smoother gameplay. Players experienced real-time interactions without lag, creating an immersive and engaging environment. Additionally, the switch resulted in a 25% reduction in streaming infrastructure costs due to Red Panda's efficient resource usage. Datanised's procurement services further enhanced these savings by negotiating better pricing and terms for Red Panda implementation.
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2. Optimising NoSQL Databases
Aerospike
​Aerospike’s hybrid storage architecture provides consistent high performance with lower hardware requirements. This ensures low latency and high throughput, making it perfect for real-time gaming applications. Aerospike also offers strong data consistency and high availability, critical for maintaining seamless player experiences. Moreover, its ability to handle high volumes of read/write operations efficiently makes it ideal for transactional workloads.
The client's previous Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) setup was replaced with Aerospike Enterprise. Our team orchestrated a meticulous migration plan from MSSQL to Aerospike. The process began with a detailed analysis of the client's data architecture, followed by a staged migration strategy to avoid any service interruptions. Data streams were incrementally transferred, ensuring that both systems ran in parallel during the transition period. Throughout the migration, Datanised provided 24/7 technical support, addressing any issues in real-time and ensuring a seamless transfer. Our team implemented robust monitoring tools to track the migration's progress and catch any discrepancies immediately.
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Outcome

  • Performance Gains: Aerospike improved transaction processing speed by 300%, reducing average transaction time from 15 milliseconds to 5 milliseconds. This led to quicker in-game transactions and a more responsive game experience.

  • Scalability: The system’s horizontal scalability allowed the client to handle peak traffic efficiently, ensuring smooth gameplay even during high-demand periods.

  • Cost Reduction: Aerospike’s efficient resource usage resulted in a 30% reduction in infrastructure costs. Additionally, its automatic failover and self-healing capabilities enhanced the system’s reliability and uptime, providing a robust platform for the client’s gaming needs.

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Full-Text Search: Elasticsearch (Open Source):
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The client transitioned from an Elasticsearch Enterprise license to an open-source version, supported by Datanised Pro Support. Elasticsearch was deployed on Google EKS to handle full-text search needs, leveraging its powerful indexing and search capabilities. The migration was staged to ensure continuous search functionality with no downtime. Elasticsearch was chosen for its robust and flexible search features, including scalability to handle large-scale data, real-time search for instant results, powerful indexing for fast retrieval, support for complex queries, faceted search for refined categorisation, and its distributed nature ensuring high availability and fault tolerance.
 
Benefits of Using Google EKS for Elasticsearch:

  • Scalability: Easily scale up or down based on demand.

  • Managed Service: Reduced operational overhead with managed Kubernetes service.

  • High Availability: Ensures uptime with multi-zone deployments

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After a thorough analysis, Datanised applied performance tuning by configuring the right indexes and optimising data modelling. As a result, Elasticsearch enhanced search query performance, reducing response time from 100 milliseconds to 10 milliseconds. This significant improvement enabled players to find information quickly, enhancing user experience in managing friends, searching for in-game items, and handling user accounts. The switch to the open-source version, coupled with Datanised Pro Support, contributed to a 20% reduction in Data Platform costs, allowing the client to reinvest savings into further game development and features, boosting overall player engagement and satisfaction.
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Outcome

  • Performance Improvement: Reduced search query response time from 100 milliseconds to 10 milliseconds.

  • Enhanced User Experience: Enabled players to find information quickly, improving the management of friends, search for in-game items, and handling of user accounts.

  • Cost Savings: The switch to the open-source version, coupled with Datanised Pro Support, resulted in a 20% reduction in database management costs, saving approximately $150,000 annually.

  • Reinvestment: Savings allowed the client to reinvest in further game development and features, boosting overall player engagement and satisfaction.

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3. FinOps Services
The gaming company was rapidly scaling its cloud infrastructure to meet the growing demands of its users. Without proper cost management, they risked overspending and inefficient resource allocation. FinOps provided the necessary framework to keep cloud expenses in check and ensure funds were available for strategic investments.
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​To address escalating cloud expenses, the client turned to Datanised for FinOps services. Effective cloud cost management was vital to ensure efficient resource usage, prevent budget overruns, and redirect savings into critical areas like game development. Datanised implemented their Cloud Cost Optimisation solution, powered by Anodot, known for its advanced capabilities in monitoring and optimising cloud expenses. 
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The AI-driven system detected unusual spending patterns, enabling swift corrective actions. This proactive approach ensured that the client avoided unexpected expenses and maintained a lean operational budget.
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​Outcome
The implementation of Datanised Cloud Cost led to a 30% reduction in cloud costs, translating to approximately $200,000 in annual savings. These savings were reinvested into game development, enhancing player experiences and driving overall engagement. The efficiency gains from automated scaling and resource optimisation also freed up the client’s IT team to focus on strategic initiatives, rather than manual cost management.
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Summary
Datanised stepped in to help a leading gaming company overcome critical challenges in real-time data management, database performance, rising costs, and project deployment delays. Faced with issues such as high latency, inefficient database setup, soaring cloud expenses, and delays in project launches, the company needed a comprehensive solution to maintain its competitive edge.
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Enhancing Game Performance:
Datanised focused on managing real-time data efficiently and minimising latency to improve the player experience. They replaced the existing Kafka Managed setup with Red Panda, a high-performance data streaming platform known for its low latency and efficient resource usage. This switch resulted in a significant reduction in message latency from 20 milliseconds to 2 milliseconds and increased throughput from 2 million to 10 million messages per second. Players experienced smoother gameplay with real-time interactions, creating a more immersive and engaging environment. Additionally, Red Panda's efficient resource usage led to a 25% reduction in streaming infrastructure costs.
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Optimizing Database Management:
To address database inefficiencies, Datanised implemented Aerospike Enterprise, replacing the client's Microsoft SQL Server setup. Aerospike's hybrid storage architecture provided consistent high performance with lower hardware requirements, ensuring low latency and high throughput. This migration improved transaction processing speed by 300%, reducing the average transaction time from 15 milliseconds to 5 milliseconds. The system's horizontal scalability allowed the client to handle peak traffic efficiently, ensuring smooth gameplay even during high-demand periods. Aerospike's strong data consistency and high availability further enhanced the reliability of the gaming experience, while a 30% reduction in infrastructure costs was achieved.
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Full-Text Search Optimization:
Datanised transitioned the client's Elasticsearch Enterprise licence to an open-source version, supported by Datanised Pro Support. Deployed on Google EKS, the new Elasticsearch setup offered powerful indexing and search capabilities, reducing search query response time from 100 milliseconds to 10 milliseconds. This enhancement enabled players to quickly find information, improving the management of friends, searching for in-game items, and handling user accounts. The switch to the open-source version, along with Datanised Pro Support, contributed to a 20% reduction in database management costs, saving approximately £150,000 annually.
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Achieving Cost Efficiency:
To address escalating cloud expenses, Datanised implemented their Cloud Cost Optimisation solution using Anodot, an AI-driven system for monitoring and optimising cloud spending. This proactive approach detected unusual spending patterns and enabled swift corrective actions, ensuring efficient resource usage and preventing budget overruns. The implementation of FinOps services led to a 30% reduction in cloud costs, translating to approximately £200,000 in annual savings. These savings were reinvested into game development, enhancing player experiences and driving overall engagement. The efficiency gains from automated scaling and resource optimisation also freed up the client’s IT team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual cost management.
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Streamlining Project Deployment:

Datanised's solutions ensured the client could deploy projects quickly using scalable and flexible infrastructure, minimising delays in project launches and maintaining competitiveness in the market. Leveraging Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) provided unmatched scalability and flexibility, allowing for rapid project deployment and reduced time-to-market for new features and updates.

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