In-Memory Technology Speeds Up Data Analytics
Mike Allen, vice president of product management at Terracotta, a wholly owned subsidiary of Software AG, says that, as a rule of thumb, memory is 1,000 times faster than disk. For AdJuggler, with its ultra-narrow bidding window and high transaction volume, that speed difference tipped the balance in favor of in-memory.
"Bidders can't afford to spend a significant portion of that window doing disk seeks," Lindquist says. "That is what it has come down to."
Moving to In-memory From Disk Means Less Database Tuning
AdJuggler's current platform, which matches ads to places on Web pages at a clip of 20,000 transactions per second, includes a mySQL database. The database houses configuration data on customers' campaigns-essentially, ad placements on various websites. Lindquist says all that configuration data will move from the disk-based mySQL data store to Terracotta's in-memory technology. AdJuggler will also add multiple terabytes of anonymized audience data.