Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute for Performance

Author: Eric Vasbinder

ERPs Applicable:

• Vista

Overview

From time to time, customers of our TC1 Vista cloud solutions will encounter scenarios where their network performance is below what is current advised for end users who are using Vista on their local workstations in our cloud.  These end users, using Vista Remote Link (VRL) and the LAN connection Method, need to have low latency connections, ideally under 30ms, for top performance for things such as data entry.   These "10 key experts" often spend hours each day entering data into Vista's Payroll (PR), Accounts Payable (AP), and other data entry forms.

If the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that supplies internet connectivity to the main site where these 10 key experts are located has sub-standard connectivity, or is using a non-fiber connection, the performance of these Vista forms will suffer as compared to on-premise.  Here is a Vista Cloud FAQ article that will provide more details on this topic as to why this happens:  https://sites.google.com/trimble.com/vista-cloud-faq/home/accessing-vista-vrl-rdp-lan/vrl-performance-heavy-validation-forms

In these situations, we look at moving workflows into tools such as Field Management, Vista Web, Bid 2 Win, imports, and more.  However, when that is not possible, or when these alternative methods do not cover enough of the critical workflows, we instead look at improving the speed of network connectivity to the Vista cloud environment directly.  A key possibility to evaluate in this effort is Azure ExpressRoute.

Azure ExpressRoute Synopsis

Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute is a mechanism that was originally designed to provide a private network connection into the Azure backbone, providing Layer 3 connectivity to the Microsoft Azure Cloud, allowing for dynamic routing, and more.  However, an interesting side benefit of this private connection oftentimes, but NOT ALWAYS, is that the private connection can be routed more efficiently to the Microsoft datacenter region where Vista is hosted.

This can result in savings of up to 30% or more in latency, increasing Vista data entry performance by a meaningful amount.

For more details about ExpressRoute, please see this Microsoft article:  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-introduction

Azure ExpressRoute Considerations

Some key things to keep in mind when evaluating ExpressRoute as a possible way to improve Vista cloud performance are:

1. Your ISP's Routing is CRITICAL.

   1. Your ISP MUST efficiently route traffic directly to the Azure region where your Vista server is located.  If the entry point for the Microsoft Azure backbone is located in a suboptimal location based on your corporate network, your performance may be the same or worse than before.

2. Testing is KEY

   1. Please evaluate the network performance and latency directly to your Vista VRL server from your network where your 10 key experts are located.  This should be done both prior to and after turning on your Azure ExpressRoute pilot.

3. PEERING is NOT ALLOWED

   1. Azure vNet Peering introduces serious security and management concerns when combining networks with our cloud environments.  As such, the vNet Peering method of setting up ExpressRoute is NOT allowed when connecting to our cloud.

      1. Only plain vanilla Azure ExpressRoute is supported.

4. Additional Costs

   1. Azure ExpressRoute is usually only available at an additional cost from your ISP

Obtaining Azure ExpressRoute

The following are a set of recommended steps to get ExpressRoute in place:

1.  Reach out to your ISP to determine if they support Azure ExpressRoute.

   1. If so, proceed

   2. If not, we recommend seeing if alternative ISPs in your area can provide efficient connectivity to the Azure backbone

2. Coordinate with your ISP to determine where your Azure backbone entry point will be located.

3. Perform initial joint testing with your ISP to see if network latency and hops will reduce significantly by moving to ExpressRoute

4. If all results point to a measurable savings of at least 10-15 ms and / or a reduction in network hops of at least 2 hops, coordinate a pilot project to implement a test instance of ExpressRoute in your environment

5. The ExpressRoute link should be configured to route all traffic intended for Viewpoint domains through the Express Route connection, DIRECTLY to the region where the Vista server is located.  The following domains should have direct routing applied:

   1. *.viewpointforcloud.com

   2. *.viewpoint.com

   3. *.viewpointdata.cloud

6. Latency testing should be done using the methodology described at the following cloud FAQ:  Network Standards for VRL Cloud Connections and Testing Them 

7. In the event that the testing above is successful, proceed with end user testing of Vista performance over the new ExpressRoute link.

8. If that is successful, please work with your ISP to implement ExpressRoute on a permanent basis.