Ever wondered why some notifications arrive instantly while others take their sweet time? Or why your system struggles when sending messages to thousands of users at once? Let's break down two critical factors that affect your notification system's performance: throughput and latency.
Understanding the basics
Think of your notification system like a highway. Throughput is similar to how many cars can pass through in an hour, while latency is how long it takes one car to get from start to finish. In technical terms, throughput represents how many messages you can send per second, and latency is how long it takes for a message to reach its recipient.
Why throughput and latency matters for your business?
When sending service messages or alerts, throughput becomes crucial as you will be send messages to all your customers simultaneously.
In those cases, your system needs to handle massive spikes in message volume. Peak hours present another challenge, requiring robust throughput to manage high volumes of notifications.
Latency plays a vital role in time-sensitive communications. When sending OTP codes for authentication, every second counts. The same applies to payment confirmations and security alerts. For services like delivery tracking or ride-sharing, real-time updates depend heavily on low latency to maintain a smooth user experience.
Common throughput challenges
Service providers often impose strict rate limits on message sending. Most SMS providers cap messages at 30-50 per second, while email providers typically enforce daily sending limits. WhatsApp maintains strict rate limiting based on quality scores and message types.
Infrastructure creates another set of challenges. Database connection limits, API endpoint capacity, and queue processing speed can all become bottlenecks in your system. These technical constraints directly impact your ability to send messages at scale.
Cost considerations also play a crucial role. Higher throughput generally requires more robust infrastructure, leading to increased operational costs. Finding the right balance between speed and budget becomes essential for sustainable operations.
Latency issues to watch for
Network delays form the first hurdle in achieving low latency. Provider processing time, internet routing delays, and mobile network congestion all add up to impact message delivery speed. Processing overhead creates additional delays through template rendering, user data lookups, and channel selection logic.
Queue management presents another challenge. Your system needs to handle message prioritization effectively, manage queue backlogs, and allocate resources efficiently to maintain acceptable latency levels.
Best Practices for Optimization
Improving throughput
Instead of sending messages one by one, implement batching for better efficiency.
Consider working with multiple providers to distribute your message load. This approach allows you to implement smart routing based on provider capacity and maintain fallback options for reliability.
Database optimization plays a crucial role in maintaining high throughput. Implement connection pooling, develop effective caching strategies, and batch your database operations to prevent bottlenecks.
Reducing latency
Message prioritization becomes essential for managing latency.
Smart channel selection helps minimize delivery times. Consider factors like message urgency, user preferences, and time zones when choosing delivery channels. Implement automatic fallback to faster channels when needed.
Infrastructure optimization can significantly impact latency. Deploy your services across multiple regions, utilize content delivery networks, and implement proper caching strategies to reduce delivery times.
Monitoring and maintenance
Successful notification systems require constant monitoring. Track message delivery rates, queue lengths, provider response times, and end-to-end delivery times. Set up alerts for queue backups, latency spikes, and throughput drops. Regularly review provider performance, update routing rules, and adjust queue priorities to maintain optimal performance load
How Fyno optimizes message delivery
Here's how Fyno helps maintain optimal throughput and latency:
Smart load distribution
Fyno's workflow engine intelligently distributes message load across multiple providers. When sending high-volume campaigns, the system automatically routes messages through different providers based on their current performance and capacity. This prevents any single provider from becoming a bottleneck and ensures consistent delivery speeds even during peak loads.
Intelligent channel failover
What happens when your primary channel fails or slows down? Fyno's opti-channel approach automatically switches to the next best channel based on message type and urgency. For instance, if an OTP fails to deliver through SMS within seconds, the system can automatically retry through WhatsApp or push notifications. You can configure these failover rules without touching your code – everything is managed through Fyno's intuitive workflow builder.
Geo-based routing
Fyno allows you to connect and manage regional providers through a single interface. This means you can route messages through local providers in different geographic regions, significantly reducing latency for your global user base. The system automatically selects the optimal provider based on the recipient's location, ensuring faster delivery times and better success rates.
Real-time performance monitoring
Fyno's comprehensive analytics dashboard gives you visibility into message delivery performance across all channels and providers. Track delivery rates, latency metrics, and throughput in real-time. Set up alerts for performance issues and automatically route traffic away from underperforming providers.
Auto-scaling infrastructure
Instead of maintaining complex infrastructure to handle throughput spikes, Fyno's platform automatically scales to meet your needs. The system optimizes message routing based on both performance and cost, helping you maintain high throughput without overspending on expensive channels.
No-code configuration
All the above mentioned features are available through Fyno's no-code interface. Change providers, update routing rules, or modify failover logic without deployment cycles or code changes. This means your engineering team can focus on building your core product while Fyno handles the complexities of message delivery.
Choosing the right notification system that balances your throughput and latency
Building a reliable notification system requires understanding and optimizing both throughput and latency. While you could spend months developing an in-house solution to handle queuing, batching, provider management, and monitoring, there's a smarter way forward.
Fyno provides all the tools you need to manage throughput and latency effectively, right out of the box. Instead of maintaining complex infrastructure and juggling multiple providers, you can focus on what matters most – delivering great experiences to your customers.
Fyno helps you achieve this balance through smart routing, automatic failover, and real-time optimization, all without touching your codebase.
Ready to transform your notification infrastructure? Talk to our experts about building a scalable, efficient customer communication system that grows with your business.
