Need for Speed with Zixi
Posted on Jul 13, 2024 by FEED Staff
Zixi’s dynamic latency responds to network conditions in real time, lowering transmission times to mere milliseconds
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Latency: it’s a term thrown around in conversations and at conventions, often prefaced by low or ultra-low. But what exactly is latency, and why does it matter?
In short, latency (also known as lag, especially in online gaming) translates to the speed or time it takes for data to travel ‘from point A to point B’, according to Ben Garverick, senior architect at Zixi. “If you want to send a packet of data over the internet or any network, you provide a time – like four seconds – and that will tell the receiving device it has four seconds to ensure all the packets arrive,” he explains.
Four seconds might seem like a long time, but it’s ‘pretty standard’, notes Garverick. But occasionally, “that four seconds is too much; you could send a packet of data across the internet or the network in milliseconds.” This is why Zixi developed dynamic latency – to take advantage of lower latencies over networks, therefore quickening workflows and boosting efficiency.
The technology works by adjusting latency over time, responding to a given network’s average performance and addressing common obstructions. “Let’s say you’re distributing a FAST channel to another company,” begins Garverick. “If the network you are transmitting across starts to have degradation – there’s a switch that gets overloaded or a router gets congested – the latency would need to be increased. So if you’re in a typical world where that latency is set to four seconds, it could use up all four seconds or even require more time. That’s when it would start dropping packets and, at that point, the end users would see problems with their stream,” he says.
“But, if you’re using the dynamic latency feature from Zixi,” Garverick adds, “and you set it to something high – like eight seconds – when the switch gets overloaded, the latency will start to increase on the receiving side. That way, end users will never know the difference,” highlighting the solution’s primary draw. “When that connection becomes stable again, the latency will slowly lower over the course of a couple of days to get down to as low as it can be.”
Harder, better, faster, stronger
Dynamic latency isn’t always right. For instance, sports broadcasts tend to have a fixed latency, even if a lower latency is possible. As Garverick says: “You don’t want one house to receive a stream four seconds behind another.” This difference could spoil a result.
In most other instances, latency does not need to be static, it can be variable. “When you’re managing FAST channels or internal workflows – that’s when you want it,” states Garverick. “Allowing the network to dictate the latency allows for more resiliency around the stream and ensures packets arrive at the next hop as efficiently as they can. This will allow downstream devices to receive packets sooner and get into their system quicker. Dynamic latency will also allow engineers to determine the network’s optimal latency if they prefer static latency. Watching the latency value over a couple of days will show the highs and lows of the latency.”
External factors – such as your device or power going down – could mean the difference between data lost and data found. “In my experience, it’s more likely that something happens to the internet or the network than it does to the device,” admits Garverick. “Someone could take out a fibre line, and you could lose all of that data. But if you still have some data left on the server, then you’re alright.” In other words, a lower latency also lowers the likelihood of loss due to human or technical error.
One and only
Dynamic latency is ‘something only Zixi can do’, according to Garverick. “Zixi can also do ultra-low latency – all the way down to tens of milliseconds.”
With this ability, though, comes limitations. “It’s a trade-off,” Garverick describes. “If you lower the latency, that’s great, but then you could also increase the size of the stream, which could be problematic if you do not have the bandwidth on your internet connection.” He concludes: “There is a fine line based on your network and what it can do.” With Zixi, it can do much more.
This feature was first published in the Summer 2024 issue of FEED.
