10 Essential Features When Choosing a Connectivity Solution

We examine key features—from APIs to efficiency to throughput—that an IT administrator should consider when buying a connectivity package.

In a resource-limited environment, you need a powerful solution that improves the response time, throughput and scalability of any application with less hardware.

A connectivity solution that communicates directly with the database over TCP/IP using the database’s wire-level application programming interface (API) will perform even better than native database APIs by eliminating memory, CPU and network bottlenecks. This way, no DB client libraries are needed.

By choosing a solution with no database client libraries, you no longer need to deal with complex installation, configuration and maintenance.

Make sure your drivers connect directly to the database. This will eliminate memory leaks, application hangs and crashes.

Check on the types of databases and platforms your prospective solution supports. Are you using Salesforce? Sybase? MySQL? Will it support applications running on Windows, Unix and Linux? How about mobile applications (i.e., iOS and Android)?

Consider how a connectivity solution processes data. How quickly can it process, can it maintain that speed and what happens to the throughput when more users are added? The connectivity provider should be able to answer these questions ahead of time.

CPU cycles can decrease throughput, so be sure to look for a solution with fewer cycles.

Different connectivity solutions use different amounts of memory. Look for one that will take up as little as possible to free up more space for other resources.

Reliability is key in a connectivity solution. Drivers that have been widely adopted and thoroughly tested are a safe bet. Security—federal government-level is best—is also a high-level requirement.

Sometimes we all need a little assistance with new solutions. It can be extremely helpful to have access to quality, responsive support, with expert knowledge of your particular drivers to resolve any issues.