How To Improve API Performance
Tags: api, softwaredevelopment, webdev, architecture
Published: 2024-02-28 08:33:57


In the current rapidly evolving realm of software development, optimizing APIs **(Application Programming Interfaces)** performance is a critical endeavor to ensure seamless interactions between applications and systems. As digital ecosystems expand and user expectations evolve, the efficiency of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) becomes essential for delivering exceptional user experiences and maintaining competitive edge in today's dynamic market.

Derived from my practical experience, the following outlines several methods that a software developer can employ to enhance the performance of their APIs.

**1. Pagination**

Pagination is a common optimization technique when result sets are large. By streaming results back to the client in pages, service responsiveness can be improved.


![pagination](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/skwwss5vdne047p8cmkd.png)


**2. Asynchronous Logging**

**_Synchronous logging_** writes to disk on every API call, slowing down the system. However, **_asynchronous logging_** logs are first sent to a lock-free buffer and control is immediately returned. The buffer contents are then flushed periodically to disk, significantly reducing I/O overhead.


![logging](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ltic5yju8guz9t0ucj1y.jpg)


**3. Caching**

Frequently accessed data can be cached for fast retrieval. Clients can query the cache first instead of hitting the database directly every time. For cache misses, the database can be queried as a fallback. In-memory caches like Redis provide faster data access compared to databases.


![cache](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/9678ty5nqffxy3pvcjxe.png)


**4. Payload Compression**

Compressing API payloads can improve an application's performance and reduce bandwidth consumption by sending and receiving smaller payloads.

Request and response payloads can be compressed using algorithms such as **_gzip _**to reduce transmitted data volume. This speeds up upload and download times.

![payload-compression](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/pcdnq9302z0weymzi1xz.jpg)

**5. Connection Pooling**

Database connection pooling is a method used to keep database connections open so they can be reused by others.

Typically, opening a database connection is an expensive operation or rather has a significant overhead, especially if the database is remote. This is due to the fact that you have to open up network sessions, authenticate, have authorization checked, and so on. 

Pooling keeps the connections active so that, when a connection is later requested, one of the active ones is used in preference to having to create another one. The connection pool manages **_lifecycle events_** internally.

![connection-=pooling](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/9xunzebhdnyqs1uci6l2.png)


**6. Minimize Network Round Trips**

**_Round trip time (RTT)_** measures the time it takes for the data to leave a starting point **_(the browser)_** and return to that very same point in milliseconds. This is a key metric used to measure network latency, page loading times, and the overall quality of a network.

Minimization of network round trips can be achieved by batching requests whenever possible. It reduces latency and improves overall API performance.


![rtt](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/b7cq85we4mcp875d0qqw.png)

For every query issued by the application, time is needed to reach the SQL Server and then the time needed for results to get back to the application. As all communication between an application and SQL Server goes via some network (LAN or WAN), network performance could be a critical factor affecting overall **API performance**. Two factors affect network performance: **_latency and throughput._**

The latency or so-called SQL Server round-trip time (RTT) is something that is often overlooked by DBAs and database developers, but excessive round-trip time can severely affect performance.

Nevertheless, there is a bone of contention regarding pagination among some software developers. They argue that, instead of employing traditional paging techniques, it is more efficient to send an initial set of results, typically denoted as n, and indicate the presence of additional results. This approach is favored because counting all results can be time-consuming. Furthermore, proponents of this method assert that end users seldom navigate beyond the first page, providing rationale for their stance.

**_What other performance optimization tricks have you found useful for APIs?_**