EP 108: Ryan Brown & Dakota Clum – 3rd Party Acumatica Hosting (Podcast)

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Ryan Brown
Location: Bradenton, Florida

Dakota Clum
Location: Chesterfield, Virginia

In this episode, we discuss different Acumatica hosting options that can provide a performance-optimized and cost-conscious approach, as well as other tools that can help you get the most from your business data. It starts with an introduction to the two featured guests, who bring a wealth of expertise in Acumatica hosting solutions.

Meet Our Guests, Ryan Brown and Dakota Clum (3:03)

Ryan Brown is the CMO of xByte Hosting, a company specializing in hosting services for Acumatica and other critical applications. With years of experience in the ERP industry, Brown has a deep understanding of the challenges associated with hosting systems like Acumatica.

Dakota Clum is the CTO of xByte Hosting. He comes from a traditional hosting background and has broad expertise in transitioning customers from legacy environments to modern cloud-based applications.

Together, Brown and Clum collaborate to provide clients with comprehensive insights into Acumatica hosting, performance optimization, and the symbiotic relationship between ERP systems and hosting solutions.

Comparing On-Premises Hosting with Acumatica on AWS (8:00)

First up, they make the comparison between hosting Acumatica on-premises or on cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). On-premises hosting means managing hardware and infrastructure within a company’s own data center. This method offers control over the hardware environment but, in some cases, can be resource-intensive and costly to maintain, requiring IT staff and ongoing infrastructure investments.

In contrast, hosting Acumatica on AWS brings the advantages of cloud computing, including scalability, flexibility, and in some cases cost-efficiency. Ryan Brown highlights how cloud-based hosting eliminates the need for businesses to manage hardware, as AWS provides a reliable infrastructure that can be easily scaled up or down based on demand. This scalability is particularly beneficial for companies with fluctuating workloads, as they can dynamically allocate resources as needed.

However, as cloud deployment continues to rise in cost, companies like xByte have stepped in to help customers develop a hybrid approach, balancing the high availability and reduced IT staff requirements of the cloud with the initial investment but long-term cost savings and control of an on-premises deployment. xByte’s insights help businesses navigate the decision-making process between the two hosting models, considering not only cost as a factor but also scalability, security, and maintenance requirements.

Understanding Right-Sizing for Acumatica Tenants (15:10)

Right-sizing refers to optimizing the resources allocated to a cloud-based application to match the actual usage and requirements of the application. Brown and Clum discuss how right-sizing is essential for maximizing cost efficiency while maintaining optimal performance.

When hosting an ERP system like Acumatica on cloud platforms like AWS, it’s important to choose the appropriate instance type and resources to avoid underutilization, which leads to unnecessary costs, or underprovisioning, which can result in poor performance. Brown and Clum emphasize the need to monitor resource usage, tracking factors such as CPU usage, memory consumption, and storage requirements, and adjusting configurations as needed – monthly, weekly, or even daily – to achieve the right balance. The dynamic nature of cloud environments allows for easy adjustments, ensuring that resources align with the actual demands of the ERP system.

Differentiating Between VPS and Dedicated Server Environments (22:14)

Shifting to Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Dedicated Server environments for hosting Acumatica and other applications, Brown and Clum share insights into the advantages and considerations associated with each hosting option.

VPS hosting involves partitioning a physical server into multiple virtual servers, each with its own dedicated resources, allowing businesses to enjoy cost savings while still maintaining a level of isolation and resource allocation. VPS environments are suitable for smaller businesses or those with moderate resource requirements. However, they may be subject to resource limitations and potential performance fluctuations if neighboring virtual servers experience spikes in usage.

On the other hand, Dedicated Server environments provide exclusive access to an entire physical server. This setup offers enhanced performance, greater customization options, and increased control over the server environment. Dedicated servers are ideal for businesses with high resource demands or specific security and compliance requirements. While dedicated servers may involve higher costs, the benefits in terms of performance and flexibility, when the client truly needs them, can outweigh the investment. Yet, they might not have the same fault-tolerance or comprehensive backup solutions that VPS users enjoy.

Enhancing Performance: Apache JMeter, SQL Indexes, and More (36:41)

Examining strategies for enhancing the performance of hosted applications, Dakota explores the use of tools like Apache JMeter and SQL indexes to optimize system responsiveness and user experience.

Apache JMeter is highlighted as a powerful load-testing tool that helps businesses simulate various user scenarios and analyze how their systems perform under different levels of stress. This tool allows organizations to identify potential bottlenecks, optimize resource allocation, and ensure that their applications can handle peak usage without compromising speed or stability.

Another performance boost comes from SQL indexes, which are database structures that improve the speed of data retrieval operations by providing efficient access paths to specific data rows. Properly implemented indexes can significantly accelerate query execution times, especially when dealing with large datasets.

Additionally, Ryan and Dakota touch upon the significance of monitoring tools and performance tuning in an ongoing manner. Regularly analyzing system metrics, identifying and addressing performance bottlenecks, and optimizing configurations contribute to maintaining optimal application performance. They emphasize the collaborative nature of performance optimization, involving database administrators, developers, and IT teams to ensure a well-rounded approach.

AugSQL: Bridging the Gap between Acumatica and SQL (54:28)

AugSQL, Tim’s newest project, aims to bridge the gap between Acumatica and SQL, providing users with a seamless and efficient method to access and interact with their data. While Acumatica offers its reporting tools, users sometimes require more advanced SQL querying capabilities that may not be directly available within the application. AugSQL fills this gap by providing users with a user-friendly interface to execute SQL queries against their Acumatica database.

AugSQL’s value extends beyond its query execution capabilities. AugSQL offers a secure environment for users to interact with their data without requiring direct access to the database. This enhances data security and governance, ensuring that sensitive information is not exposed to unintended users. Moreover, Tim hopes to allow users to save and schedule SQL queries in a future release, streamlining regular reporting tasks and automating data extraction processes.

The discussion also touches on potential use cases for AugSQL, such as data warehousing. Users can leverage the application to fine-tune their operations, optimize workflows, and create custom reporting structures tailored to their unique needs.

Wrapping Up (1:01:41)

This episode delivered a comprehensive exploration of Acumatica hosting, performance optimization, and the future of ERP deployment. Ryan Brown and Dakota Clum’s insights offer a valuable roadmap for businesses seeking the most cost effective and performant hosting solutions. They showcased a comprehensive approach to Acumatica utilization, demonstrating the vital role of strategic hosting choices and performance enhancement techniques in driving operational efficiency and unlocking ERP system potential.