Performance improvements based on real-time analytics are game changers in sports, where a millisecond can make the difference between a winner and a runner-up. A sports analytics company specializing in providing performance insights based on swing and biomotion data caters to this niche through its analytics platform, which digests vast data to offer point insights to athletes to enhance performance, and ultimately, secure a winning chance.
However, managing a growing user base, the complexity of data collected via hundreds of biomotion sensors, and a burgeoning analytics infrastructure was proving challenging, given hordes of APIs interacting with numerous microservices to analyze data in real time. This meant delayed insights, unsecured data access, and a lack of visibility into the system’s health that could cascade into latency, downtimes, and even lost opportunities.
An API sprawl turned into a business headwind
Operating a sophisticated analytics infrastructure, built on microservices and designed to capture and interpret an array of motion and swing data, was increasingly complex. These microservices were distributed across non-interoperable platforms, including AWS Lambda, EC2, ECS, and EKS, and were not governed by standard communication and routing protocols.
As a result, the company witnessed critical delays and inefficiencies in data processing, as API requests must navigate a maze of independently operating microservices. These issues were further exacerbated by the absence of standardized request-and-response formatting, which disrupted the integration between clients and back-end services.
Since these platforms were not centrally managed, securing access to highly personalized user data was inconsistent due to a lack of authentication, authorization, and access control across services. In a highly competitive realm of sports, this oversight could mean unauthorized access to a user’s performance insights, leading to conflicts of interest and reputational damage. The company also struggled to track API usage, detect errors, and measure performance without a robust and centralized monitoring system, leading to undetected issues and loss of valuable insights.
Consolidating access to APIs through a unified entry zone
To address these challenges, the company commissioned Persistent to implement a comprehensive API management solution using AWS services. As a premier-tier AWS partner, Persistent has a first-row view of the AWS ecosystem, which, combined with a deep understanding of the client’s business problem, has positioned us as the top-of-mind transformation partner.
We deployed AWS API Gateway, a unified API entry point, to streamline traffic routing and enhance service integration. This effectively mitigated analytical delays and inefficiencies caused by the maze of microservices.
With Custom Lambda Authorizers, we centralized authentication and authorization processes, ensuring secure and consistent access to personalized user data, thus preventing unauthorized access and potential conflicts of interest. The implementation of standardized request and response mapping templates significantly improved the integration between clients and back-end services, eliminating disruptions in data communication.
By integrating Amazon CloudWatch with the client’s analytics infrastructure, we enabled real-time monitoring and logging with comprehensive visibility into API usage and system health. This helps the client proactively detect and resolve system errors that previously went unnoticed or created a downstream impact. This not only enhances the performance and reliability of its analytics platform but also bolsters its competitive edge.
Interoperable microservices, faster innovation, secure insights
The client can now bring new APIs and features to market 40% faster, ensure its users maintain their competitive streak, and secure these personalized insights, paving the way for innovation in athlete performance analytics.
With Persistent’s comprehensive API management solution, featuring AWS API Gateway and Custom Lambda Authorizers, the client saw a significant boost in efficiency. By streamlining traffic routing, data processing became much faster, leading to real-time analytics that were previously bogged down by delays.
The centralized authentication and authorization mechanisms provided robust security, protecting sensitive user data and avoiding conflicts of interest. Standardizing request and response templates helped smooth out operational efficiency, making data integration reliable. Using Amazon CloudWatch for proactive monitoring meant errors could be detected and resolved quickly, significantly improving system reliability and service delivery.
