Network latency is the delay or lag in data transmission over a network. It is the time a packet of data takes to travel from its source to its destination across the network. Network latency is typically measured in milliseconds (ms) and is a critical factor in determining the responsiveness and performance of networked applications and services.

Components of Network Latency

Several components contribute to network latency, such as:

Propagation Delay is the time it takes for a signal or data packet to travel from the sender to the receiver. Propagation delay is influenced by the physical distance between the two points and the speed at which signals travel through the medium (usually close to the speed of light in fibre optics or electrical signals in copper cables).

Transmission Delay is the time it takes to push all the bits of a data packet onto the network medium. It depends on the size of the data packet and the bandwidth or data rate of the network link. The formula for transmission delay is Transmission Delay = Packet Size / Bandwidth.

Processing Delay is the time for networking equipment, such as routers and switches, to process and forward a packet. It includes the time spent in buffer queues, routing decisions, and other processing tasks.

Queuing Delay occurs when multiple packets arrive at a network device (e.g., a router), where they must be processed and placed in a queue. Queuing delay is the time spent waiting in these queues before the packets can be processed and forwarded.

Jitter is the variation in the delay of packet delivery. It can cause problems in real-time applications like voice and video, where a consistent delay is crucial. Jitter can result from variations in network traffic, congestion, or routing changes.

Low latency is desirable in many networked applications, especially those that require real-time communication or quick response times, such as online gaming, video conferencing, and financial trading. High latency can lead to noticeable delays, reduced user experience, and even disruptions in the functionality of these applications.

Network administrators and engineers work to minimise latency by optimising network infrastructure, using efficient routing protocols, implementing Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms, and employing techniques like content caching and edge computing to reduce the distance data needs to travel. Reducing network latency is a continuous process, as it can be affected by various factors, including network congestion, equipment performance, and the physical distance between network nodes.

Best Practices for low latency

Low latency is crucial in various applications, particularly in real-time communication, online gaming, financial trading, and other scenarios where delays can significantly impact user experience or business outcomes. Here are some best practices for achieving low latency.

Network Infrastructure optimisation through

• High-performance, low-latency network equipment and cables.
• Ensuring redundancy and minimising network congestion.
• Implement Quality of Service (QoS) policies to prioritise time-sensitive traffic, such as VoIP or video streaming.

Reduce Packet Loss by

• Employing error-correcting techniques like Forward Error Correction (FEC) or redundancy to recover lost packets.
• Monitoring and troubleshooting network components prone to packet loss, such as routers and switches.

Minimising Round-Trip Time (RTT) by

• Choosing the closest data centres or servers to your users.
• Using Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to cache and deliver content from locations near the end-users.
• Implementing Anycast routing to direct users to the nearest server.

Content Compression through

• Compressing data before transmission, especially for web content and large files.
• Using modern compression algorithms to reduce the size of data packets.

Optimise Protocols and Code by

• Using efficient, low-overhead transport protocols, such as UDP, for real-time applications.
• Optimising code and algorithms to minimise processing delays.

Minimise Serialisation Delay though:

• Parallel processing and multi-threading to process data in parallel,
• Reduction of the time spent waiting for serialisation.

Predictive Loading through:

• Preloading data or content that is likely to be requested next.
• Predictive loading to mask latency by having data ready before it’s needed.

Edge Computing:

• Deploy edge computing resources closer to end-users to reduce the distance data needs to travel.
• Edge computing can reduce latency for applications that require real-time processing.

Use Content Caching:

• Cache frequently accessed content or data at the edge or client side.
• Content caching reduces the need to fetch data from the origin server, reducing latency.

Optimise DNS Resolution through:

• A fast and reliable DNS service.
• Implementing DNS caching to reduce the time it takes to resolve domain names to IP addresses.

Reduce Client-Side Processing by:

• Minimising the amount of client-side scripting and processing.
• Optimising web applications for faster rendering and responsiveness.

Real-Time Monitoring and Analysis through:

• Continuous monitoring of network and application performance.
• Tools such as network analysers, packet capture, and performance monitoring software to identify latency bottlenecks.

Hardware Acceleration

• Using specialised hardware, such as GPUs or FPGAs, accelerates latency-sensitive processing tasks.

Load Balancing

• Through strategies to distribute traffic evenly across servers.
• Prevention of individual servers becoming overloaded and being latent.

Minimise Queues and Buffering

• Reduce buffering and queuing mechanisms in your network and application architecture.
• Large buffers can introduce additional latency in data transmission.

Regular Testing and Benchmarking

• Periodically test and benchmark your application or network to identify latency issues.
• Use ping, traceroute, and latency testing tools to measure and diagnose latency problems.

Remember that achieving low latency often involves trade-offs with other aspects of system design, such as reliability and cost. Your strategies should align with your application’s requirements and user expectations. Additionally, continuous monitoring and optimisation are essential to maintaining low latency over time as network conditions and user demands may change.