OXID Cloud: This is why scalable hosting for OXID eShop makes sense
OXID eShop is characterized by high process stability and is one of the most popular store systems within the DACH region, not least for this reason. If the platform is hosted in a scalable cloud, it can fully play out its strengths. In this article, we will therefore focus on the reasons that speak for cloud hosting with OXID eShop. With Microsoft Azure, we will also introduce you to an efficient cloud solution that you can use for your OXID store.
The basics: What is cloud hosting?
Cloud hosting is in contrast to hosting on dedicated servers. A network consisting of a large number of computers forms the cloud, which is available to users as a virtual infrastructure. The computing capacities can be scattered across the globe, as the cloud functions independently of location.
Dedicated IT infrastructures in central data centers are limited in their performance and only adaptable to a limited extent. This is not the case with cloud hosting, which is one of its biggest advantages. Capacities are scalable and adapt to the system’s performance needs.
OXID and cloud hosting: A sensible combination
Online stores naturally have a high volume of visitors. In contrast to content-oriented websites, they have to display a wide range of features. These should be executed smoothly and with as few delays as possible. In addition, an online store is usually connected to a number of third-party systems, be it for payment options, ERPs such as Mircosoft Dynamics 365, PIM systems or additional features. All these factors make store systems such as OXID eShop predestined for cloud hosting, whose advantages come to full fruition in interaction with the e-commerce platforms. We will explain what these are in the following.
#1 High process speed
We already mentioned the scalability of the cloud at the beginning. This is one of the biggest advantages of hosting OXID eShop in a cloud: high-performance processes whose speed remains constant even during traffic peaks. Unlike dedicated systems, additional resources can be easily added as needed. With orchestration software like Azure Kubernetes, this process is fully automated.
#2 Cost efficiency
OXID scaling within the cloud works both ways. This way you can save resources and ultimately costs if you have a lower volume of visitors. You only pay for what you use.
#3 Failsafe
Server failures can damage your corporate reputation and cause you to lose profits. Cloud services therefore offer you the option of redundant storage, which gives you high resilience and protects you from losing customer and product data.
#4 Short time to market
If you rely on hosting OXID eShop in the cloud, you save yourself the trouble of setting up your own IT infrastructure. The containers for your system environment can be activated within minutes. In addition, the cloud can also be used as a development environment, which gives you fast development sprints and a short time-to-market.
Microsoft Azure: The ideal cloud service for your OXID store
With more than 100 million users and availability in 140 countries, Microsoft Azure is one of the leading cloud services worldwide. This also makes the service an ideal solution for your OXID store, which comes with a number of clever features. Here are some of them.
Load Balancer
Azure Load Balancer provides load balancing within your system, improving the availability and scalability of your cloud. The service is free to use across virtual machines, VM scaling groups, and IP addresses.
CDN
To further improve the latency of your OXID store, Microsoft Azure also provides a content delivery network (CDN) that provides delivery capacity for media files (for example, product images and videos) and reduces your load times.
Redis-Chache
As your applications grow in complexity, Redis cache lets you add a container layer for fast caching that can handle thousands of users at once. Instead of using a disk store, Redis stores data in memory, which significantly speeds up data access.
Blob Storage
If you process large amounts of unstructured data, such as text and binary data, you can implement their storage with Azure Blob Storage. User or client applications can access these binary large objects, or blobs, from anywhere in the world via HTTP/HTTPS. Client libraries are available for all common programming languages. We use Blob Storage for all pictures in OXID eShop.
CI
With the help of Continuous Integration (CI), changes to the code can be merged in a centralized manner. This pays off especially when several developers are working on a project. Automated tools confirmed the proper functioning of the code before it is integrated into the existing system.
ESYON: Ihr Partner für OXID eShop und Microsoft Azure
ESYON is both a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider for the Azure Cloud and an Enterprise Level Solution Partner for OXID eShop. With us, you bring the powerful systems together and create a high-performance basis for sustainable success in e-commerce.
