To boost efficiency and scalability, we added Gearman into our application to handle asynchronous operations more efficiently. The system had to handle a tremendous volume of data, particularly while syncing between the database and Elasticsearch. Gearman assisted us in removing these time-consuming activities, freeing up resources for real-time operations and enhancing overall system responsiveness.

Our client's application was heavily loaded due to the need to synchronise data between their traditional relational database and Elasticsearch. Because Elasticsearch performed better when querying large datasets, it became the primary data source for displaying leads in the system. However, keeping Elasticsearch in sync with the database posed challenges. Processing these sync jobs synchronously would put unnecessary strain on the system, affecting its performance. We needed a solution that could handle these tasks asynchronously, allowing the system to remain responsive and efficient during high-demand periods.

We opted to use Gearman, a distributed work queue system, to handle data synchronisation between the database and Elasticsearch. Gearman enables us to offload time-consuming operations to background workers, so that they do not interfere with the performance of real-time user requests. We installed Gearman on a virtual machine (VM) and configured it to run jobs asynchronously. When a lead was created or updated in the database, Gearman would manage the synchronisation of that data with Elasticsearch in the background. This allowed the application to continue running normally while Elasticsearch kept up with the latest updates.

With Gearman in place, we saw a significant improvement in system performance. The application became more responsive, as heavy processing tasks no longer blocked real-time operations. Gearman allowed for asynchronous job execution, which optimized resource utilization and reduced system load. The synchronization between the database and Elasticsearch became seamless, ensuring that the leads data was always fresh without compromising the user experience.

The integration of Gearman resulted in numerous important benefits.