Slalom
Built a bottleneck analysis tool for visualizing data flows and dependencies in large-scale systems
Overview
Bottleneck analysis tool for visualizing request flows through distributed systems and identifying performance limiting factors
Problem
Identifying which service or component is the bottleneck in a distributed request flow required manual analysis of traces and metrics
Constraints
- Must work with distributed trace data
- Must identify bottlenecks automatically
- Must handle complex request patterns
Approach
Built a tool that analyzes distributed traces, calculates critical paths, and visualizes bottlenecks in request flows
Key Decisions
Use critical path analysis
Reasoning:
The critical path determines overall latency; focusing on it identifies the most impactful optimizations
Tech Stack
- Java
- Python
- D3.js
Result & Impact
Reduced time to identify performance bottlenecks from hours to minutes
Learnings
- Critical path analysis focuses optimization efforts
- Visualization of request flows aids debugging
Features
Slalom provides:
- Request flow visualization
- Critical path analysis
- Automatic bottleneck identification
- Latency breakdown by component
- Optimization recommendations