Xanadu upgrade experiences

[Khanna Ji]

We are planning for Xanadu upgrade and looking for experiences from already upgraded people.

1) There was a buzz in the community that Xanadu will be 3X faster because of RaptorDB. Is it really the case?

2) Any weird experience at instance level observed?

3) Any known error which cannot be missed?

[PrashantLearnIT]

Hi @Khanna Ji 

Xanadu's upgrade to RaptorDB has generated a lot of buzz, and there are several points to consider based on experiences from early adopters:

1. Xanadu Being 3X Faster with RaptorDB:

• Yes, but conditionally. RaptorDB does offer significant performance improvements, especially for data-heavy transactions and query executions. Users have reported faster processing times, particularly in areas involving large datasets or intensive read/write operations.
• However, the "3X faster" claim might not apply universally. The performance gains seem to be use-case dependent. Instances with poorly optimized configurations, custom scripts, or large integrations might not see the same level of improvement.
• It's advisable to benchmark performance before and after the upgrade to see the actual difference in your specific environment.

2. Weird Instance-Level Experiences:

• A few users have reported unexpected behaviors post-upgrade:
  • Memory Leaks: Some users observed memory leaks under high-load scenarios. This was typically seen in instances with many active integrations or long-running background jobs.
  • Customization Conflicts: There have been reports of broken workflows or custom scripts malfunctioning due to underlying changes in the system architecture. Be sure to thoroughly test any customizations and integrations.
  • Table Indexing Issues: Some users faced issues with table indexing, which led to slower-than-expected query performance in some cases. This was usually resolved with database tuning.

3. Known Errors to Watch Out For:

• RaptorDB Migration Failures: If the migration to RaptorDB isn't executed properly, there may be issues with data migration and query failures. Keeping backups and carefully following the migration process is key.
• Orchestration & Flow Designer Issues: Some users have encountered issues with Flow Designer actions not executing properly, especially custom integrations built using the Orchestration module. Patches and updates often resolve this, so be on the lookout for relevant hotfixes.
• Script Include/Business Rule Conflicts: Instances with a lot of custom business rules or script includes might face conflicts with newer API calls or deprecations in Xanadu.

It's important to have a well-defined testing plan in place and consult with your ServiceNow support team during the upgrade process to mitigate any potential issues.