Vault Gateway - Slow connection

[adam.lester]

I've setup a Vault Pro 2024 Server with the gateway connection set to Dublin Ireland - we're in the UK and the connection is just significantly slower than usual, VPN seems to be much quicker and I just wanted to understand why this could be? Is there any way to speed the connection up?

With the updates for templates and design data to be mapped through the vault, and the persistent downloads requested each time inventor is started - it's giving a very bad user experience!

[ihayesjr]

@adam.lester 

We are aware of the Design Data and Template performance issue. The dialog that appears is misleading. It isn't downloading all the files every time but is checking them every time the user logs into Vault inside Inventor. We are working on improving this process.

Aside from that, what other workflows are taking longer using Vault Gateway?

[Adam.Michael.Lester]

Thank you ihayesjr, I'm looking forward to some more updates on the performance issue, the vault 'get' on the design data folder seems to be much quicker to validate the files than from Inventor. 

Regarding Vault Gateway speeds;

Generally just using the vault seems a lot slower than using a VPN, and especially slower than a local connection but that is expected;

1. It takes a while to load up once the sign-in screen is through
2. Opening files from Vault seems a lot slower than using a VPN Connection - even when the file is actually already in the user's workspace.
3. Inventor booting is a lot slower from after the vault sign-in page - partially due to the new design data and template folder maps

Is there any way at all to improve the traffic speed? is there anything going on in the background with the gateway's performance and is it all dynamic depending on the traffic and requirements per company? i.e, does Autodesk assign more resources at the data centre provider for the host that has 100 simultaneous connections and less for those with only a few connections?

[ihayesjr]

@adam.lester 

Vault Gateway is not an ISP so it does not control the speed of internet traffic.

There are a lot of factors that come into play with the speed of traffic in this scenario.

• The speed between the user and Vault Gateway
• The remote user's internet service provider speed to Vault Gateway
• The speed between the Vault Server and Vault Gateway
• The internet route between Vault Server and Vault Gateway

For example, a VPN connection could be between the user and the company network. Internally, IT could have some exceptions to the bandwidth provided to this connection. However, other internet connections could go through a proxy server or other internal path that could slow down the speed for various reasons. 

These are only some examples that could affect Vault Gateway's performance compared to a VPN connection.

[e.daubenmaier]

We have the same problem when we are connected to the gateway.

Vault reacts slowly.

For example, a simple part is updated or we need the latest revision. It takes 2 minutes.

In this context, I would also like to know the minimum internet speed that is necessary for operation with the gateway.

Best regards

[Mark.HagemanWLGYJ]

I hate to report that we also just installed Vault 2023 with the Gateway and the loading speeds of the Vault datagrid and general program navigation is terribly slow, to the results that connecting to VPN and signing in that way is faster. The GETS and Check in seem to be faster so that is one benefit I guess. We have verified Server speeds and setting to be as fast as possible, I even have 800mbps fiber connection that is wired to my machine and navigating Vault via VPN still is faster sadly.

Is there any progress for this? I have 150+users that I told the gateway would increase our speeds over VPN, now I am walking that back. It would be great to give them a timeline that this will be resolved.

[cdj2017]

The company I work for is experiencing this same issue when using the 2024 product line.  The user who is logged into the vault gateway through inventor experiences very slow loading times when using inventor.  If he does not log into the vault gateway through inventor the performance significantly improves.  

[kim.schaanning]

We experience the same with our 23 setup. 
We will use a VPN while we wait for the gateway to mature. 

[olegd.prod]

Vault Gateway's goal is to allow Vault access without a VPN, not to be faster than a VPN.
We don't make any statements about VG vs VPN performance, and we couldn't make them even if we wanted to, since we have no understanding of how your individual networks/VPNs/etc are configured.

For the folks that are seeing slow performance when using Vault Gateway: could you reply with answers to the following questions?
1. Where is your Vault Server located (let's keep this at the city level - no need for latitude/longitude 😉 ?
2. Which Vault Gateway region did you select (US/Europe) ?
3. Where are your users located ?
4. When your users use the VPN, where does it enter your corporate network?
a. Meaning: are they connecting to the "same location" where your Vault Server is located? Vault Server could be in Spain, while the user's VPN connection may enter the corporate network in Ireland

[Mark.HagemanWLGYJ]

I would understand that checkin/GET/checkout could be different but the program navigation is slow, almost like not enough data is cached or ready for the program to use when you click different things within the program when connected via the gateway. I have provided logs via a Autodesk support ticket for this issue. I would push back to the claim that our 3rd party that we buy our Autodesk Keys through and upgraded to 2023 with made claims it would be faster then VPN. I understand thats not Autodesk, but I would still expect it to be "just" as fast as VPN connection. We also get several Gateway timeouts and error messages that dont explain why it failed to checkin/GET files.

1. Louisville KY.
2. US (not Dublin).
3. KY & OH
4. Louisville Ky.

[olegd.prod]

Thanks for the info Mark.

Data flow for KY/OH users who connect to Vault Gateway:
1. From user in the Midwest to the VG cloud service on the east coast
2. From the east coast to the server in the Midwest
3. From the server in the Midwest back to east coast
4. From east coast back to your user

I would not expect this to be "just" as fast as VPN connection from a KY/OH user to the KY VPN endpoint leading to a KY Vault Server ...
The explicit goal of VG is "Vault access without a VPN" , not "VPN replacement."

[Mark.HagemanWLGYJ]

Once the user authenticates and gets connected via the gateway why does it still route all data through the gateway and not act like an authentication point and then all data transfer between user and Vault Server?
Or even just set it up where the user has to re-authenticate to the VG every 5min or something, I'm sure there is more security set up needed for that but then you would drop almost all latency issues.
Is there a plan to put a VG Cloud service or a replication of it in each time zone to speed up and distribute future load of the VG? Or how about an enterprise level that I could install and set up next to VPN? Again I'm sure there is a lot of security issues but the VG seems fruitless if the program grinds +5seconds on every click and option when on the VG.

[olegd.prod]

You said: once the user authenticates and gets connected via the gateway why does it still route all data through the gateway and not act like an authentication point and then all data transfer between user and Vault Server?

Because your Vault Server is behind a firewall. The only way for data to traverse the firewall is via a VPN or via a process like the one I described earlier.
VG isn't an authentication system, it is a data-transfer-without-VPN system.