Introducing our new Queue
Your website uses a queue system to make sure it doesn't get overwhelmed when lots of people visit at once. We've recently updated how that queue works, and this is what changed.
First of all, the new queue is no longer part of your web server. A brand new queue server is put in place to handle all traffic and manage the queue during peak moments. This will boost the website performance since it now only has to focus on actual website visitors that have been let through the queue.
Previously, the system worked by keeping track of how many people were on the website at the same time, and would stop letting new visitors in once that number got too high. The problem with this approach is that it's hard to predict: If a lot of people leave at once, a big group suddenly gets let in, which can cause a rush. And if people stay longer than expected, the queue barely moves.
Our new system works differently: instead of counting how many people are on the site, it simply lets in a set number of visitors every minute, like a steadily turning turnstile. This makes the whole system much more stable and easier to manage.
The main benefits you'll notice are:
- The queue moves predictably. Because we let in the same number of people every minute, visitors in the queue can be given a reliable waiting time estimate. We will add that estimate in the next phase of the project.
- No more sudden rushes. The site receives a steady, controlled stream of visitors rather than unpredictable waves.
- Easier to monitor. Instead of juggling multiple numbers, there's one simple thing to keep an eye on: how many people you're letting in per minute.
How flow rate is determined
To make sure your flow rate settings are grounded in reality, we start with releasing the new queue in a "learning mode" During this phase, the queue runs in the background and observes normal traffic on the website without actually restricting anyone. This gives us a clear picture of what a typical day looks like; how many visitors come in, when the busy periods are, and how long people generally stay. We will then use that data to set flow rate limits that keep the website running smoothly without being unnecessarily restrictive. In this phase the “old” queue module is still active and can be used as you are used to.
After defining the correct flow rates for each queue phase, the old queue module will be disabled and the new queue ,including a brand new CMS module will become the new default.
Queue Management – How to Use the new Queue CMS module
Overview
The queue module lets you control how visitors are admitted to the website. It is divided into a few key areas: Queue Settings, the Queue Changelog, Visitors in Queue, and the Flow Rate chart.
Queue Settings
This is where you select the current mode the queue operates in. There are four options:
- Waiting Room Use this before a sale goes live. Visitors who arrive early will see a waiting page and your queue messages (if you scheduled any). Select this mode in advance of any on-sale event.
- Add queue messages to inform waiting visitors of what’s going on, via the “Queue messages” module. You can find a link to the queue messages module at the top right of the queue module.
- Visitors will keep their place based on the time of their arrival, so first in waiting room, first on the website. Use the “shuffle queue” button to randomise the order in which visitors are allowed on the website shortly before the onsale starts.
- Onsale Start Switch to this mode when the sale begins. It runs through three steps that you progress through manually. To move between steps, click the Next + button:
- Step 1: Sale started The system begins letting visitors in gradually. Wait a few minutes and observe how the queue and website are handling the traffic before moving on.
- Step 2: Sale underway Progress to this step once the initial rush has settled and the sale is running smoothly.
- Step 3: Peak performance Use this step when you want to allow maximum throughput, for example during the busiest period of the sale.
- No active onsale Switch to this mode when no sale is taking place. The queue remains active in the background to protect the website from unexpected traffic spikes, but visitors will generally have unrestricted access under normal conditions.
- Boost Use this to temporarily allow more visitors through during a small, short-lived traffic peak, such as a spike caused by a newsletter going out. Do not use this during an onsale, as it is not designed for sustained high traffic.
After selecting any mode or step, always click Confirm new setting to apply the change.
Note that not all options are available at once. They become available one after another. In waiting room mode, you can only progress to the Onsale start, and only after all three steps of the Onsale mode have been taken, the next option becomes available. This prevents unwanted sudden jumps in capacity.
Queue Changelog
At the bottom left, the changelog shows a history of every setting change made, including which mode or step was activated, when it happened, and which team member made the change. This is useful for accountability and for reviewing how an event was managed after the fact.
Visitors in Queue
The chart in the top right shows how many visitors are currently waiting in the queue in real time. Keep an eye on this during busy periods. A rising number means more people are waiting to get in than are currently being admitted.
Shuffle Queue
Below the visitors chart, you'll find the Shuffle Queue button. Clicking this randomises the order of everyone currently waiting. This serves two purposes:
- It ensures fair access, preventing an advantage for people who joined the queue earliest.
- It can be used to clean up bot traffic, as bots often don’t hang around, and after a good shuffle, they are no longer there to request a new place in the queue.
Use this with care, particularly during an onsale with active queue, as it will affect real visitors too.
Flow Rate Over Time
The chart in the bottom right gives you a visual overview of how the flow rate has changed over the course of the session. It helps you understand patterns, for example, when traffic peaked and how the system responded.
Advantages of the new queue
- Real time data, no more refreshing your queue CMS page
- When things get too busy, you can reduce the flow rate, without people on the site being sent back to the queue. (You are just letting fewer new people on the website)
- Without people being sent back to the queue, other visitors in the queue no longer see their position counter get higher
Potential scenarios worth mentioning
- Hidden crowds before peak sales, loads of visitors can access the website. If they linger to wait for the onsale, potentially a huge group of visitors can be on the site when the onsale starts. If no waiting room is activated, these remain unseen and could cause a massive spike in activity when the actual onsale starts. Prevent this by activating the Waiting room a short period before the onsale starts. This forces all website visitors into the waiting room, and lets them out at a predictable pace once the onsale starts. Use a shuffle for fairness
- Sudden overload of traffic When an onsale is not properly managed, a sudden spike in heavy traffic can be a risk to any web server. If the webserver’s performance is degrading, the waiting room can be activated by CultureSuite or yourself as an emergency break. This gives the webservers time to restore. When it’s time to switch off the waiting room, the queue will transition to the “onsale start” mode. Every visitor that was on the website before the waiting room was activated will be at the front of the queue and will have priority so they can continue what they were doing, like finishing their order. In this case, don’t us a shuffle.
The future of the new queue
While we are launching the first phase now, more functionality will be added later as we continue working on the new queue.
- A new queue website template Featuring real time predictions of the expected waiting time, based on the visitors current position and the current flow rate.
- Scheduled fully automated onsale moments In the next phase, every onsale can be scheduled in advance. The queue will handle the activation of the waiting room and the transition through the onsale phases automatically. Multiple onsale scenarios will become available from singe event sales to longer periods for groups of events.
- Adaptive flow rates Flow rate can automatically adapt to real time traffic and performance data from website, ticketing , PSP or any other source that can be connected to notify the queue of potential performance limits being reached in any one of the connected systems.
- Multiple queues Each event or set of events could get their own queue management
- A Queue for external purchase paths The new queue will be able to handle several subdomains, so direct traffic to your purchase path can be blocked and controlled with the same queue.