Performance, scaling, and high availability

Version control systems are key to managing large projects: with Helix Server, “large” can be large indeed. With enterprise-level features that you can use to fine tune and improve performance, Helix Server lets you scale your system to accommodate a global workforce, and to automate failover for a highly available system. For example, Helix Server can accommodate the needs of a gaming development company whose files might take up hundreds of terabytes or even petabytes of data; or it can support the work of a software company, whose activity level includes massive automated testing as well as focused, analytic bug fixing and tracking work.

To support these tasks, Helix Server uses the following additional server types:

  • Proxies are used where bandwidth to remote sites is limited; they mediate between remote clients and the versioning service. By caching frequently used files, the proxy reduces demand on the server and keeps network traffic to a minimum.
  • Brokers mediate between clients and servers to implement policies that solve routing or security problems.
  • Replicas duplicate server data. They can be used to provide a warm standby server or to reduce load on a primary server.

The following sections explain how these servers are used singly or how they are combined to provide enterprise-level performance. For complete information about using proxies, brokers, and replicas, see Helix Core Server Administrator Guide.

See also Git at scale.