AWS data center latencies, visualized

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

An interactive globe visualizing latency between AWS regions is praised for making inter-region performance differences tangible, but many find the 3D format harder to read than a 2D map and point out that it only covers regions listed by the older CloudPing dataset. Commenters dig into why latency is dominated—but not fully explained—by physical distance and fiber routing, noting real-world constraints like undersea cable layouts, imperfect routing, and the speed of light in fiber. Accessibility and practicality come up repeatedly, including requests for colorblind-friendly palettes, per-user latency views, support for Azure and GCP, and clearer labeling that these are AWS regions rather than individual data centers.

Visualization & UX

  • Many like the rotating 3D globe aesthetically but find it hard to read exact latencies and see all regions at once.
  • Suggestions:
    • Add a hint like “click to select a region” and auto-select a default or nearest region.
    • Offer a 2D map/projection (e.g., Winkel Tripel, azimuthal equidistant) or toggle between 3D/2D.
    • Add or expose a table view alongside the visualization.
    • Use a continuous color ramp instead of coarse latency buckets.

Data & Methodology

  • Points shown are AWS regions, not individual data centers; each region contains multiple AZs and facilities with different intra-region characteristics.
  • Latency data is scraped from CloudPing, which:
    • Uses TCP connections to AWS services (not ICMP ping).
    • Hasn’t been updated in years, so newer regions are missing.
  • Some note AWS also exposes latency baselines via Network Manager, but reliability of provider dashboards is debated.

Latency Physics & Infrastructure

  • Distance is the dominant factor, but:
    • Speed of light in fiber is ~2/3 of c, plus extra delay from non-straight paths, switching, and routing.
    • Rules of thumb like “distance(km) / ~150 ≈ ms” or ~125 miles/ms appear to fit many cases.
  • Undersea cable layout strongly shapes latency; absence of direct cables (e.g., Ireland ↔ continent, South America/Africa) forces longer routes.
  • Some propose showing “overhead vs theoretical minimum” per link.

Coverage & Missing Regions

  • Multiple AWS regions (e.g., Spain, Melbourne, Israel, Hyderabad, Canada West) are absent due to CloudPing’s dataset.
  • Users observe sparse coverage in Africa and South America and discuss likely reasons: smaller markets, power/heat challenges, political risk, and limited subsea capacity.

Use Cases, Alternatives & Ideas

  • People have used similar measurements for:
    • Region selection, HA/DR design, and performance tuning (e.g., impact of cross-US region hops).
    • Trading and latency-sensitive workloads, sometimes using microwave or specialized fiber.
  • Requests for:
    • Versions for Azure/GCP and inter-cloud latency.
    • A mode showing user-to-region latency, history charts, and inferred “likely fiber” links.

Accessibility & Feedback Culture

  • Red/green color choices are hard for color-blind users and grayscale displays; suggestions include:
    • Color-blind-friendly palettes.
    • Line patterns (dashed/dotted) and an optional “color-blind mode.”
  • Some debate whether such critiques are discouraging or valuable; others argue accessibility feedback is important even for hobby projects.