Maps API performance

[Spiral123]

Hi there...

I have a reasonably successful Android app that is heavily geo biased.  Within the app I use both the Geocoder class (getFromLocationName()) and also Maps API v3 geocoding search and the Maps API Geocode web service.

The reason I use both is because every couple of months the Android Geocoder class just goes AWOL and a group of my users endure horrible performance and variable responses to their queries so I need a backup.  Unfortunately its rarely the same group of users each time and doesn't seem to happen in a specific area.  I used to suspect it was problems with the carrier backend connecting to the Google servers or the users local data connection that was the issue.

It was never a huge problem as it seemed to usually resolve itself pretty quick or I could always ask them to swap to the web service as a backup.

Over the last few months though the problem seems to have become endemic - and it also seems to have spread to the web service.  It is causing me a lot of headaches and adverse feedback for my app.

I'm now suspecting that Google must be doing some sort of major overhaul of their infrastructure (at least in N America).  I have noticed that the map tiles seem to have been spruced up a bit and I've also noticed that the new 'sort of google' app Field Trip appears to be using a new Android Maps API (about time too).

Has anyone else been experiencing similar disruption and/or does anyone have the inside track on what could be causing the problems?

Nick

[Tyler Lake]

Hey Spiral123, I remember seeing your questions a while back! Congrats on the success! My guess is that if you're using v2 of the service, Google is probably starting to roll it back? That seems like it makes sense if the issues are getting worse... Hopefully an employee can offer more insight!

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[Barry Hunter]

Are you sure these arent just quota denials? 

Cariers often run requests via their own proxies. So many users will be using a small set of IP addresses contacting Google. 

If they are quota denials, then would explain why it comes back soon - the quota is reset. 

I would think you need to add some logging to track down what exactly is the issue with the requests.

[Spiral123]

Hi Barry,

the possibility of quota denial is an interesting one that I hadn't thought of.  As it happens I did have an unconnected quota exceeded problem in my app with Fusion Tables recently.  That was related to the rate of requests rather than the volume but it could indicate a higher level of monitoring a Googles end with their APIs in general.

In this case I don't think that exceeding quota is the problem: I do have some metrics in the app and I know that total Geocoding requests (Android and Maps API) are running at under 20,000 per day globally.  I can also see that the error rate is constant.  However looking at the errors I suspect that folks aren't using the Maps API search as often as they should.

Thanks for the response: I think I need to put some additional logging into the app so that I can get a better handle on the failures.

Nick

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