FAQs

FAQs#

Service Speeds#

What can affect speeds from Global IP?#

  1. The location of the client server.

    The distance between our server to yours will make a difference in overall speed. See here for our current server location list: https://www.melissa.com/company/server-locations-uptime

  2. The current load of our public cloud servers.

    We maintain and make available a large amount of processing capacity. However, all things being equal, the more usage at any given time will decrease overall speed during that time.

  3. Real time vs batch.

    Real time means sending one record at a time, while for batch you will send up to 100 records at a time and loop through your data. Processing 100 at a time will increase your overall service speed by up to 25%-50%.

Throughput Speeds#

When to use real-time vs. batch processing#

  • Real-Time (Single Request)

    • Customer onboarding

    • CRM data entry

    • Checkout or form entry

  • Batch

    • Processing a spreadsheet or database

    • Processing historical data

    • Scheduled processing

    • ETL transformations

What speeds can you expect?#

Real-Time Speeds#

Response times can vary, but the majority of requests should fall between 25ms – 50ms.

Batch Speeds#
Single-Threaded#

A single-threaded batch process is recommended when:

  • Fast development is a priority.

  • Processing small to medium-sized lists (1,000 - 100,000 records).

Expected processing speed is 3,000,000 – 5,000,000 records per hour.

Multi-Threaded#

Multi-threading involves sending multiple requests to the web server simultaneously and handling responses as they are returned. This approach can significantly improve performance by reducing the overall time required for processing.

A multi-threaded batch process is recommended when:

  • Processing large volumes of records quickly.

  • Handling large lists (100,000+ records).

We recommend starting with 5-10 threads to avoid rate limiting errors.

Expected processing speed is 12,500,000 – 15,000,000 records per hour.

Note

A single-threaded process remains a viable option for processing larger lists, though it may take longer compared to a multi-threaded approach.

Scaling and Rate Limiting#

Melissa utilizes dynamic scaling to improve throughput speeds during peak usage periods. This behavior ensures that our web services can adjust to changes in traffic and consistently provide optimal performance regardless of demand.

To maintain service stability and prevent excessive load, Melissa enforces rate limiting based on request volume and frequency. For more information, please refer to our rate limiting page: Rate Limiting.

Global IP Support#

Does Global IP support IPv6 lookup?#

Yes, Global IP supports IPv6 Lookups.

Does the IP web service support XML?#

No, Global IP only supports the JSON format for requests and responses.

Accuracy#

How accurate is the Latitude/longitude returned?#

Melissa Data’s Global IP uses 20 different techniques to determine the physical location of an IP address.

This is the secret sauce behind a better understanding of the topology of the internet.

  1. ASN/BGP routes

  2. Mobile Carrier owned IPs Database

  3. Partner submitted Internet Topology

  4. Proxy Data lists

  5. Domain Data

  6. Proprietary Clustering Analysis algorithms

  7. Reverse DNS information

  8. Wireless WIFI Endpoints Map

  9. Domain Expansion algorithms

  10. Company Name Databases

  11. Organization Name databases

  12. Whois data

  13. T1, t3, OC3, OC12 Registries

  14. Cable, Dial up, DSL registries

  15. Geography

  16. Realtime IP Connections through Skyhook Wireless

  17. Regional Internet Registries

  18. Web Spidering technology

  19. Dynamic IP Pool Mapping

  20. DSLAM, CMTS, POP Server analysis

It is not going to be true location, but it is calculated using several techniques to get the best possible accurate lat/long centroid.

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