Azure SQL Server database calls takes minutes instead of seconds

[Anonymous]

Since today everyone using the app noticed extreme delays. After my investigation, it seems that the calls to Azure SQL Server are taking minutes instead of seconds. Was anything changed in PowerApps that impact the load times so much? The app was working perfectly (database calls taking few seconds) until today.

Strangely enough, the Azure SQL Server actually hosts two databases for two separate apps. Other app database call times are fine it seems that only the other app is affected. Moreover, the app which is super slow today has the better database (S2 Standard 50 DTUs vs Basic 5 DTUs).

Anyone noticing something similar with their apps? Any tips on how to solve? Again, the app was working fast for past two weeks only today everything seems to be extremely slow in the app anytime there is a call to the database.

[Anonymous]

Slow SQL calls again today...

[dboulet]

I highly recommend using Collections instead of direct queries to SQL. That has fixed all of my issues.

Hope this helps!

[lero]

The issue is not related with queries and Collections. It's the internal gateway between PowerApps and Azure SQL that slow things down. I only use Collections and my queries used to load them are optimized.

Anyway... I hadn't any report from users on my side about slowness. I think the PowerApps/Azure teams figured it out.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, @lero! I will definitely check it out!

[nbarsley1]

Hey Lero, 

What do you mean by your queries are optimized and you only use collections? 

Do you mean onstart -> load all necessary data to collections? 

Thanks!

[lero]

I mean I apply filters on columns with proper indexing and never load a lot of rows. On average my queries returns no more than 50 rows.

To load everything onstart causes the app to spend a long time starting. A best practice is to load ondemand according to screen usage or using the timer component.

Most of my loading time is spent on onvisible events and besides that I try not to load a Collection twice unless necessary.

[ChristophM]

Same problems here. It´s also a frustrating experience to patch a row to the Azure database. Sometimes it needs only 0.2 seconds and then it needs 28 seconds to write a simple row to the Azure database.