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UBI BANK


  •   CONTEX AND OBJECTIVES - UBI Banca, one of the five main banking groups in Italy, was developing a new platform for home banking(web and mobile). We designed a proprietary system for performance monitoring to guide the development team with objective and measurable data from the early stages, eliminating the risk of slowdowns before launch.


  •  IMPLEMENTED SOLUTIONS - We developed MacJyver, a proprietary tool capable of automatically collecting hundreds of measurements on application performance, both on the user interface and on the server. We introduced a systematic methodology for performance analysis applied to the entire testing cycle, with detailed graphical reports and continuous optimisation suggestions for the team.


  •  CHALLENGES - There were no ready-to-use tools on the market suitable for the project's needs, making it necessary to develop a custom solution. Correlating data from the interface and the server in a complex system required an innovative technical approach. Working as a supplier for Oracle imposed very high quality and delivery standards, with full visibility from the end banking client.


  •  SUCCESSES - The framework produced an average performance improvement of +400% on all components of the platform, with peaks up to +8,000% on the most critical components. The working method of the UBI team has shifted from reactive to data-driven. MacJyver has become a reusable technological asset, consolidating its position as a centre of excellence in banking performance monitoring in Italy.


  • TECHNOLOGIES -  Bytecode Instrumentation, JVM Internals, JEE, AngularJS, Karma, Protractor, Selenium, MacJyver Suite (proprietary).


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CONTEXT & GOALS

UBI Banca, one of Italy’s five leading banking groups, was developing a new web and mobile home banking platform based on JEE technologies for the backend and AngularJS for the frontend. The project required an automated performance monitoring system capable of guiding the development team using objective and measurable data, right from the very early stages of the software development cycle.

K-Tech has been commissioned by Oracle — the main system integrator of the project — to design and implement the performance monitoring framework for both application layers. The main challenge was to detect and quantify performance issues in a complex distributed system before they manifested in production, in the absence of market tools suitable for the specific requirements of the project.

IMPLEMENTED SOLUTIONS

  • Development of the MacJyver Suite: realisation of a proprietary agent based on bytecode instrumentation for the non-invasive collection of hundreds of aggregated JVM metrics for 15-second intervals — including min/max method execution times, number of executions per interval, and degree of concurrency.
  • Forensic Analysis of Test Sessions: implementation of graphical representations of the stack tree with temporal waterfall, enabling precise root cause analysis and early identification of bottlenecks.
  • Frontend Test Automation Framework: integration of Karma, Protractor, and Selenium into unit and integration tests of the AngularJS layer, with direct correlation to backend metrics.
  • End-to-End APM Methodology: systematic application of Application Performance Management across the entire testing cycle, transforming the development process from reactive to data-driven.
  • Reports and Continuous Optimisation: production of performance reports and operational recommendations for the development team, with measurable impact on the quality of the final product.
  • Reusable Technological Asset: MacJyver has subsequently been adopted in other projects — including Telecom/ISTAT and Autostrade — becoming a valuable proprietary strategic asset for the company.

CHALLENGES

  • No market tool met the requirements: need to develop a completely proprietary APM solution from scratch
  • Frontend-backend correlation in a complex distributed system, with two heterogeneous technology stacks (AngularJS + JEE) to be measured in an integrated manner.
  • Operate as a subcontractor for Oracle with full visibility on the end banking client, imposing particularly high standards of quality and delivery
  • Detect and quantify performance issues before they emerged in production, in the absence of previous data or benchmark references

VICTORIES

  • Average improvement of the performance of +400% on all components, with peaks up to +8,000% on the critical AngularJS components
  • Transformation of the working method of the UBI team: from reactive development to a data-driven and measurable process with objective dataConsolidation of the position as a
  • MacJyver has become a proprietary technological asset successfully reused in subsequent projects (Telecom/ISTAT, Autostrade), generating value beyond the scope of the individual project
  • centre of excellence APM in the Italian banking sectorsettore bancario italiano, with Oracle as direct client