What is Application Monitoring?
Application monitoring is the process of tracking, measuring, and analyzing the performance of software applications. The goal of application monitoring is to ensure that an application is performing as expected and to identify and diagnose any problems that may occur.
Types of Monitoring Applications
There are a variety of monitoring applications available to help organizations keep track of their systems and data. Some of these include:
System monitors: These tools are designed to track the performance of an organization’s servers, networks, and other computer systems. They can provide information about things like CPU usage, memory usage, disk activity, and network traffic.
Database monitors: These tools are designed to track the performance of an organization’s databases. They can provide information about things like database size, growth rate, query times, and transaction rates.
Application monitors: These tools are designed to track the performance of an organization’s applications. They can provide information about things like response times, transaction rates, and error rates.
Security monitors: These tools are designed to track the security of an organization’s systems and data. They can provide information about things like intrusion attempts, failed login attempts, and changes to system files.
See Also: What is Network Security Monitoring and How To Monitor It?
Environmental monitors: These tools are designed to track the environment around an organization’s systems and data. They can provide information about things like temperature, humidity, and air pressure.
Why Monitoring You Application is Important?
There are many reasons why monitoring your application is important.
Improve Performance: By monitoring your application, you can identify areas where the performance can be improved.
Prevent Outages: By monitoring your application, you can identify potential problems before they cause an outage.
Diagnose Problems: By monitoring your application, you can quickly diagnose and fix problems when they occur.
Improve Customer Satisfaction: By monitoring your application, you can ensure that your customers are happy with the performance of your application.
Monitoring your application can be done manually or with the help of tools. Manual monitoring involves regularly checking the performance of your application and looking for any potential problems.
How to get started with application monitoring?
Application monitoring is an important part of ensuring that your applications are functioning properly. By tracking the performance and usage of your applications, you can quickly identify problems and take corrective action. Getting started with application monitoring is easy, but there are a few things to consider before diving in.
#1. The first step to setting up effective application monitoring is to choose the right tool. There are a variety of monitoring tools available, and the right choice will depend on your specific needs.
#2. The next step is to decide which metrics you want to track. Many application performance monitoring tools provide basic metrics such as response time, availability, and resource utilization. However, you may need to go beyond the basics for more detailed insights. Consider tracking user activity, application errors, and server performance to get a deeper understanding of how your application is functioning.
#3. Once you’ve chosen the right tool and established which metrics you want to track, it’s time to set up the monitoring. Most application performance monitoring tools have easy-to-follow setup instructions, so this shouldn’t be too difficult. Make sure you follow all of the setup steps carefully, as any errors could cause inaccurate data or even prevent the tool from collecting any data at all.
#4. Finally, it’s important to keep an eye on your application monitoring data. Regularly checking the performance of your applications will give you a better understanding of how they’re performing and help you identify any issues quickly. Additionally, many application performance monitoring tools allow for automated alerts when there are any changes in performance so that you can take action as soon as possible.
How to Choose the Right Tool for Application Monitoring?
Choosing the right application monitoring tool is essential for getting meaningful performance data. When looking for an application performance monitoring tool, you’ll want to consider a few key factors:
- ease of use
- reporting capabilities
- alerts and notifications
- scalability and cost
Ease of use should be a top priority when choosing an application performance monitoring tool. If the tool is too complicated or time-consuming to set up and maintain, then it may not be worth using. Look for a tool that has easy-to-follow setup instructions and logical user interfaces.
Reporting capabilities are also important for application performance monitoring tools. A good tool should provide detailed insights into the performance and usage of your application, not just basic metrics. Look for a tool that offers detailed reporting on user activity, performance issues, and resource utilization.
Alerts and notifications are also important when it comes to application performance monitoring. You want to be able to quickly identify any changes in your application’s performance so you can take corrective action before any serious damage is done. Make sure that your chosen tool offers automated alerts when there are any changes in performance or usage.
Finally, consider scalability and cost when choosing an application performance monitoring tool. You’ll want to make sure that the tool can scale with your application as it grows, and that it won’t break the bank. Look for a tool that is cost-effective, but still provides all of the features and reporting capabilities you need.
How We Can Set Up the Application Monitoring?
Setting up an application monitoring tool is typically a straightforward process. Most tools come with documentation and setup instructions that will guide you through the installation and configuration process. Here are some tips to help ensure your setup goes smoothly:
#1. Thoroughly read the documentation included with your chosen tool before beginning the installation process. This will help you become familiar with the tool and its features.
#2. Make sure your system meets all of the requirements for the application monitoring tool before you install it. For example, if the tool requires a certain version of an operating system or software, make sure your system has that version installed.
#3. Install the application monitoring tool in a test environment before deploying it to your production system. This will help you identify any potential issues or conflicts that might arise when the tool is running in a live environment.
#4. Test the application monitoring tool after installation to make sure it’s working correctly and collecting accurate data.
#5. Follow all of the setup instructions carefully and configure the tool to meet your specific needs.
What are the Best Tools for Application Monitoring?
Some of the best tools for application monitoring include:
SolarWinds Application Performance Monitor (APM)
SolarWinds APM offers comprehensive performance and usage analytics, detailed reports, and automated alerts. It is easy to set up and use and can scale with your application as it grows.
Features:
- Detailed reports on user activity, performance issues, and resource utilization
- Automated alerts when changes in performance or usage occur
- Real-time analytics of application performance
New Relic Platform
New Relic Platform is a powerful application monitoring tool that provides rich insights into your app’s performance. It offers real-time analytics, detailed reporting, and automated alerting.
Features:
- Real-time, actionable analytics
- Detailed reports on application performance, usage, and errors
- Automated alerts when changes in performance or usage occur
AppDynamics
AppDynamics is a comprehensive application performance management solution that includes both real-time analytics and predictive analytics. It also features customizable dashboards, alerts and notifications, and advanced reporting.
Features:
- Real-time analytics of application performance
- Predictive analytics to identify potential issues before they become serious
- Customizable dashboards and alerts for quick identification of changes in performance or usage.
Datadog APM
Datadoq APM offers powerful monitoring capabilities for applications, hosts, and services. It provides real-time performance data, detailed insights into application usage, and automated alerts and notifications.
Features:
- Real-time performance data for applications, hosts, and services
- Detailed insights into application usage
- Automated alerts and notifications when changes in performance or usage occur.
Dynatrace
Dynatrace is a comprehensive application performance management solution that provides real-time analytics, automated alerting and notifications, and customizable dashboards. It also integrates with cloud and container platforms.
Features:
- Real-time analytics of application performance
- Automated alerts and notifications when changes in performance or usage occur
- Customizable dashboards for quick identification of issues.
What type of issues comes with Application monitoring?
There are many types of issues that can come with Application monitoring. Some common ones include:
Not being able to see all the data you need: This can be a problem if you’re trying to track down a specific issue or performance bottleneck. Make sure that you have access to all the relevant data before starting your analysis.
Not being able to filter out unrelated data: Too much data can be just as bad as too little. Make sure that you can filter out irrelevant data so you can focus on what’s important.
Not being able to track down the source of an issue: This can be a problem if you’re trying to determine whether an issue is caused by a specific piece of code or something else. Make sure that you have the ability to track down the source of an issue so you can fix it more quickly.
Not being able to reproduce an issue: This can be a problem if you’re trying to track down a specific bug. Make sure that you can reproduce the issue before starting your analysis.
Not being able to identify the root cause of an issue: This can be a problem if you’re trying to fix a performance bottleneck. Make sure that you can identify the root cause of an issue so you can address it more effectively.