Application Performance Monitoring: Why You Need One And What To Look For

Application Performance Monitoring is a tool that helps an organization identify performance issues and optimize its application servers. However, there are many options for monitoring tools, which makes it difficult to know which one to choose. This blog article outlines the pros and cons of different APMs so that you can make an informed decision on what type of tool you need and how to use it to your advantage.

What is the application performance monitoring tool?

There are a number of application performance monitoring tools that can be used to monitor the health and performance of web applications. Some popular options include New Relic, AppDynamics, and Yellowfin. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it is important to choose the right tool for the job.

To get started with application performance monitoring, you first need to decide what you want to measure. There are dozens of metrics that can be monitored, but some of the most important factors to consider include:

– Response time (how long it takes a request from a client to reach the server)

– Latency (how long it takes for a request to arrive at the server after being sent)

– Throughput (the rate at which data is transferred over the network)

– CPU usage (how much processing power is being used by the web application)

– Memory usage (the amount of memory allocated by the web application)

Once you have selected your metrics, you need to decide how you want to measure them. There are several options available, including using custom scripts or built-in reports in some monitoring tools. Once you have chosen your measurement methodologies, you need to set up your monitoring environment. This includes creating baseline measurements and configuring alerts so that you are notified when things go wrong.

Benefits of Application Performance Monitoring Tools

Application performance monitoring tools can help to identify and diagnose issues with your applications in real-time, providing immediate insight into how your application is performing. By understanding how your applications are performing, you can identify problems before they cause serious issues, and make necessary updates or adjustments.

One of the benefits of using application performance monitoring tools is that they can provide a way to measure the impact of changes made to your applications. This means that you can see how changes to your code or infrastructure affect application performance. This information can help you make informed decisions about how to improve your applications.

In addition, application performance monitoring tools can help you find bottlenecks and optimize your systems. By pinpointing where the system is struggling, you can take steps to address these issues and improve overall system performance.

Finally, by tracking application performance over time, you can get a better understanding of how users interact with your applications and what factors impact their experience. This information can be used to improve the design and layout of your applications, as well as develop new features that will improve user interactions.

Types of Monitoring Tools Available

There are a variety of tools that can be used to monitor application performance. These include popular open-source and commercial tools as well as custom-built solutions. 

Open Source Tools 

Some popular open-source tools for monitoring application performance are AppDynamics, New Relic, and Google Stackdriver Application Insights. These tools can be run on-premises or in the cloud and provide insights into how applications are performing both on a global scale and at the individual application level. 

Commercial Tools 

Several commercial tools also offer performance monitoring capabilities, including CA Technologies’ Appcelerator Performance Point, IBM’s WebSphere Performance Monitor, Oracle’s Sunspot Suite, and Microsoft’s System Center Operations Manager (SCOM). These tools may have additional features such as alerts for slowdowns or outages.