10 Best Application Performance Monitoring Tools to Keep Your Apps in Top Shape

In today's digital world, applications are the backbone of many businesses. From web-based software to on-premises applications, they allow organizations to streamline their operations, increase productivity, and improve customer experiences. However, with the growing complexity of applications and the increasing demand for seamless performance, it has become crucial to monitor their performance continuously. Poor application performance can lead to user frustration, lost revenue, and damage to a company's reputation.

To ensure your application is running smoothly, you need to implement a robust monitoring strategy. This is where monitoring tools and techniques come into play. With the right monitoring tools and techniques in place, you can gain valuable insights into your application's performance and quickly identify and resolve any issues.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top 10 monitoring tools and techniques that can help you enhance your application's performance. Whether you're a developer, IT manager, or business owner, this guide will provide you with the knowledge you need to optimize your application's functionality and ensure your users have a seamless experience.

When it comes to application performance monitoring (APM), there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The tools and techniques you use to monitor your applications will vary depending on a variety of factors, including whether you are monitoring your own application or an application that you use, whether it is a SaaS application or an on-premise one, and whether there are frequent issues with the application.

Here's a list of considerations and recommendations for tailoring your APM strategy to your specific needs:

1. Identify the type of application you are monitoring: Are you monitoring your own application or an application that you use? Depending on the answer, you may need to use different tools and techniques. For example, if you are monitoring your own application, you may need to use more comprehensive monitoring tools that cover all aspects of the application's performance. If you are monitoring an application that you use, you may be able to rely on the vendor's monitoring tools.
2. Determine whether the application is Cloud or on-premise: If the application is Cloud, you may have limited control over the monitoring tools you can use. In this case, it is important to ensure that the vendor's monitoring tools are sufficient for your needs. If the application is on-premise, you may have more control over the monitoring tools you use.
3. Consider the frequency of issues with the application: If the application is frequently experiencing performance issues such as slowness, you may need to use more advanced monitoring tools that provide real-time performance data. In addition, you may need to implement additional testing to monitor the application's performance.
4. Determine whether there are internal tests in place: If there are internal tests in place to monitor the performance of the application, you may be able to rely on those tests to identify and address performance issues before they become a problem. If there are no internal tests, or if they are not sufficient for your needs, you may need to implement additional monitoring tools and techniques.
5. Identify the aspects of the application that are most important to you: Depending on your needs, you may need to monitor the network, the infrastructure, the user experience, or all of the above. For example, if the user experience is critical to the success of the application, you may need to use user experience monitoring tools that provide data on how users are interacting with the application.

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Recommended APM tools and techniques:

1. Comprehensive APM tools such as Dynatrace, New Relic, and AppDynamics can provide real-time performance data and cover all aspects of the application's performance.
2. Vendor-provided monitoring tools can be sufficient for monitoring Cloud applications.
3. Real User Monitoring (RUM) tools such as Google Analytics, Piwik, and Mixpanel can provide data on how users are interacting with the application.
4. Synthetic monitoring tools such as Obkio can simulate user interactions and provide data on the application's performance.
5. Network monitoring tools such as SolarWinds, Obkio, and PRTG can monitor the network and infrastructure performance. Check out some of the best Network Monitoring tools.

By tailoring your APM strategy to your specific needs and using the right tools and techniques, you can ensure that your applications are performing at their best.

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Application performance monitoring (APM) has become increasingly important in today's digital landscape. With the rise of web-based applications and mobile devices, users expect seamless and uninterrupted performance. Application Performance Monitoring is crucial in ensuring that these expectations are met.

APM involves monitoring the performance of an application in real-time, with the goal of identifying and resolving any issues that could impact the user experience. This includes monitoring the speed and responsiveness of the application, as well as tracking errors and bugs.

Without APM, businesses risk facing user frustration, lost revenue, and damage to their reputation. For example, slow loading times can cause users to abandon an application or website, leading to lost sales or opportunities. In addition, errors or bugs can result in data loss or even security breaches.

To prevent these issues, businesses need to implement a robust APM strategy that includes the use of monitoring tools and techniques. These tools and techniques provide valuable insights into an application's performance, allowing businesses to quickly identify and resolve any issues before they impact the user experience.

Here are some examples of how APM can impact the user experience and business performance in manufacturing, professional services, and logistics firms:

1. Manufacturing: In the manufacturing industry, delays or downtime can result in lost production and revenue. With Application Performance Monitoring, manufacturers can monitor their production line applications and quickly identify any issues that could cause delays or downtime. By resolving these issues promptly, manufacturers can maintain a steady production schedule, reduce costs, and ensure timely delivery of products to customers.
2. Professional services: Professional services firms rely on their applications to manage their clients' data, projects, and billing. Slow or unresponsive applications can lead to delays in delivering services, impacting the customer experience and potentially damaging the firm's reputation. With APM, professional services firms can ensure that their applications are performing optimally, enabling them to deliver their services efficiently and maintain customer satisfaction.
3. Logistics: In the logistics industry, time is of the essence. Any delays or errors in the delivery process can result in lost revenue and damage to the company's reputation. With Application Performance Monitoring, logistics firms can monitor their applications that manage their delivery and transportation systems, quickly identifying any issues that could cause delays or errors. By resolving these issues promptly, logistics firms can ensure that their delivery systems are operating smoothly, reducing costs, and improving the customer experience.

Overall, Application Performance Monitoring can have a significant impact on the user experience and business performance in various industries. By monitoring application performance in real-time, businesses can ensure that their applications are meeting the needs of their users, reducing the risk of lost revenue, delays, and damage to their reputation.

In summary, Application Performance Monitoring tools are essential in today's digital landscape to ensure optimal application performance and user experience. By implementing a comprehensive APM strategy, businesses can maintain their competitive edge and deliver a seamless user experience that meets the expectations of their customers.

The results of a recent survey on SAP performance issues highlight the significant impact that software performance can have on business operations. These findings underscore the importance of software monitoring for businesses, as proactive monitoring can help identify and resolve performance issues before they impact users and the bottom line.

Although some individuals may be fortunate enough to avoid application performance issues, the reality for most is quite different. A recent survey revealed that the majority of respondents experienced frequent incidents with application performance. In fact, one-third of respondents reported one or two incidents per month, while 35% reported three to five incidents, and 14% experienced between five and 15 incidents. A concerning 8% experienced performance incidents almost daily.

The impact of these incidents on business operations is significant. Nearly half of the respondents (46%) reported a deterioration in customer satisfaction, while 38% experienced a loss of productivity within corporate IT, and 33% reported a loss of non-IT employee productivity. In addition, 22% reported lost revenue, and 12% reported penalties for missing service level agreements (SLAs).

However, identifying the root cause of a network bottleneck can be a daunting task. According to the survey, it can take hours (46% of respondents), days (22%), or even weeks (8%) to identify the cause of a typical application performance issue. Only a lucky 2% of respondents were able to do so in seconds, while 22% were able to identify a problem in just minutes.

When it comes to fixing performance issues, 53% of respondents indicated that it is a manual effort. Alternatively, respondents used performance monitoring tools (36%), third-party diagnostic tools (17%), or other methods (6%).

Overall, a majority of respondents (62%) expressed dissatisfaction with their current approach to fixing application performance issues. Whether you are an administrator, consultant, network admin, or end-user, this guide can help you identify and resolve performance issues and ensure that your system runs smoothly and efficiently.

A proactive application performance monitoring (APM) strategy is essential to maintaining optimal performance and delivering a seamless user experience.

To implement a proactive APM strategy, it's important to follow best practices that focus on defining clear objectives, selecting the right monitoring tools, setting up alerts and thresholds, establishing baselines, monitoring user experience, and continuously reviewing and optimizing your Application Performance Monitoring approach.

We'll explore each of these best practices in more detail, providing you with the knowledge you need to take a proactive approach to APM and ensure that your applications are performing at their best.

1. Define Clear Objectives: Before implementing a proactive APM strategy, it's essential to define clear objectives. This means identifying what you want to achieve through APM, such as improving application performance, increasing user satisfaction, or reducing downtime. Clear objectives will help you stay focused and make informed decisions when selecting monitoring tools and setting up network monitoring alerts.
2. Select the Right Monitoring Tools: Choosing the right monitoring tools is critical to a proactive APM strategy. Look for tools that can provide real-time monitoring, alerting, and detailed performance metrics. Additionally, ensure that the tools you choose are compatible with your application's technology stack.
3. Set Up Alerts and Thresholds: Alerts and thresholds are crucial components of a proactive APM strategy. Set up alerts to notify you when performance metrics fall outside of predetermined thresholds. This will allow you to quickly identify potential issues and address them before they impact the user experience.
4. Establish Baselines: Establishing baselines for your application's performance metrics is critical to a proactive APM approach. Baselines provide a reference point for what is considered normal performance, making it easier to identify when performance falls outside of normal parameters.
5. Monitor User Experience: Monitoring user experience is an essential component of a proactive APM strategy. By monitoring user experience, you can gain valuable insights into how users interact with your application and identify any performance issues that impact their experience.
6. Continuously Review and Optimize: A proactive APM strategy requires continuous review and optimization. Regularly review your APM strategy and performance metrics, and make adjustments as necessary. This will help you stay ahead of potential issues and ensure that your applications are performing optimally.

By implementing these best practices, you can take a proactive approach to APM, ensuring that your applications are performing at their best and delivering a seamless user experience.

Application performance monitoring (APM) is essential to ensuring optimal user experience and maximizing business operations. However, not all application performance metrics are created equal.

By focusing on the right metrics, businesses can gain valuable insights into their application's performance, identify potential issues, and take corrective action to maintain optimal performance.

Here are the top application performance metrics to monitor:

1. Response Time: Response time is the amount of time it takes for an application to respond to a user's request. A slow response time can negatively impact user experience and lead to decreased user satisfaction. It's important to monitor network response time regularly and ensure that it falls within acceptable limits.
2. Throughput: Network Throughput is the rate at which an application can process requests. A high throughput rate indicates that an application is processing requests quickly and efficiently, while a low throughput rate could indicate performance issues. By monitoring throughput, businesses can identify potential bottlenecks and optimize application performance.
3. Error Rate: Error rate is the percentage of requests that result in errors. A high error rate can indicate issues with application functionality or performance. By monitoring error rates, businesses can identify potential issues and take corrective action to maintain optimal performance.
4. CPU Usage: CPU usage is the percentage of processing power used by an application. High CPU usage can indicate performance issues or potential bottlenecks. By monitoring CPU usage, businesses can identify potential issues and take corrective action to optimize performance.
5. Memory Usage: Memory usage is the amount of memory used by an application. High memory usage can impact application performance and lead to potential issues. By monitoring memory usage, businesses can identify potential issues and take corrective action to optimize performance.
6. Network Latency: Network latency is the time it takes for data to travel from a user's device to the application server and back. High network latency can negatively impact user experience and lead to decreased user satisfaction. By monitoring network latency, businesses can identify potential issues and take corrective action to optimize performance.
7. Database Performance: Database performance is crucial to application performance. Slow database performance can negatively impact application performance and lead to decreased user satisfaction. By monitoring database performance metrics, such as read and write times, businesses can identify potential issues and take corrective action to optimize performance.

By focusing on these key application performance metrics, businesses can gain valuable insights into their application's performance and identify potential issues before they impact the user experience. Regular monitoring of these metrics can help businesses optimize application performance, maintain user satisfaction, and maximize business operations.

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Establishing clear benchmarks for application performance is critical to ensuring optimal user experience and maximizing business operations. Benchmarks provide a baseline for what is considered acceptable performance, making it easier to identify potential issues and take corrective action to maintain optimal performance.

Here are the best practices and practical steps for establishing clear benchmarks for application performance:

• Identify Key Metrics: The first step in establishing benchmarks is identifying the key metrics that matter to your business. This could include response time, throughput, error rate, CPU and memory usage, network latency, and database performance. By identifying these metrics, you can establish clear benchmarks for what is considered acceptable performance.
• Determine Acceptable Performance Levels: Once you've identified the key metrics, determine what levels of performance are acceptable for your business. This will depend on your specific needs and the expectations of your users. For example, an e-commerce site may require faster response times and higher throughput than a non-profit website.
• Set Baselines: Before setting benchmarks, it's important to establish baselines for your application's performance metrics. Baselines provide a reference point for what is considered normal performance. Monitor your application's performance metrics over a period of time to establish baselines and identify trends.
• Define Benchmarks: Once you have established baselines, define benchmarks for your application's performance metrics. Benchmarks should be based on your acceptable performance levels and should take into account any seasonal variations or fluctuations in user traffic.
• Monitor and Adjust: Regularly monitor your application's performance metrics to ensure that they are meeting your benchmarks. If performance falls outside of acceptable levels, take corrective action to optimize performance. Continuously review and adjust your benchmarks as necessary to ensure that they are aligned with your business needs.

By following these best practices and practical steps, you can establish clear benchmarks for your application's performance and ensure that it is meeting the expectations of your users. Regular monitoring and adjustment of benchmarks will help you maintain optimal performance and maximize business operations.

To ensure optimal application performance, it's essential to set benchmarks for key performance metrics and track progress over time. By establishing clear targets and monitoring performance against these benchmarks, businesses can identify areas for improvement and ensure that their applications meet the needs of their users.

In this section, we'll explore best practices for creating a benchmark plan for performance metrics, and provide examples for each metric. Whether you're a provider or a business that relies on applications, developing a benchmark plan can help you optimize performance and enhance the user experience.

Here's how to create a benchmark plan for application performance metrics:

• Metric: Response Time
  • Target: < 3 seconds
  • Baseline: 4.5 seconds
  • Example: Measure the time it takes for a web page to load after a user clicks a button or link. Set a target of 3 seconds or less for this metric, and track performance over time to ensure that response time stays within this range.
• Metric: Uptime
  • Target: > 99%
  • Baseline: 95%
  • Example: Track the percentage of time that the application is available and accessible to users. Set a target of 99% uptime or higher, and track performance over time to ensure that downtime stays within acceptable limits.
• Metric: Error Rate
  • Target: < 2%
  • Baseline: 5%
  • Example: Track the percentage of user requests that result in an error or failure. Set a target of 2% error rate or lower, and track performance over time to ensure that error rates stay within acceptable limits.
• Metric: Throughput
  • Target: > 100 requests per minute
  • Baseline: 50 requests per minute
  • Example: Track the number of user requests that the application can handle per unit of time. Set a target of 100 requests per minute or higher, and track performance over time to ensure that throughput stays within acceptable limits.
• Metric: Load Time
  • Target: < 5 seconds
  • Baseline: 7 seconds
  • Example: Measure the time it takes for a web page to fully load and be displayed to the user. Set a target of 5 seconds or less for this metric, and track performance over time to ensure that load times stay within this range.
• Metric: Time to First Byte (TTFB)
  • Target: < 500 ms
  • Baseline: 750 ms
  • Example: Measure the time it takes for the server to send the first byte of data in response to a user request. Set a target of 500 ms or less for this metric, and track performance over time to ensure that TTFB stays within this range.
• Metric: Database Performance
  • Target: < 1 second per query
  • Baseline: 2 seconds per query
  • Example: Measure metrics related to the performance of the database used by the application, such as response time and query time. Set a target of 1 second per query or less, and track performance over time to ensure that database performance stays within acceptable limits.
• Metric: Network Latency
  • Target: < 100 ms
  • Baseline: 150 ms
  • Example: Measure the time it takes for data to travel between the user's device and the application's servers. Set a target of 100 ms or less for this metric, and track performance over time to ensure that network latency stays within acceptable limits.

By setting clear targets for each of these application performance metrics, businesses can establish benchmarks that reflect their users' needs and their application requirements.

Regularly monitoring performance against these benchmarks and making necessary adjustments can help ensure that the application delivers optimal performance and meets the expectations of its users

When it comes to ensuring optimal application performance, monitoring is key. That's why selecting the right Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tool is crucial to identifying potential issues, optimizing performance, and maintaining a positive user experience.

In this section, we'll explore the top 10 Application Performance Monitoring tools on the market today, and how they can help businesses achieve their performance goals.

Whether you're a small business owner or a large enterprise, these tools can help you stay ahead of potential issues and ensure that your applications are performing at their best.

Selecting the right Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tool is crucial to ensuring optimal application performance. With so many options available, it's important to understand the different types of Application Performance Monitoring software and the features to consider when selecting a tool.

In this section, we'll explore the various types of Application Performance Monitoring tools available and provide insights into their unique features.

Here's a list of different types of Application Performance Monitoring (APM) software:

Agent-based APM: This type of APM software requires the installation of an agent on each server or application instance to collect data on performance metrics.

Agentless APM: Agentless Application Performance Monitoring tool operates without requiring the installation of an agent on each server or application instance. Instead, it uses network traffic analysis, log analysis, or other techniques to monitor performance.

Synthetic Monitoring: Synthetic monitoring uses simulated user transactions to measure application performance. It involves creating scripted transactions that mimic user interactions to monitor performance.

Real User Monitoring (RUM): RUM involves monitoring application performance metrics from the end user's perspective. It tracks real user interactions with the application to gain insights into how users are experiencing the application.

Log Analytics: Log analytics involves analyzing application logs to identify performance issues. It involves the collection, aggregation, and analysis of log data to gain insights into application performance.

Cloud-Based APM: Cloud-based Application Performance Monitoring software operates in the cloud and is delivered as a service. It can monitor applications that are hosted in the cloud or on-premises, providing real-time monitoring and alerting.

Mobile APM: Mobile Application Performance Monitoring software is designed to monitor the performance of mobile applications. It provides insights into mobile app performance, including response time, crashes, and errors.

End-to-End APM: End-to-end Application Performance Monitoring software monitors the entire application infrastructure, including servers, networks, and databases. It provides a holistic view of application performance and helps businesses identify potential bottlenecks.

Container APM: Container Application Performance Monitoring software is designed to monitor containerized applications. It provides insights into performance metrics specific to containerized environments, such as resource utilization and container health.

Database APM: Database APM software focuses on monitoring the performance of databases. It provides insights into database performance metrics, such as query response times and database uptime.

Choosing the right Application Performance Monitoring tool can help businesses stay ahead of potential performance issues and ensure that their applications are performing at their best.

By understanding the different types of Application Performance Monitoring software and their unique features, businesses can make an informed decision and select a tool that meets their specific needs.

Whether you're looking for agent-based APM, cloud-based APM, or mobile APM, there's an APM tool available to help you monitor, optimize, and enhance your application performance.

Selecting the right Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tool is critical to ensuring optimal application performance. With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine which tool is the best fit for your business needs.

In this section, we've compiled a list of the top 10 Application Performance Monitoring tools on the market today, each with unique features to help businesses monitor, optimize, and enhance their application performance.

Whether you're looking for agent-based APM, cloud-based APM, or mobile APM, there's an APM tool on this list to help you meet your performance goals.

Here's a list of 10 application performance monitoring software:

1. Obkio: Obkio is a cloud-based Application Performance Monitoring software that provides real-time network performance monitoring, alerting, and troubleshooting. It uses agent-based synthetic monitoring techniques to monitor network and application performance.
2. Datadog: Datadog is a cloud-based Application Performance Monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring and analytics for cloud infrastructure, applications, and logs. It supports agent-based and agentless monitoring.
3. New Relic: New Relic is an end-to-end Application Performance Monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring, alerting, and analytics for applications, servers, and infrastructure. It supports agent-based monitoring.
4. Dynatrace: Dynatrace is a cloud-based Application Performance Monitoring software that provides real-time monitoring and analytics for applications, infrastructure, and user experience. It supports agent-based monitoring.
5. AppDynamics: AppDynamics is a cloud-based APM software that provides real-time monitoring and analytics for applications, servers, and infrastructure. It supports agent-based and agentless monitoring.
6. SolarWinds: SolarWinds is an end-to-end APM software that provides real-time monitoring, alerting, and analytics for applications, servers, and infrastructure. It supports agent-based and agentless monitoring.
7. Splunk: Splunk is a log analytics software that provides real-time monitoring and analytics for logs, events, and data. It supports agent-based and agentless monitoring.
8. Nagios: Nagios is an open-source APM software that provides real-time monitoring and alerting for applications, servers, and infrastructure. It supports agent-based and agentless monitoring.
9. Stackify Retrace: Stackify Retrace is a cloud-based APM software that provides real-time monitoring, alerting, and analytics for applications, servers, and infrastructure. It supports agent-based monitoring.
10. ManageEngine Applications Manager: ManageEngine Applications Manager is an end-to-end APM software that provides real-time monitoring, alerting, and analytics for applications, servers, and infrastructure. It supports agent-based monitoring.

In summary, these ten application performance monitoring tools offer businesses a wide range of capabilities to monitor and optimize the performance of their applications.

Selecting the right Application Performance Monitoring (APM) software is critical to ensuring optimal application performance. With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine which software is the best fit for your business needs. In this section, we'll explore the key criteria to consider when selecting an APM software.

Criteria to Consider When Selecting an Application Performance Monitoring Software:

1. Monitoring Capabilities: Look for a software that provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities, including real-time monitoring, performance metrics, and application topology mapping.
2. Alerting and Notification: The APM software should be able to alert and notify IT teams when performance metrics fall outside of predetermined thresholds.
3. Integration with Existing Systems: The APM software should be compatible with your existing infrastructure and technology stack.
4. Ease of Use: The software should be easy to set up and use, with an intuitive user interface and simple configuration.
5. Reporting and Analytics: The APM software should provide detailed reporting and analytics capabilities, including dashboards, trend analysis, and historical data.
6. Scalability: The software should be able to scale as your application and infrastructure grow.
7. Cost: Consider the total cost of ownership, including licensing fees, support costs, and any additional costs for features and functionality.

Selecting the right APM software is crucial to ensuring optimal application performance. By considering the key criteria outlined above, businesses can make an informed decision and select a tool that meets their specific needs.

Whether you're looking for cloud-based APM, agent-based APM, or mobile APM, there's an APM software available to help you monitor, optimize, and enhance your application performance.

In conclusion, selecting the right Application Performance Monitoring (APM) software is critical to ensuring optimal application performance. We hope that this article has helped clarify the key criteria to consider when selecting an Application Performance Monitoring software, and provided you with a list of top APM tools to consider.

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By carefully evaluating your business needs and considering the criteria outlined in this article, you can make an informed decision and select an Application Performance Monitoring software that meets your specific needs.

If you're interested in learning more about Obkio, we encourage you to start with a free trial. Obkio provides a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to monitor and troubleshoot network and application performance in real-time. With Obkio, you can gain valuable insights into your network and application performance, identify potential issues, and take corrective action quickly. We hope that you find the APM software that best meets your needs and helps you optimize your application performance.

Sources:

• https://www.networkworld.com/article/2258032/survey-highlights-sap-performance-problems.html