You don't deliver applications in a vacuum. Applications and the infrastructure that supports them are dynamic systems that change over time. Unrelated system using the same network, servers, and storage can adversely impact application performance. With virtualization, the risk of one virtual server impacting another is quite real. Our End to End Application Performance Management (APM) Tech Center delivers best practices, emerging trends, new products and strategies to help you delivery applications effectively.
News and Analysis
Super Bowl Web Traffic Blitzes Advertisers
Super Bowl Web traffic crushed sites from Coca-Cola, Doritos and other brands that blended interactive marketing with televised commercials. Online statistics show that site design proved just as important as network capacity.
Riverbed Tackles APM with Acquisition of OPNET
WAN optimization and network performance management vendor Riverbed is acquiring OPNET, which will broaden its application performance management capabilities.
More Stories
Blogs
Riverbed Gets Cloudy
November 12, 2010 08:57 AM
Posted by Howard Marks
While cloud applications and WAN (Wide Area Network if I have to spell it out) acceleration seem like they would go together like Chicken and Waffles running a WAN acceleration appliance, even a virtual one, on your favorite cloud provider's platform would mean you had to keep a VM up, running and ticking off per hour charges all the time. If your cloud application was sending data to a storage provider like Iron Mountain or Nirvanix you wouldn't even have that option. Now Riverbed's Cloud Steelhead and Whitewater make the cloud seem closer to you than ever.
See all blogs by Howard Marks
Public Cloud APM Is Useless. Focus On Private Cloud APM
August 30, 2010 12:30 PM
Posted by Michael Biddick
APM in the public cloud services is of very little value, since you can't get to the root cause of problem. As distributed application workloads move to cloud environments, the fundamental architecture of applications is poised to change dramatically. One of the barriers to cloud adoption is that legacy applications do not yet function in a virtualized, cloud environment. As new applications are developed that operate divorced from physical hardware, the data collection techniques must shift to enable an equal level of visibility that managers have in traditional applications.
See all blogs by Michael Biddick
APM Success: Know Your Requirements
August 24, 2010 09:19 AM
Posted by Michael Biddick
Almost a month ago, we got to know an IT manager, Jim, who was selecting an application performance management (APM) product. After releasing his RFI to 14 vendors, he received six responses. Jim structured the RFI around three major sections: data collection, visualization and reporting. For data collection, Jim wanted different options for monitoring the components of his applications, including components that might reside in a cloud environment. Data collection was also important for an application mapping topology that understands all aspects of the components of the system. He also wanted to be able to integrate network management data into the APM system, so that key measures such as packet loss and latency could be layered on top of the application-specific metrics.
See all blogs by Michael Biddick
The Application Performance RFI
August 16, 2010 11:00 AM
Posted by Michael Biddick
Over the past few weeks, we have gotten to know Jim - a veteran IT manager who needs to deploy an application performance management (APM) solution. His objectives are to establish key performance indicators around the application including performance metrics and service licensing agreements (SLA). His billing system also has service catalog and fairly detailed security and reporting modules built into the system. As a web-based application, the backend database is distributed, and the application services just under 2,000 users. He knew there was value in APM, but it was hard to quantify. Jim created a detailed requirements document and created the business case. With the CIO, it was time to present his case to the CFO.
See all blogs by Michael Biddick
Building APM Requirements And A Business Case
August 06, 2010 06:52 PM
Posted by Michael Biddick
Last week we looked at laying the foundation for an APM solution, but now it's time to get to work. We introduced Jim - a veteran IT manager who lacks any APM solution. As we discussed, he needs to establish key performance indicators around a critical application, including performance metrics and SLAs. His billing system also has a service catalog and detailed security and reporting modules built into the system. As a Web-based application, the backend database is distributed and the application serves just under 2,000 users. As Jim lacks application fault or performance monitoring, he really is starting from scratch. So we are going to start with creating a document Jim can use for his requirements and build his business case.
See all blogs by Michael Biddick
Application Performance Management: Laying The Groundwork
July 26, 2010 11:30 AM
Posted by Michael Biddick
This week I was working with a client, we will call him Jim, who was telling me about their mission critical business application. It's primarily a billing system, but also has service catalog and fairly detailed security and reporting modules built into the system. As a web-based application, the backend database is distributed and the application services just under 2,000 users. The CIO is seeking to establish key performance indicators around the application including performance metrics and SLAs. Unfortunately, there is currently no fault or performance monitoring in place. The current performance of the application is judged based on anecdotal calls to the help desk. Obviously, this will not cut it.
See all blogs by Michael Biddick
Best of the Web
VXLAN termination on physical devices
VXLAN is an Experimental IETF draft of protocols to enable the creation of a large overlay, multi-tenant network.
ONF Deadly Serious About OpenFlow-Based SDNs
: OpenFlow is poised to reach over-hyped status, yet there are practical, useful reasons for keeping an eye on Openflow. The biggest cloud players are involved and driving the feature creation.
Practical Introduction to Applied OpenFlow
Get a primer on the Openflow protocol and what it can do for networking.
On Resilience of Spit-Architecture Networks
This research papers investigates the practical issues in split-architecture networks and the placement of the controllers, such as Openflow controllers, in the network.
