Application Dependency Analysis: Getting Started

Fifteen years ago, clients often asked me to perform an application baseline. Today, they're more interested in an application dependency analysis. The two types of analysis are fairly similar, but have some distinct differences.

An application baseline documents how an application behaves. For example, what devices it communicates with, what protocols are used, and the load generated. An application dependency analysis basically explains how your applications work and what devices they rely on in order to function. This analysis can be expanded to include what these devices depend on as well as basic response time measurements for each device in order to uncover the sources of latency.

In this video, I explain how to get started on a client-side application dependency analysis, demonstrating what network devices a client interacts with to complete a task.  

As I mention in the video, there is no such thing as an incorrect application dependency analysis. It's important to understand that the analysis should be a living document. For example, the network team will update the switches and routers involved. The server team can add the various servers. 

You need to strike a balance when performing an application dependency analysis. It needs to be accurate and thorough, but also concise to avoid making it a multi-month process.