All APM products need application data. We tested suites that use proprietary agents, existing system agents, network packet capture, synthetic transactions and adapters that pull data from other sources. Many draw on a combination of mechanisms to capture data and aggregate it into meaningful information.
While synthetic transactions can detect issues and packet-capture tools can pinpoint the applications at fault, only agents can dig in and determine the specific root cause of a performance problem. To accomplish this, application agents and correlation are required. We found that products employing synthetic transactions did a good job discovering performance issues, but alone, they're unable to determine the cause. While network packet capture helps determine if an app is sucking up excessive network bandwidth and causing performance issues, we found these products best suited for troubleshooting more tactical issues thanks to their network engineering approach to applications.
The leaders in our tests relied on application agents in combination with network packet and synthetic transaction data. While at times cumbersome, agents simply provide the best visibility into issues at the application level.
Bottom line, there is no one-size-fits-all APM tool. Organizations that need flexibility and scale should expect to invest in substantial configuration and ongoing maintenance. Point products will provide value, but may fall short for those seeking end-to-end insight. No product tested pushed the envelope in terms of proactive corrective actions to resolve performance problems. While many can integrate with other run book automation tools, we would like to see more native capability. Only then can an APM suite itself holistic. Best of the Best
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