how to get synthetics monitoring to work in new relic

Introduction

Synthetic monitoring is a crucial aspect of ensuring smooth operations and optimal performance of your applications and websites. In this article, we will guide you through the process of setting up synthetic monitoring in New Relic, a powerful application performance monitoring (APM) tool.

What is Synthetic Monitoring?

Synthetic monitoring, also known as active monitoring, involves simulating user interactions with your applications or websites to monitor their performance. It helps in identifying potential issues and ensures that your systems are working optimally, providing an excellent user experience. Synthetic monitoring involves creating scripts that emulate user behaviors, such as navigating through pages, submitting forms, and interacting with different elements.

Benefits of Synthetic Monitoring

Synthetic monitoring offers several benefits, which include:

• Proactive issue detection: Synthetic monitoring allows you to identify and address potential issues before they impact real users. By emulating user interactions, you can detect slowdowns, errors, or downtime, ensuring a seamless experience for your audience.
• Performance optimization: Monitoring the performance of your applications helps you identify bottlenecks and areas that need improvement. Synthetic monitoring provides valuable data and insights to optimize your systems for better performance.
• Testing in different scenarios: With synthetic monitoring, you can simulate user interactions in various scenarios, such as different geographical locations, different devices, or during peak traffic. This helps you understand how your applications perform and adapt to different conditions.
• Tracking SLAs: Synthetic monitoring allows you to measure your application’s performance against predefined service-level agreements (SLAs). This helps you ensure that your applications meet the required performance standards.

Setting Up Synthetic Monitoring in New Relic

Follow these steps to set up synthetic monitoring in New Relic:

Step 1: Sign in to New Relic

If you don’t have a New Relic account, sign up for one. Once you have an account, sign in to the New Relic platform.

Step 2: Create a New Monitor

In the New Relic dashboard, navigate to the Synthetics tab and click on “Monitors.” Then, click on the “New Monitor” button to create a new monitor.

Step 3: Specify Monitor Details

Provide a name and description for your monitor. Choose the type of monitor that suits your needs. New Relic offers various options, including simple browser monitors, scripted browser monitors, and API tests. Select the appropriate option based on your requirement.

Step 4: Configure Monitor Settings

Configure the settings for your monitor. This includes specifying the URL of your application or website, desired locations for monitoring, frequency of checks, and alert conditions. You can also set up additional options like response time thresholds and error conditions.

Step 5: Create Scripts (if applicable)

If you are using scripted browser monitors or API tests, you’ll need to create your scripts. These scripts define the user interactions and actions that will be simulated by the monitor. New Relic provides a comprehensive scripting language that allows you to replicate complex scenarios.

Step 6: Save and Enable the Monitor

Once you have configured all the necessary settings and scripts (if applicable), save the monitor and enable it. New Relic will start running the monitor according to the specified settings.

Step 7: Monitor Results and Set Alerts

Monitor the results of your synthetic tests in the New Relic dashboard. Analyze the performance data, error rates, and response times. Set up alerts to notify you whenever there are performance issues or deviations from the expected benchmarks.

Conclusion

Synthetic monitoring in New Relic provides valuable insights into the performance and availability of your applications and websites. By setting up synthetic monitors and analyzing the results, you can proactively detect and address issues, optimize performance, and ensure a smooth user experience. Follow the steps outlined in this article to get started with synthetic monitoring in New Relic and unlock the benefits it offers.