How To Get Synthetics Monitoring To Work in New Relic ( 5190 )

How To Get Synthetics Monitoring To Work in New Relic

Setting up synthetic monitoring in New Relic involves configuring and using New Relic Synthetics, a feature that allows you to monitor the performance and availability of your web applications and APIs from multiple geographic locations. This helps you identify issues, optimize performance, and ensure a positive user experience. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to get synthetic monitoring to work in New Relic:

Step 1: Sign Up for New Relic:

1. If you don’t have a New Relic account, sign up for one at the New Relic website: “https://newrelic.com/“

Step 2: Access the New Relic Dashboard:

1. Log in to your New Relic account.
2. Once logged in, you’ll be taken to the New Relic Dashboard.

Step 3: Access Synthetics:

1. In the New Relic Dashboard, locate and select the “Synthetics” tab. This is where you’ll manage and configure synthetic monitoring.

Step 4: Create a New Monitor:

1. Click on the “Create a monitor” button. This will initiate the process of setting up a new synthetic monitor.

Step 5: Choose Monitor Type:

1. Select the type of monitor you want to create. New Relic offers various monitor types, including simple browser monitors, scripted monitors, and API tests.
2. For a basic scenario, let’s choose the “Browser” monitor type.

Step 6: Configure Monitor Settings:

1. Give your monitor a name that describes the application or service you’re monitoring.
2. Choose the location from which you want to monitor (New Relic offers multiple geographic locations).
3. Configure the monitor frequency (how often the monitor checks the application’s performance).
4. Specify the URL or endpoint of the application or service you want to monitor.

Step 7: Define Validation Steps:

1. Define validation steps that the monitor should perform to determine if the application is working correctly. For example, you might want to check for specific text on a webpage or ensure that an API call returns the expected response.

Step 8: Save and Activate the Monitor:

1. Review the monitor settings and validation steps to ensure they’re accurate.
2. Save the monitor configuration.
3. Activate the monitor to start the monitoring process.

Step 9: Monitor Results and Alerts:

1. Once the monitor is active, New Relic will start collecting data on the performance and availability of the monitored application.
2. Access the monitor’s dashboard to view performance data, response times, and any detected issues.
3. Set up alerts to receive notifications when the monitor detects performance degradation or availability issues.

Step 10: Analyze and Optimize:

1. Regularly review the monitor results to identify patterns, bottlenecks, and potential performance issues.
2. Use the insights from synthetic monitoring to optimize your application’s performance, fix issues, and enhance the user experience.

Tips for Successful Synthetic Monitoring:

1. Plan Validation Steps Carefully: The accuracy of your monitor depends on well-defined validation steps that match your application’s behavior.
2. Select Geographic Locations: Choose monitoring locations that are relevant to your user base. This helps you identify regional performance variations.
3. Configure Alerting: Set up alerts based on specific thresholds for response times, error rates, or other relevant metrics.
4. Regular Review: Regularly analyze synthetic monitoring data to catch issues early and improve performance.
5. Combine with Real User Monitoring: Consider combining synthetic monitoring with New Relic’s Real User Monitoring (RUM) for a comprehensive view of your application’s performance.
6. Experiment with Scripts: If you’re using scripted monitors, you can write custom scripts to simulate complex user interactions and validate intricate application behavior.

Step 1: Sign In to New Relic:

1. Visit the New Relic website and log in to your account using your credentials.

Step 2: Access Synthetics:

1. After logging in, navigate to the “Synthetics” section in the New Relic dashboard.

Step 3: Create a Monitor:

1. Click on the “Create a monitor” button to start setting up a new synthetic monitor.

Step 4: Choose Monitor Type:

1. Select the type of synthetic monitor you want to create. New Relic offers various types, including Simple Browser, Scripted Browser, and API Test monitors.
2. Choose the monitor type that aligns with your monitoring needs. For example, if you want to monitor the performance of a web page, you can select the Simple Browser monitor.

Step 5: Configure Monitor Settings:

1. Provide a name for your monitor. This should be descriptive and reflect the application or service you’re monitoring.
2. Choose the monitor frequency. This determines how often the synthetic monitor will run tests against your application.
3. Select the geographic locations from which you want the monitor to run tests. You can choose multiple locations to simulate user experiences from different regions.
4. Enter the URL or endpoint of the application or service you want to monitor.

Step 6: Set Up Validation Steps (For Scripted Monitors):

1. If you’re creating a scripted monitor, you’ll need to define validation steps within your script. These steps simulate user interactions and validate specific behaviors on your application.

Step 7: Configure Alerting:

1. Set up alerting thresholds for your synthetic monitor. You can define conditions that trigger alerts when performance metrics exceed specified values.

Step 8: Save and Activate the Monitor:

1. Review all the configuration settings to ensure they are accurate.
2. Save the monitor configuration.
3. Activate the monitor to start monitoring your application.

Step 9: Monitor Results and Analysis:

1. Once the monitor is active, it will run tests according to the configured frequency and locations.
2. Access the monitor’s dashboard to view performance metrics, response times, and any issues detected during testing.
3. Analyze the data to identify patterns, performance bottlenecks, and areas for optimization.

Step 10: Set Up Notifications:

1. Configure notifications to receive alerts when the monitor detects performance degradation or availability issues. You can choose to receive notifications via email, SMS, or other preferred channels.

Step 11: Customize and Refine:

1. Adjust the monitor settings, validation steps, and alerting thresholds based on the insights you gather over time.

Best Practices for Synthetic Monitoring:

1. Regular Checks: Regularly review the monitor results and data to catch performance issues early.
2. Alerting: Set up alerting to receive real-time notifications when performance metrics exceed defined thresholds.
3. Geographic Diversity: Choose monitoring locations that represent your user base to identify regional performance variations.
4. Validation Steps: Ensure your validation steps accurately reflect user interactions and application behaviors.
5. Scripted Monitors: If using scripted monitors, test and refine your scripts to accurately simulate user journeys.
6. Combine with Other Insights: Consider combining synthetic monitoring with Real User Monitoring (RUM) and infrastructure monitoring for a comprehensive view of your application’s performance.
7. Stay Updated: New Relic’s interface and features may evolve, so always refer to the official documentation for the latest guidance.

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