Getting Synthetic Monitoring to Work in New Relic
Introduction
New Relic is a popular monitoring tool used to track the performance and health of applications, services, and infrastructure. Synthetic monitoring is a powerful feature that allows you to simulate real-world user behavior, providing a more accurate picture of your application’s performance. In this article, we will guide you through the process of setting up synthetic monitoring in New Relic.
Prerequisites
Before we dive into the setup process, make sure you have the following:
- New Relic account
- New Relic Synthetic Monitoring enabled
- A New Relic account with the necessary permissions to create and manage synthetic monitoring
Step 1: Create a Synthetic Monitoring Environment
To set up synthetic monitoring, you need to create a synthetic environment in New Relic. This environment is a virtual replica of your application, and it will be used to simulate real-world user behavior.
- Log in to your New Relic account and navigate to the Synthetic Monitoring section.
- Click on "Create Synthetic Environment" and select "New Environment".
- Choose a name for your environment and select a location.
- Click on "Create" to create the environment.
Step 2: Configure Synthetic Environment Settings
Once you have created the synthetic environment, you need to configure its settings. This includes setting the environment’s name, description, and tags.
- In the Synthetic Environment settings, click on "Edit" and enter the environment’s name, description, and tags.
- Click on "Save" to save the changes.
Step 3: Create Synthetic Agents
Synthetic agents are the components that simulate real-world user behavior. You need to create synthetic agents for each component of your application.
- In the Synthetic Environment settings, click on "Add Agent" and select "New Agent".
- Choose the type of agent you want to create (e.g. User, Request, etc.).
- Enter the agent’s name and description.
- Click on "Save" to save the changes.
Step 4: Configure Synthetic Agent Settings
Once you have created the synthetic agent, you need to configure its settings. This includes setting the agent’s name, description, and tags.
- In the Synthetic Agent settings, click on "Edit" and enter the agent’s name, description, and tags.
- Click on "Save" to save the changes.
Step 5: Integrate Synthetic Monitoring with New Relic
To integrate synthetic monitoring with New Relic, you need to create a New Relic Synthetic Monitoring Integration.
- In the Synthetic Environment settings, click on "Add Integration" and select "New Relic Synthetic Monitoring Integration".
- Choose the New Relic Synthetic Monitoring integration type (e.g. New Relic Synthetic Monitoring).
- Enter the New Relic Synthetic Monitoring integration details (e.g. API Key, Secret Key, etc.).
- Click on "Save" to save the changes.
Step 6: Configure Synthetic Monitoring Settings
Once you have created the New Relic Synthetic Monitoring integration, you need to configure its settings. This includes setting the integration’s name, description, and tags.
- In the Synthetic Monitoring settings, click on "Edit" and enter the integration’s name, description, and tags.
- Click on "Save" to save the changes.
Step 7: Test Synthetic Monitoring
To test synthetic monitoring, you need to simulate real-world user behavior. You can do this by sending requests to the synthetic environment.
- In the Synthetic Environment settings, click on "Add Request" and select the type of request you want to simulate (e.g. GET, POST, etc.).
- Enter the request details (e.g. URL, Headers, etc.).
- Click on "Save" to save the changes.
Step 8: Monitor Synthetic Monitoring
To monitor synthetic monitoring, you need to create New Relic Synthetic Monitoring Metrics.
- In the Synthetic Monitoring settings, click on "Add Metric" and select the type of metric you want to create (e.g. Request Time, Response Time, etc.).
- Enter the metric details (e.g. Metric Name, Unit, etc.).
- Click on "Save" to save the changes.
Tips and Best Practices
- Use meaningful tags to categorize your synthetic monitoring data.
- Use aggregations to simplify your synthetic monitoring data.
- Use filtering to exclude data that is not relevant to your monitoring needs.
- Use alerts to notify you of any issues with your synthetic monitoring data.
Common Issues and Solutions
- Error 404: This error occurs when the synthetic environment is not properly configured.
- Solution: Check the Synthetic Environment settings and ensure that the environment is properly created and configured.
- Error 500: This error occurs when the New Relic Synthetic Monitoring integration is not properly configured.
- Solution: Check the New Relic Synthetic Monitoring integration settings and ensure that the integration is properly created and configured.
- Data not being collected: This error occurs when the synthetic monitoring data is not being collected.
- Solution: Check the Synthetic Environment settings and ensure that the environment is properly created and configured.
Conclusion
Setting up synthetic monitoring in New Relic is a straightforward process that requires some basic knowledge of the tool. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set up synthetic monitoring and start collecting accurate data about your application’s performance. Remember to use meaningful tags, use aggregations, and use filtering to simplify your synthetic monitoring data. With these tips and best practices, you can ensure that your synthetic monitoring data is accurate and reliable.