In today’s fast-paced digital world, websites and applications are critical to a business’s success. When a website or application goes down, it can result in lost revenue, damage to brand reputation, and even customer churn. This is where synthetic monitoring comes in handy.

Synthetic monitoring is a technique used to monitor websites and applications by simulating user behavior from different locations globally. In this article, we will discuss how to get synthetic monitoring to work in New Relic.

Learn how to set up and use synthetic monitoring in New Relic to monitor website and application performance. Follow best practices for synthetic monitoring and troubleshoot any issues to optimize performance.

Understanding Synthetic Monitoring

Synthetic monitoring is a proactive approach to monitoring websites and applications. It simulates user behavior to identify performance issues before they affect end-users. It can be used to monitor a website’s availability, response time, and functionality. Synthetic monitoring works by simulating user interactions with websites or applications.

The synthetic monitoring tool performs a set of predefined actions, such as clicking buttons, filling out forms, and navigating through pages, to check if the website or application is functioning correctly.

Benefits of Synthetic Monitoring

Synthetic monitoring offers several benefits, including identifying performance issues before they affect end-users, and monitoring website availability, and response time. Synthetic monitoring helps organizations identify and fix issues before they affect users.

This can help prevent revenue loss, damage to brand reputation, and customer churn. Synthetic monitoring also provides insight into website performance, which can be used to optimize website performance and user experience.

Setting up Synthetic Monitoring in New Relic

New Relic is a powerful tool that can be used for synthetic monitoring. Here are the steps to set up synthetic monitoring in New Relic:

1. Sign in to your New Relic account.
2. Navigate to the Synthetics tab.
3. Click on the Create a Monitor button.
4. Choose the monitor type that best suits your needs.
5. Define the monitor’s schedule and locations.
6. Set up alert policies to notify you of any issues.
7. Save the monitor.

Creating Synthetic Monitors

Creating synthetic monitors in New Relic is easy. Here are the steps to create synthetic monitors in New Relic:

• Navigate to the Synthetics tab.
• Click on the Create a Monitor button.
• Choose the monitor type that best suits your needs.
• Define the monitor’s schedule and locations.
• Set up alert policies to notify you of any issues.
• Save the monitor.

Configuring Alert Policies

Alert policies are critical to synthetic monitoring. They help organizations stay on top of any issues that arise. Here are the steps to configure alert policies in New Relic:

• Navigate to the Alerts tab.
• Click on the Create a policy button.
• Choose the condition that triggers the alert.
• Define the policy’s threshold and duration.
• Choose the notification channels for the alert.
• Save the alert policy.

Setting up Notifications

Notifications are an essential part of synthetic monitoring. They help organizations stay informed of any issues that arise. Here are the steps to set up notifications in New Relic:

1. Navigate to the Notifications tab.
2. Click on the Create a notification channel button.
3. Choose the notification channel type.
4. Configure the notification channel settings.
5. Save the notification channel.

Analyzing and Troubleshooting Synthetic Data

Analyzing and troubleshooting synthetic data is critical to synthetic monitoring. It helps organizations identify and fix issues before they affect users. Here are the steps to analyze and troubleshoot synthetic data in New Relic:

1. Navigate to the Synthetics tab.
2. Click on the monitor that you want to analyze.
3. Click on the Results tab to view the synthetic data.
4. Use the filters to narrow down the data.
5. Analyze the data and troubleshoot any issues.

Best Practices for Synthetic Monitoring in New Relic

To get the most out of synthetic monitoring in New Relic, here are some best practices to follow:

• Define your goals and objectives for synthetic monitoring.
• Create synthetic monitors that are relevant to your goals and objectives.
• Use multiple locations to test website or application performance.
• Set up alert policies and notifications to stay informed of any issues.
• Analyze and troubleshoot synthetic data regularly to identify and fix issues.
• Optimize website or application performance based on synthetic data.

Conclusion

In conclusion, synthetic monitoring is a critical technique for monitoring website and application performance. New Relic is a powerful tool that can be used for synthetic monitoring. By following the steps outlined in this article and adhering to best practices, organizations can stay on top of any issues that arise and optimize website or application performance.