Tag Archives: Application Performance

Stress Testing Is Important And Every Website Should Have It Done

Stress testing is important for a computing machine if someone wants to know all that it can take. By doing the stress testing, they will see how much it can handle, and they will feel great if they find that their device is better than they had thought. But, even if they find that their device can not handle a lot of stress, they will still be glad that they had this testing done because they will now know what is going on with their device and how good it really is.

Some devices do really well during a stress test, while others will let their owners down. It is all about the device itself and how it is built. The stress test will give the device’s owner a good feeling for what is going on, and they will know whether or not their device can handle all of the things that they want to put it through thanks to the results of the test. So, anyone who wants to know what is going on with their computing device should put it under a stress test to see how well it performs. And if it does really well during that time, then they will know that they have a good device on their hands.

There are many things that can be done to a computer to see if it is good enough for the things that one wants to put it through, but there is nothing better to determine all that a computer can take than a stress test. So, anyone who wants to make sure that their computer is working in the right way, and that it will be able to take on all of the things that they want it to do, should have the stress test done soon. The sooner the better for something like this, as they will be glad if they see that their device is working just as well as it should be.

If you’re like to learn more about load testing, check out these resources:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb924372.aspx

https://loadview-testing.com

https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/docs/test/performance-testing/getting-started/getting-started-with-performance-testing

www.loadtesting.co

APM Requirements on the Java Platform

One of the most common questions circulating throughout the IT industry revolves around what the best application performance management solution is on the current market? Unfortuantely, there’s not a single answer to this question. The only way to determine what the best APM solution for your Java platform may be is to clearly define your system/application requirements. This being noted, there are several qualities the ideal APM solution for your business must contain if your enterprise primarily uses the Java platform.

Low Load (Overhead) Solution

 Generally, nearly every APM solution designed to be used with Java is a single piece of software, typically a JAR file, which is installed into the application. This file is designed to automatically gather various data metrics, which are then sent to the application server where they are processed into contextual information. It’s essential that this APM solution does not require an excess amount of data to execute its operations, as this may severly damage the functionality and performance of your application. While recommendations vary, the general consensus is a 3 percent CPU utilization overhead is acceptable.

JVM Memory Diagnostics and Monitoring

 Perhaps the most important metric you must monitor throughout your Java platform is the JVM Heap, as it determines the memory capacity of an application. If excess memory is utilized, then the dreaded “OutOfMemory” error is displayed, which results in significantly decreased performance, or even complete application stalls. When utilizing an APM solution, make sure the tool monitors:

  • Overall JVM Heap Usage
  • Duration of garbage collections – both major and minor collection actions
  • Frequency of garbage collections
  • Memory Pool Usage, such as: code cache, old gen, eden, survivor and permgen (or metaspace in Java 8+ versions)

The most important element to look for in a Java APM tool is its ability to identify areas of memory “leaks.” An effective APM tool is able to recognize what collection may be leaking memory, which is the first line of defense against the “OutOfMemory” error.

Backend Response Durations

 There are few things that can kill the reputation and conversion rate of a website than slow backend responses. A requirement for any Java APM tool is its ability to automatically monitor backend response times and alert administrators when these response times become too slow. Generally, Java web applications use traditional APIs to access backend resources. An appropriate APM tool identifies each server request and utilizes its diagnostic capabilities to determine where the slowdown is occurring and what steps must be taken to rectify this situation.

In the realm of digital eCommerce, it’s essential that your entire website run as swiftly and efficiently as possible. Even if the response time is only slowed by a few milliseconds, this wait time could result in a lost sale or decreased trust regarding the stability of your enterprise.

Debunking Mobile APM Solution Myths

Mobile access to businesses is an exploding source of revenue and advertising for businesses across all industries. In fact, many of the world’s leading retailers have seen a significant increase, up to 80 percent, of revenue directly from mobile applications and site access. Because of the weight and importance mobile applications have in the modern digital marketplace, mobile APM solutions are swiftly becoming the go-to source to create a stable, functional mobile environment. While the importance of high-performing mobile applications is nothing new, when it comes to APM solutions for mobile platforms, there are several serious myths that deserve to be debunked.

Myth #1 – App Ratings in Marketplaces is an Unchangable Reality

 While there is not such thing as a completely error-free code, users are continually searching for well designed apps with as little performance and error issues as possible. Although it’s impossible to create a 100 percent perfect application code, the notion that negative app ratings in the marketplace is an unfortunate reality is nothing more than a myth. In many cases, mobile application developers may forego advanced-level APM solutions as they feel their code is decent and negative experiences are bound to happen; however, with an advanced-level APM solution, you’re given an opportunity to reduce performance issues while simultaneously delivering a stable application for all customers.

Myth #2 – Mobile APM Solutions Are Limited in its Insights

 An unfortunate reality in the realm of mobile application is the fact that most mobile-only APM tools offer visibility up to the point of a network request. Anything deeper than this surface-level request is unable to be tracked due to the limits of these constricting APM solutions. While this may be true, there are several viable options to encompass a complete monitoring solution: end-to-end APM tools.

An end-to-end APM solution delivers information regarding each transaction throughout its entire event: starting from the originating mobile device making a request, all the way to the backend database that follows through with this request. As our industry has expanded, so has our ability to monitor events from end-to-end. Take control of your mobile APM solution by adopting a tool that features end-to-end monitoring across all platforms.

Myth #3 – Understanding Users is Near Impossible

 This is one of the most common misconceptions regarding mobile application performance management, which is unfortunate. You’ll never fully understand your users unless you’re able to discover as much identifying information about them as possible. You must understand how users spend their time within the application and what processes they follow the most.

The modern mobile APM solution marketplace has expanded its capabilities to help you understand end-user behaviors and use. For example, you may inject timers at multiple points throughout an application event to measure how much time the average user takes to walk through the application. There are literally hundreds of customizable metrics set in place to monitor and observe the behaviors of mobile application users. It’s only when you’re armed with this information you can deepen your control and customization of an application based upon the specifications of users, not on the specifications of your test runs.