A Comprehensive Guide for All New Relic Users
Challenger, welcome to this comprehensive guide on how to get synthetics monitoring to work in New Relic. New Relic is a powerful tool that allows you to monitor your applications and infrastructure’s performance. Synthetics is an integral part of New Relic, providing a way to monitor critical user journeys and collect meaningful data. This guide will take you through the steps required to set up and run synthetics in New Relic successfully. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have the knowledge you need to monitor your applications effectively and make informed decisions.
Introduction
New Relic is a widely-used monitoring tool that provides deep insights into the performance of your applications and infrastructure. Synthetics is a feature of New Relic that allows you to simulate user journeys and monitor critical paths in your applications. Synthetics can be used to monitor application availability, response times, and other key performance indicators.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about synthetics in New Relic. We’ll start by explaining what synthetics are and how they work. We’ll then move on to the steps required to set up and run synthetics in New Relic. Finally, we’ll provide tips and best practices for getting the most out of synthetics.
Let’s get started by taking a closer look at what synthetics are and how they work.
What are Synthetics?
Synthetics are artificial transactions that simulate end-user interactions with your application. They are executed from various geographic locations and reproduce common transactions that your users perform, such as logins or searches. Synthetics can monitor the availability and performance of your critical paths, notifying you when something goes wrong before your users are impacted.
Synthetics are created using scripts that describe the journey your user takes through your application. These scripts can be used to monitor specific pages or paths in your application, allowing you to focus on the most critical parts of your application.
How Do Synthetics Work?
Synthetics work by performing transactions against your application and measuring the results. These transactions can be scripted, allowing you to simulate a user’s journey through your application. Synthetics can test your application’s availability, performance, and functionality by checking the status code, response time, and content of your pages.
Synthetics can generate alerts when errors or failures occur. These alerts can be configured to notify users via different channels, such as email, SMS, or Slack. Synthetics also provide detailed reports, allowing you to analyze the performance of your application over time.
Setting Up Synthetics in New Relic
Setting up synthetics in New Relic is a straightforward process. Here’s what you need to do:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Login to your New Relic account and navigate to the Synthetics tab. |
| Step 2 | Click on the ‘Create a new monitor’ button. |
| Step 3 | Choose the type of monitor you want to create (Browser monitor, API test, or Ping monitor). |
| Step 4 | Enter the name and URL of your monitor. |
| Step 5 | Configure the alert conditions for your monitor. |
| Step 6 | Save your monitor. |
Tips for Using Synthetics
To get the most out of synthetics, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Use meaningful names for your monitors
- Create groups to organize your monitors
- Use labels to categorize your monitors
- Monitor your critical paths frequently
- Configure alerts to notify you when something goes wrong
- Use different geographic locations for your monitors to get a better understanding of your application’s performance
- Analyze your data regularly to identify trends and issues
FAQs
What is the difference between a Browser monitor and an API test?
A Browser monitor simulates a user’s journey through your application, while an API test simulates a call to your API. Browser monitors are useful for testing the availability and performance of your application’s user interface, while API tests are useful for testing the functionality and performance of your backend infrastructure.
How many monitors can I create in New Relic?
The number of monitors you can create in New Relic depends on your subscription level. Check the New Relic pricing page to find out how many monitors are included in your subscription.
Can I customize the alert conditions for my monitors?
Yes, you can customize the alert conditions for your monitors. You can configure alerts based on the response time, error rate, or content of your pages.
Can I monitor multiple paths in a single monitor?
Yes, you can monitor multiple paths in a single monitor by using multiple scripted steps.
How do I configure notifications for my monitors?
You can configure notifications for your monitors by adding alert policies to your monitor. Alert policies can be configured to notify you via email, SMS, or other channels when an incident occurs.
Can I use Synthetics to monitor third-party applications?
Yes, you can use Synthetics to monitor third-party applications as long as they are publicly available. You can also use Synthetics to monitor your own internal applications if they are accessible from the public internet.
How do I view the results of my monitors?
You can view the results of your monitors in the Synthetics dashboard. The dashboard provides detailed reports on the availability and performance of your monitors.
What is the Scripted Browser?
The Scripted Browser is a feature of Synthetics that allows you to script a user’s journey through your application. It provides a powerful way to monitor critical paths and catch issues before they impact your users.
How do I create a Scripted Browser monitor?
To create a Scripted Browser monitor, navigate to the Synthetics tab in New Relic and click the ‘Create a new monitor’ button. Choose ‘Browser monitor’ as the monitor type and select ‘Scripted Browser’ as the option. You can then create your script using the Synthetics editor.
What is the maximum runtime for a Synthetics monitor?
The maximum runtime for a Synthetics monitor is 30 minutes. If a monitor takes longer than this to execute, it will be terminated.
Can I add custom headers to my API tests?
Yes, you can add custom headers to your API tests. You can do this by editing the header section of your API test script.
Can Synthetics monitor user interactions with forms?
Yes, Synthetics can monitor user interactions with forms. You can use the Scripted Browser to simulate user interactions and monitor the results.
How do I add assertions to my API tests?
You can add assertions to your API tests by writing code that checks the response from your API. Assertions can be used to validate the status code, response time, or content of your API response.
What is the minimum interval for Browser monitors?
The minimum interval for Browser monitors is one minute. You can configure your monitor to run more frequently, but there may be additional charges for this.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Synthetics is a powerful tool that allows you to monitor critical user journeys and collect meaningful data. With this guide, you should now have the knowledge you need to successfully set up and run synthetics in New Relic. Remember to follow best practices and analyze your data regularly to identify trends and issues. By using Synthetics, you can improve your application’s performance and provide a better experience for your users.
If you’re not yet using Synthetics, why not create your first monitor today? Your application and your users will thank you.
Closing Statement with Disclaimer
Thank you for reading this guide on how to get synthetics monitoring to work in New Relic. We hope you found it informative and useful. Please note that while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, we cannot guarantee its completeness or suitability for any particular purpose. The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for decision-making without first consulting professional advice.
By using Synthetics, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this disclaimer and agree to abide by its terms and conditions. You assume all risks associated with the use of Synthetics, including but not limited to, the risk of loss, damage, or liability resulting from any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in the information provided.
Thank you again for choosing to use Synthetics in New Relic. We wish you all the best in your monitoring journey.