Application Performance Monitoring

What is APM?

APM stands for Application Performance Monitoring. It's a tool that helps you keep an eye on how your application is performing. APM tracks things like how fast your app is running, how long it takes to complete tasks, and if there are any errors or issues. This way, you can quickly find and fix problems before they affect your users.

Eg. your backend may have database and Code. It may also fetch other 3rd party endpoints. Each time your endpoint is called, APM will log code execution time, or Database response, and 3rd party endpoint response. Logging each database or Code execution, you will know if your application performance is degrading at which time, did it have any unhandled errors, or when Database query didn't return data like it did before.

How to Set Up Elastic APM Server

Elastic APM is part of the Elastic Stack, which also includes Elasticsearch, Kibana, and Logstash. To get started with Elastic APM, you need to set up an APM Server. Here's how:

1. Install Elasticsearch and Kibana: If you haven’t already, download and install Elasticsearch and Kibana. These are the backbone of the Elastic Stack.

2. Download APM Server: Go to the Elastic website and download the APM Server. Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

3. Configure APM Server: Once installed, you need to configure the APM Server. Open the apm-server.yml file and add your Elasticsearch details (like the URL and credentials).

4. Start APM Server: Start the APM Server by running the appropriate command in your terminal or command prompt. This will begin collecting data from your applications.

Supported Platforms for APM Intake

Elastic APM supports a variety of platforms, which means you can monitor different types of applications. Some of the supported platforms include:

• Java
• .NET
• Node.js
• Python
• Ruby
• Go
• JavaScript (for browser-based apps)

Each of these platforms has its own APM agent that you can install to start collecting performance data.

Setting Up Elastic APM with a .NET Application

If you're working with a .NET application, setting up Elastic APM is straightforward:

1. Install the APM Agent: In your .NET project, install the Elastic APM agent via NuGet. You can do this by running the following command in your terminal "dotnet add package Elastic.Apm.NetCoreAll"

2. Configure the Agent: In your application’s Startup.cs file, add the Elastic APM agent to the ConfigureServices method: "app.UseAllElasticApm(Configuration);"

3. Setup intake URL in AppSettings:

4. Run Your Application: Start your .NET application. The Elastic APM agent will automatically start sending performance data to the APM Server.

5. View Data in Kibana: Open Kibana in your browser, and navigate to the APM section. Here, you can see all the performance metrics and errors from your .NET application.

View unhandled exceptions:

Why Elastic APM is Great for Day-to-Day Error and Performance Monitoring

Elastic APM is a powerful tool for monitoring your applications because it provides:

• Real-time Performance Data: You can see how your app is performing at any moment.
• Detailed Error Tracking: It captures errors and exceptions, making it easy to identify and fix issues quickly.
• Comprehensive Monitoring: It supports multiple platforms, so you can monitor all parts of your stack in one place.
• Easy Integration: Setting up Elastic APM with your app is simple, especially if you're using common platforms like .NET.

Overall, Elastic APM helps you maintain a healthy application by keeping an eye on performance and catching errors early. This ensures a smoother experience for your users and saves you time and effort in maintaining your app.