Expert Advice on Cloud Application Performance Management

The next generation shift in hybrid infrastructure has arrived: organizations worldwide are adopting cloud computing and its trends to drive growth. It helps to improve efficiency and productivity.

Working with cloud migration services to set up a new server before running applications in the cloud has plenty of benefits, but monitoring performance and the resources that applications are using is critical. As more organizations move away from traditional application performance management, businesses have to adapt to new changes.

Here are some expert views on cloud APM:

Your Application Must Be Right for the Cloud

Not every application will perform well in a hybrid environment. IT teams must always check suitability before migrating to the cloud. Applications need the right architecture to perform effectively. You have to consider factors like network latency, performance requirements, service profiles and resource volatility.

According to Stackify.com, a company that offers application performance management tools, organizations must perform rigorous cloud readiness checks in advance to identify the best applications to migrate. Those that require high resiliency are usually the best for cloud migration.

Seek a Unified View Across the Entire Business Service Stack

With the rising complexities of the business service, organizations are abandoning the efforts to pick and chose performance monitoring tools that fit both traditional and cloud infrastructures. To proactively manage application performance, organizations have to shift their focus on monitoring cloud-enabled applications from end-to-end.

This is best done by seeking a unified view across private cloud, public cloud and traditional business services in a way that provides real-time visibility into core business processes to deliver quality services and optimal end-user experience. 
 
Businesses should also prioritize investing in cloud-based tools and software solutions if and when the need arises. For example, if a business relies on the balanced scorecard approach to track business objectives and goals, it would be worth opting for Cloud-based Balanced Scorecard Software, rather than a locally hosted solution that may be incompatible with the overall business operating system. 

Deploy Automated, Analytics-Based Monitoring Solutions

Private cloud infrastructure comes with its own challenges including limited visibility. This is further complicated by the multiple third-party services that enterprises run. According to a Forbes article, most applications today are composed of multiple services that complicate the application performance management process.  

To achieve a dynamic view and insight into today’s complex applications, organizations need to deploy automated, analytics-based monitoring solutions that correlate all data to detect performance issues before they impact critical applications. Go for end-to-end solutions that provide a holistic view across the entire IT environment.

Monitor Application Performance from the End-User Perspective

When it comes to cloud APM, it’s not longer about monitoring applications from data centers. Organizations have to focus more on the end-user experience no matter where or how the applications are accessed. To monitor and verify the performance of applications and services, you have to combine performance metrics from existing IT infrastructure and cloud applications.  

The ability to track application transactions in real-time and measure performance from an end-user’s perspective gives a better picture of how applications are supporting business demands. Effective user experience management can be achieved by moving monitoring points closer to end-users – such as devices or web browsers.

Track Performance Behavior Over Time

Cloud application performance management is most effective when you track individual application transactions and behavior across multiple platforms, services or the entire IT infrastructure over time. An understanding of your application behavior metrics enables you to identify issues that could affect application performance and business services.

A Huffington article on trends affecting the future of business, notes that the more accurate analytics you have, the better you can drive your business forward. This is the same when it comes to tracking application behavior over time. It allows you to isolate problems as soon as they arise by detecting any new changes in the behavior model.

The Way Forward

When moving to cloud-based solutions, it’s easy to focus on availability alone. Most vendors will be keen on insisting that their products offer reliable uptime, and the same goes for many APM tools. While accessing these tools is crucial, performance is what makes the difference.

If the infrastructure is not working properly, it affects applications, business systems, employees and ultimately the customers. When choosing an APM solution, ensure that it performs optimally and seamlessly connects with your IT infrastructure to avoid problems.