New Relic, a powerful tool for application performance management (APM), helps web developers monitor and optimize the performance of their applications. Synthetic monitoring is one of New Relic’s key features. Scripted tests allow you to monitor your website’s performance and availability. This article will guide you through setting up Synthetics Monitoring within New Relic to ensure your web applications run smoothly.
Sign up for New Relic
You will need a New Relic Account to get started. Visit the New Relic site and create a free account or pay for one, depending on your needs.
Step 2: Access Synthetics on New Relic
Click on “Synthetics,” located in the left menu, after you’ve signed up and logged in to your New Relic Account. This will bring you to the main Synthetics Dashboard.
Step 3: Create A New Monitor
Click the “Create Monitors” button at the top-right corner of the Synthetics dashboard to create a new Synthetics Monitor. You will be taken to a new window where you can customize your monitor.
Step 4: Select the Monitor Type
New Relic offers a variety of Synthetics monitors, including:
- Ping: This is a simple way to check your site’s availability.
- Simple Browser: This basic test loads a URL into a browser to measure its performance.
- Scripted browser: This more advanced test allows you to interact directly with your website using custom scripts.
- API Test: This test is designed to measure the performance of API endpoints.
Select the monitor that suits your needs best and move on to the next step.
Step 5: Configure your monitor
After selecting the type of monitor, you will need to configure its settings. The configuration options will depend on the style you choose. Here are some configuration options that you may encounter:
- Monitor Name: Give the monitor a descriptive title so that you can identify it easily later.
- Enter the URL for your website or API that you wish to monitor.
- Select the frequency of your monitor, ranging from once per minute to every day.
- Locations: Choose the geographical areas where the monitor will be run. You should select multiple sites to get an accurate view of the performance of your website.
It would help if you created a script for Scripted Browser Tests and API Test Monitors. New Relic provides several scripting templates to help you get going, or you could write your own JavaScript script.
Step 6: Verify Your Monitor
Click the “Validate button” to test your monitor after configuring it. New Relic runs the monitor and displays the results. If everything is configured correctly, you should see the green “Monitor valid” message. Review your configuration to make necessary changes if there are errors.
Step 7: Save your monitor and activate it
Click the “Save” to save your monitor after you have verified it. Now that your new monitor is active, it will begin collecting data according to your selected frequency.
Step 8: Analyze Monitor results
Go to the Synthetics Dashboard in New Relic to view your Synthetics Monitor results. You can see your active monitors along with their status and performance information. By clicking on it, you can view detailed information about a particular monitor, including response times, error rates, and performance breakdowns.
It is essential to set up Synthetics Monitoring within New Relic to ensure that your web applications perform optimally and provide an excellent user experience. You can configure and deploy Synthetics Monitors tailored to your needs by following the steps in this article. These monitors will provide the information needed to address performance issues, increase website uptime and deliver a seamless user experience.
It is essential to review your Synthetics Monitors regularly and make any adjustments necessary to your web application to ensure peak performance. To better understand your application’s overall health and performance, consider exploring New Relic’s other features, such as Application Performance Monitor, Infrastructure Monitor, and Digital Experience Monitor.
Synthetics Monitoring gives you peace of mind that your web application consistently provides the best experience possible to your users.
