The document outlines a methodology for Application Performance Management (APM). It discusses various components of an APM strategy including top-down monitoring, bottom-up monitoring, reporting and analytics, and aligning with ITIL processes. Top-down monitoring focuses on real-time application monitoring using techniques like synthetic transactions. Bottom-up monitoring ties into infrastructure monitoring tools. Reporting and analytics is used to analyze performance data and establish baselines. APM supports various ITIL processes like incident management, problem management and service level management.

1. A Simple APM Methodology
Larry Dragich, September 2013

2. End User
Experience
Top Down
Monitoring
Reporting
& Analytics
Bottom Up
Monitoring
ITIL
Management
(Processes)
The Principles of APM

3. Top Down
Monitoring
This is also referred to as Real-time
Application Monitoring which is the
cornerstone that gives APM its tangible
value.
Creating synthetic transaction to measure
performance or modifying the application
stream for EUE observations.
Watches application traffic and does not
create transactions or manipulate the
application stream in any way.

4. Agents
Active
Agents
Passive
Agentless
Passive
Agentless
Active
Top Down
Monitoring
PassiveActive
Agents
Agentless
Real-time Application Monitoring

5. • Deep Dive
• Java & .Net
• App Monitor
• Adaptive Control
• Self Regulate
• Script Injection
• UEM
Agents
Active
Agents
Passive
Agentless
Passive
Agentless
Active
Agents
Top Down
Monitoring
PassiveActive
Agentless
Real-time Application Monitoring

6. • Synthetic
• Web Probes
• RPC / Scripts
• RUM
• Port Mirror
• Packet -
Capture
Agents
Active
Agents
Passive
Agentless
Passive
Agentless
Active
Top Down
Monitoring
PassiveActive
Agents
Agentless
Real-time Application Monitoring

7. • RUM
• Port Mirror
• Packet -
Capture
• Synthetic
• Web Probes
• RPC / Scripts
• Deep Dive
• Java & .Net
• App Monitor
• Adaptive Control
• Self Regulate
• Script Injection
• UEM
Agents
Active
Agents
Passive
Agentless
Passive
Agentless
Active
Top Down
Monitoring
Real-time Application Monitoring
Larry Dragich, Director EAS, The Auto Club Group – September 2013

8. Bottom Up
Monitoring
This is also referred to as Infrastructure
Monitoring which usually ties into an
operations manager tool.
The Manager of Managers (MoM) becomes
the central collection point where event
correlation happens.
System automation is the key component
to the timeliness and accuracy of incidents
being created.

9. Data Center
--------------------------
Operations Manager
-----------------------------
SNMP Listener
Real User
Monitoring
Routers /
Switches
UPS
Devices
PBX
Switches
Synthetic
Probes
Network
Sniffers
Web
Robots
Virtual
Servers
Encryption
Devices
WAN
Optimization
Firewalls
Database
Servers
Bridge
Connector
Agent
Protocols
SNMP
Traps
SNMP
Traps

10. Reporting
& Analytics
Capturing the raw data for analysis and
tracking the application workload is
essential for an APM strategy to be
successful.
When first starting out keep it simple: Alert on
the Averages (real-time) and Profile with
Percentiles (SLA post reporting).
It is important to arrive at a common set of
metrics and baseline the application workload
under “normal” conditions.

11. Baseline
Comparisons
Real-time vs.
Yesterday
Real-time vs.
7 days ago
Real-time vs.
10 day rolling
average

12. ITIL
Management
(Processes)
The ITSM / ITIL Processes are a
foundational pillar within the
Application Performance Management
Methodology.
This is a key component to the Event
Management process. This ties in with the
Automation Center.
APM supports the CSI model and ties
together specific processes in Service
Design, Service Transition, and Service
Operation.

13. Service Design
Service Level
Management
Availability
Management
Capacity Management
Service Transition
Change Management
Release Management
Service Operation
Event Management
Incident Management
Problem Management
Continual Service Improvement
Application Performance Management
Larry Dragich, Director EAS, The Auto Club Group – March 2012

14. End User
Experience
Top Down
Monitoring
Reporting
& Analytics
Bottom Up
Monitoring
ITIL
Management
(Processes)

15. We’ll start by de-coupling each
element and mapping it back to
a workflow…

16. Reporting
& Analytics
ITIL
Management
(Processes)
Top Down
Monitoring
Bottom Up
Monitoring
Passive Monitoring
(Port Mirroring)
Active Monitoring
(Robots / Probes)
End User
Experience
Events become alerts…
Events

17. Reporting
& Analytics
ITIL
Management
(Processes)
Events
Top Down
Monitoring
Bottom Up
Monitoring
Passive Monitoring
(Port Mirroring)
Active Monitoring
(Robots / Probes)
Data Center
Operations Manager
Event Correlation
End User
Experience
Events become alerts, and alerts become
incidents…

18. Reporting
& Analytics
ITIL
Management
(Processes)
Events Incidents
TTI Engine
Top Down
Monitoring
Bottom Up
Monitoring
Passive Monitoring
(Port Mirroring)
Active Monitoring
(Robots / Probes)
Data Center
Operations Manager
Event Correlation
Incident Management
Service Desk
End User
Experience
Events become alerts, and alerts become
incidents that translate to tickets which
then gets resolved…

19. Top Down
Monitoring
Passive Monitoring
(Port Mirroring)
Active Monitoring
(Robots / Probes)
Bottom Up
Monitoring
Reporting
& Analytics
ITIL
Management
(Processes)
Reporting – Service Level Management (SLM)
End User
Experience
Events Incidents
TTI Engine
Data Center
Operations Manager
Event Correlation
Incident Management
Service Desk
Metrics
Metrics
Metrics
Application Env.
End-User-Experience
Events become alerts, and alerts become
incidents that translate to tickets which
then gets resolved…

20. Incident Management
Service Desk
Data Center
Operations Manager
Event Correlation
Passive Monitoring
(RUM / Agents)
Active Monitoring
(Synthetic / UEM )
Application Env.
End-User-Experience
Reporting – Service Level Management (SLM)
Events Incidents
TTI Engine
Metrics
Metrics
Metrics
Enterprise Mgmt
Tools
Device / App Agnostic
Feeder Systems
Other App Monitors
Device / App Specific
Feeder Systems
Bottom Up Instrumentation
Infrastructure Monitoring
 Infrastructure Agent Monitoring
 SNMP Trap Receiving
 Process Monitoring / Ping Scripts / Perl Scripts
Top Down Instrumentation
Application (Users Perspective)
 Real User Monitoring (RUM) – Agentless
 Synthetic Transactions (Probes Robots)
 User Experience Mgmt. (UEM) Script Injection
Larry Dragich, Director EAS
The Auto Club Group – Sept 2013

21. Incident
Manager
Audible
Alerts
Ops
Console
3rd Party
Connectors
Trap
ListenerEnterprise
Managers
SNMP
BSM
Web
ProbesService
Probes
Analysis
Engine
J2EE / .NET
Agents
RUM
Agentless
IncidentMoM
Enterprise
Agents
3rd Party
Alarms
Ops
Agents
Front
Door
(Custom)
Incident
Output
Logical
Connection
ESM
System
MonitorLarry Dragich – EAS
Chris McDevitt, IT Architect
The Auto Club Group – May 2012

22. End User
Experience
Top Down
Monitoring
Reporting
& Analytics
Bottom Up
Monitoring
ITIL
Management
(Processes)

23. https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/534/85023