Introduction

Tracking the performance of websites and internet services (Synthetics) allow you to detect, diagnose, and resolve issues. The process of monitoring your synthetics is inevitable in the IT operations management workflow. In addition, 24*7 monitoring provides regular updates on the performance of synthetics. OpsRamp synthetic monitoring enables you to:

  • Take appropriate actions before end users are impacted. Any delay in the response time of websites can adversely affect user satisfaction and delight. 
  • Retain customer satisfaction with improved website uptime. Plays an integral part in maintaining a profitable investment in the organization.
  • Detect errors before affecting the customer environment thereby preventing loss for any organization.
  • Test the throughput and latency between the client request and response thus evaluating the time taken to address the client requests.

Adding synthetic monitoring to the IT operations helps you track the performance of your websites and internet services and remove bottlenecks before they can affect the user. In this way, you can achieve a timely update of the health status of your websites and internet services. 

Irrespective of the geographical locations, you can monitor the synthetics and triggers notifications for issues detected during monitoring.

You can receive notifications using alerts or emails according to the threshold values configured in the monitoring configuration. To understand the complete status of the synthetics, check the synthetics dashboard.

Improved monitoring

OpsRamp monitors the performance of your synthetics using metrics that provides graphical output for a selected synthetic monitor. Synthetic monitoring also provides the process of tracking the root cause for the unavailability of any synthetic monitor.

Accessibility

Monitor your services using the supported web browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer.

All users in your organization can configure, edit, and delete synthetic monitors.

Whitelisted IP addresses

A firewall in your network can block OpsRamp public synthetic servers from accessing websites. You can whitelist IP addresses of OpsRamp public synthetic servers with respect to the corresponding locations on your websites.

Firewall restriction prevents access to OpsRamp public servers.
A Forbidden Access or Access Denied message appears in the alerts when access is attempted.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are common situations with possible solutions.

Response time

You want to monitor the response time and availability of HTTP/HTTPS synthetics.

Solution: Configure HTTP/HTTPS synthetic monitor and check the availability of the webserver to handle requests.

Specific URLs

You want to monitor if the specified URL matches with the expected IP addresses within the stipulated period.

Solution: Configure DNS synthetic monitor to monitor the availability and response time of the Domain Name Servers.

Website performance

You want to monitor the performance of a new website after applying changes and during peak hours before launching them to the public.

Solution: Configure SCRIPT HTTP synthetic transaction monitoring by simulating the activities performed by a user on the website.

FTP server

You want to monitor an FTP server with username and password and want to upload/download files.

Solution: Configure FTP synthetic monitor to check the time taken to upload and download files from the FTP server.

SSL certificate

You create an application and deploys it as a synthetic. At the same time, you want to get notified about the SSL Certificate expiration date of any given URL.

Solution: Configure SSL synthetic monitor to check the expiry date of the SSL Certificate.

Packet loss

You want to check the availability of any server or packet loss from four locations of North America.

Solution: Configure PING synthetic monitor to check if all packets reach the host and the server is UP and running and reachable.

SIP server availability

You want to check the availability of the SIP server by sending SIP requests to SIP ports located at different locations around the world.

Solution: Configure SIP synthetic monitor to check the availability or performance issues of the user’s VOIP communications.

TCP port availability

You want to check the accessibility and availability of the port of the TCP server.

Solution: Configure the TCP synthetic monitor to check the time taken to connect to the TCP server.

UDP port availability

You want to check the reachability and availability of the port of the UDP server.

Solution: Configure the UDP synthetic monitor to check the time taken to connect to the UDP server.

401 Bad API

You encounter 401 Bad API Credentials error while accessing the website.

Solution: Create credentials according to the authentication type. This is applicable only on HTTPS/HTTP synthetic monitor.