Monitoring is the ability to monitor a resource (hardware, network, load balancer, firewall, Web server, database, application server, content management system, etc.) and capture usage information about that resource. Resource monitoring is a key component of professional Web testing. While it is crucial that a Web application functions correctly, resource usage and end-to-end response are extremely important. When there are problems, you need information about resource usage across the entire infrastructure of your Web application.
Resource information can be captured from any available resource in the Web application infrastructure—not just the Web server hosting the Web application. SOASTA CloudTest can monitor all three tiers of your Web application—the Web server, the application server, and the database server. It can also capture valuable information about other components in your network architecture—load balancers, for example.
Agent-less approach
The agent-less approach makes use of open network protocols such as SSH (secure shell), SNMP, and RMI, to connect to any remote server t hat you wish to monitor. Any SOASTA CloudTest Appliance with access to the destination machine can capture resource information. This is the preferred method for capturing information on servers inside the same LAN as it does not require an installed application and has a minimal impact on performance.
Agent-based approach
The agent-based approach is primarily for target servers that are behind the firewall, and does not require direct access from the SOASTA CloudTest Appliance to the target server. Instead, the SOASTA CloudTest Conductor, installed on the target server, creates an outbound HTTP(S) connection to the SOASTA CloudTest Appliance and provides the resource information. This approach is also required when interfacing with Windows performance counters.
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