Laptop with an analytics dashboard and two breakouts showing a network connection icon and a user icon.

What is APM?

APM has become an umbrella term for all things associated with an application’s performance, whether it be a mobile app, website, or software. APM commonly stands for application performance management, monitoring, or measurement. Regardless, APM serves to test an application’s end-user experience. If your app loads slowly, APM aims to provide answers for why the problem occurs in the first place.

End-to-end testing is an important step in every development project. Cypress.io is a great resource to create tests and fine-tune your code. However, there are various aspects, other than code, to be tested before and after launching your app. For example, a solid APM will monitor your application’s speed and functionality as the user experiences it as well the as network that supports the application. This provides robust statistics and insights of your application overall. In all cases, an APM software offers valuable data that allows you and your team to understand and improve the user’s interaction with your application.

At every step of a development project, your team can make use of APM software. Developers use it to test the quality of their code and ensure functionality is up to par. Project managers can use the dashboard analytics to create progress reports for the team and clients. Finally, systems administrators can test an application’s speed and troubleshoot any network issues.

 

APM Features

Whether you’re using an application performance management, measurement, or monitoring system to improve your application, an APM includes specific key features.

Focus on the End-User Experience

The main goal of any APM is to improve the user’s experience. The APM you choose should include real-time monitoring as well as transaction monitoring.

 

Troubleshoot and Provide Diagnostics

At every level of your application, an APM should give you a detailed rundown of any problems that occur. This way, your team can look to the APM to come to a viable solution.

 

Analytics Dashboard

Most, if not all, APM software includes an organized dashboard with stats regarding speed and functionality as well as measurements that apply to the user experience. This allows project managers to check the status of an application and build detailed reports for their teams and clients.

 

Include Infrastructure Metrics

Specifically, an APM tool should measure key performance indicators including load time, requests per minute, session information, database utilization, memory capabilities, etc. These infrastructure metrics provide actionable data that improve (or not) once a problem has been solved.

Sevaa Group often uses New Relic to test these aspects of our projects. With New Relic, you can keep up with multiple apps in one platform. While there are a ton of APM resources out there, we also have the ability to build a custom tool tailored to your project. Not only does APM keep your application in check, but it also ensures that your users have the optimal experience when they visit your application.

Free consultation to discover your best-fit solution.