Pre-Con Ed: Simplify Administration and Reporting in CA Application Performance Management 10

World®
’16
Pre-Con Ed: Simplify Administration
and Reporting in CA APM 10
Guenter Grossberger, Sr. Engineering Services Architect, CA Technologies
Andreas Reiss, Sr. Principal Engineering Services Architect, CA Technologies
DO4X152L
DEVOPS – AGILE OPERATIONS

2 © 2016 CA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.@CAWORLD #CAWORLD
© 2016 CA. All rights reserved. All trademarks referenced herein belong to their respective companies.
The content provided in this CA World 2016 presentation is intended for informational purposes only and does not form any type of
warranty. The information provided by a CA partner and/or CA customer has not been reviewed for accuracy by CA.
For Informational Purposes Only
Terms of this Presentation

Abstract
CA APM Command Center manages your agent configurations to
simplify the administration of CA APM installations in even large scale
environments. You will learn how to create and update agent
configurations in the Command Center UI and push them to agents. We
will also discuss how to monitor containerized applications, how to use
create reports using SQL with CA APM and how to use REST based APIs
to correlate reporting.
Guenter
Grossberger
Andreas
Reiss
CA Technologies,
Engineering Services
Architect
CA Technologies, Sr.
Engineering Services
Architect

Agenda
APM COMMAND CENTER: AGENT PACKAGES AND BUNDLES
PACKAGE UPGRADES AND DYNAMIC EXTENSIONS
MONITORING MODERN APPLICATIONS
REPORTING WITH CA APM SQL
REPORTING WITH CA APM REST APIS
1
2
3
4
5
Q&A6

CA APM Command Center: Agent Packages
and Bundles

Recap: Command Center Focus Areas
§ Command Center can be distilled into 4 distinct areas
Diagnostics Health
View Information about Java
agents running within the
environment
Remotely fetch agent log
files and other diagnostic
information
Package diagnostics for
upload to support ticket
Remotely change the Log
Level on a single Java Agent
Deployment
Ability to create tailored
packages for deployment to
production systems
Packages exposed via API
for consumption by 3rd Party
deployment tools
Cloud based store for agent
related packages: CA APM
Marketplace
Configuration
Ability to create
configuration groups
Create & enforce
configuration policies
Support for ‘hot’ and ‘cold’
configuration
Audit trail of configuration
changes
Suggest additional
monitoring opportunities
Review the monitoring
overhead of the agents
Report issues / errors with
the monitoring
Suggest changes to the
monitoring to reduce
overhead

Recap: Architecture

What is a Package?
A package is an archive (zip or tar) that contains all of the materials
required to deploy an APM Java Agent; this includes:
§ Agent JAR
§ Agent rofile and PBDs
§ Other support JARs and binaries
§ Install instructions

What is a Package?
A package is tailored to the environment being monitored
§ Application server
§ Required monitoring functionality
§ Specific monitoring capabilities
§ Specific installation requirements
A package is made up of one or more bundles, each of which
represents a piece of functionality offered by the agent

How Is a Package Built?
Creating a package involves using a 4 step wizard to :
1. Define the environment
2. Tailor the bundles
3. Tailor the configuration
4. Tailor the installation instructions
Skipping steps 2-4 will create a default package for the
selected environment

What Does a Built Package Look Like?
A package is a zip or tar file that exactly resembles an
agent install directory, with the usual ‘wily’ root folder
Additional files created:
§ installInstructions.md – provides tailored instructions
on how this package should be deployed
§ manifest.txt – provides list of bundles used, together
with any property overrides
§ acc-master.pbl – used to provide an exact list of pbd
files included in the configuration
wily
core
config
tools
acc-master.pbl
IntroscopeAgent.profile
pbd files
hotdeploy
ext
manifest.txt
installInstructions.md
Agent.jar
common
connectors
logs

CA APM Command Center: Create an
Agent Package

Create New Agent Package
2. Click New
1. Click Packages

2. Select OS
1. Enter name and
comment
3. Select agent
version
4. Enter MOM/EM
(optional or list)
5. Click DONE

Download link
OOTB required and
recommended bundles per
application server
Version

Download link
Install and
configuration
instructions

Demo: Create Agent Package

CA APM Command Center: Customize
Agent Package

Customize Agent Package
1. Select agent bundle
2. Click “DONE”
Or “COPY”

Bundle description and
dependency
information
Bundles are organized
into four categories:
1. Core
2. Environment
3. Feature
4. Custom
1. Select bundle
3. Click “Configure
Bundles”
2. Click “Add”

§ IntroscopeAgent.profile is broken down
into bundles
– Enterprise Manager connection
– Java agent
– Command Center
– Browser agent
– JMX
– EJB
§ Command Center constructs package
IntroscopeAgent.profile from bundles

Changed properties
are shown in bold font
You can add, revert
and delete your own
properties here.
Description and
properties are shown
per bundle
E.g. use
“MathClient”
as agent name
Enter
a custom property
Custom properties are
marked with the star

You can edit the install
instructions as well.
2. Click “DONE: when
you’re finished
1. Click “Install
Instructions”
Text is markdown
syntax (help explains
markdown!)

Demo: Customize Agent Package

CA APM Marketplace

Motivation
§ CA APM is extensible
§ There are many field extensions out there – where?
§ CA APM Community, github.com/CA-APM, colleagues laptop, etc.
§ We have started to make extensions fully supported via CA Support
§ CA APM Marketplace is the place to find all CA APM extensions
§ http://marketplace.ca.com/apm

CA APM Marketplace
http://marketplace.ca.com/apm
CA Supported
extension
Search or select
category
Search or select
category
• Agent extensions
• EPA agent plugins/scripts
• Examples
SSO: ca.com, Support,
Communities login
All CA APM
extensions are free!

CA APM Marketplace
§ After ordering you will get two emails
– Order confirmation
– Download Link
§ Downloaded file (if agent extension)
– <extension>-<version>-dist.tar.gz
e.g. spring-3.3.0-dist.tar.gz
§ post-10.5/spring-3.3.0.tar.gz (agent bundle!)
§ pre-10.5/spring-3.3.0-pre-10.5.tar.gz (agent bundle!)
– Import into Command Center: Import button in 10.5, copy to import folder in 10.2, 10.3
http://marketplace.ca.com/apm

Import Extensions
2. Click Import and
select file
1. Click Bundles

Import Extensions
Restart necessary
Bundle will appear
in list

Demo: CA APM Marketplace

Lab 1: Create & Customize Agent Package

Dynamic Extensions

Motivation
§ Agent changes often require application server restarts
§ Application server managed by different team
§ Requires change board approval
§ PBD changes are automatically reloaded
§ IntroscopeAgent.profile changed are automatically reloaded
§ Why not extensions?

Dynamic Extensions
New agent sub-directories
To deploy and agent extension:
1. Use Command Center or
2. Copy extension into $WILYHOME/deploy
Extension will be extracted into extensions directory
– If the extension is dynamic (property in bundle.json)
§ Loaded version of extension is unloaded
§ New version of extension is loaded
§ No application server restart required
– Otherwise only loaded on application server restart
Old agent extensions:
core/config, core/ext
Drop new extensions
into deploy or use ACC
New extensions
directory

Dynamic Extensions
No restart necessary
Bundle requires
restart
Dynamic extension
Old (pre-10.5)
extension, not
dynamic

Dynamic Extensions
Dynamic extensions
Bundle requires
restart
Dynamic extension

You can push a changed configuration
to a group of agents (“Named Filter”)
directly from the Command Center UI
Agent status will show if an agent
needs to be restarted
Dynamic Extensions

Package Versioning
§ Each package has a version associated with it
§ This version increments after a downloaded package is edited
§ This limits the number of versions that are created
§ Package usage by version is also reported
– Indication that agent is using out of date package
Version
= 1
Version
= 1
Version
= 1
Zip
v = 1
Version
= 2
Version
= 1
Down load

Tracking Package Usage
Command Center reports package usage
§ Package details are included in profile and exposed as
Java system properties
###################################
# PACKAGE DETAILS
###################################
acc.package.id=1
acc.package.name=tomcatLinux
acc.package.version=1
§ Command Center controller picks up these properties
and passes onto configuration server
§ Configuration server reconciles with package in order
to report package usage

Demo: Dynamic Extensions and Package Upgrades

Monitoring Modern Applications

Applications are Architected Differently
Microservices
(Agile, loosely-coupled, independent, continuous delivery)
Monolithic
(Tightly-coupled dependent, waterfall, change intolerant)

Microservices: Monitoring Scale & Complexity
Microservices architecture is an emerging technique which promises to deliver
flexibility and scalability to the development and deployment of service based
applications
http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology-forecast/2014/cloud-computing/features/assets/feature02-figure02.jpg

Monitoring Must Scale with New Architecture
Microservices
Architecture with
each element of
functionality in a
separate service….
Scales by distributing services across
servers, replicating as needed
MICROSERVICE CONSIDERATIONS
§ Testing across multiple services
§ Release co-ordination
§ Many moving parts / multiple instances
§ Many new data stores – SQL, NoSQL
§ Network latency, messaging, emergent
behaviors
§ Complexity!

Containers – Monitoring Complexity & Scale
Containers include the application and all of its dependencies, but share the
kernel with other containers; Docker containers are lightweight, run on any
computer, on any infrastructure, in any cloud and are great for microservices

Cloud – Monitoring Scale
Cloud computing is about access to a pool of computing resources (servers,
storage, networks, services etc) that can be rapidly provisioned and made
available with minimal overhead –NIST

Browser
Mobile
Network Web Server
Synthetic
Transactions
SQL
Database
API GatewayApp Server
Passive EUE
(Agentless)
Mainframe
Transaction Performance
= Monitoring Agent
Microservice
Docker Container
SSO User Data Store
Ability to trace complex transactions that traverse the entire infrastructure
from customer-facing systems of engagement to back-end systems of record
SYSTEMS OF
ENGAGEMENT
SYSTEMS OF
RECORD

E.P.I.C. APM
Smart agent
• Collect what you need when you need it
Monitoring at scale
• Monitor @scale and clustering
Ease of administration
• Get control with CA APM ACC
Simply visualize large complex data
• CA APM Home Page and Assisted Triage help quickly
identify and diagnose problems that matter
Elegance @Scale

APM Support for Modern Technologies
§ Monitor apps deployed to Docker containers with APM agent
§ Collects basic container health metrics (field pack)
§ Visualize app performance and Docker health in one view
§ https://github.com/CA-APM/DockerMonitoring
§ Easily monitor apps deployed using Cloud Foundry java build pack
§ Collects basic health metrics from Pivotal Cloud Foundry loud Foundry (field pack)
§ Visibility into application performance and CF Pivotal health
§ Members of the Cloud Foundry Foundation
§ CA APM agents are fully supported and provide transaction correlation, deep dive
root cause analysis; browser agent for end user analytics
§ Field pack to report Cloudwatch data into CA APM
§ CA APM plugin integrates for build performance comparisons & attribute updates
§ https://wiki.jenkins-ci.org/display/JENKINS/CA+APM+Plugin
§ Node.js agents are fully supported and provide transaction correlation,
deep dive root cause analysis; browser agent for end user analytics
§ https://www.npmjs.com/package/ca-apm-probe

Continuous Integration/Deployment: Monitoring for
Resiliency and Change
Continuous integration is a process in which all development work is integrated as
early as possible and the resulting artifacts are automatically created and tested;
this process should identify errors as very early in the process
Source: http://cdn.rancher.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/18175501/ci_flow.png

Monitoring Modern Applications
§ Java and Node.js agent in Docker is fully supported
§ Java agent included in CloudFoundry Java Buildpack
§ Extensions on the CA APM Marketplace (http://marketplace.ca.com/apm):
– Docker
– AWS
– Mongo DB
– Jenkins
– CloudFoundry

Reporting with CA APM SQL

E M
Command line
workstation
Introscope
JDBC driver
Web
services
CA APM data feed
The Problem

A Solution!

Map Metric Data to a Single SQL Table
Column_Name Column_Type
attribute_type Long
source_name String
domain_name String
agent_host String
agent_process String
agent_name String
metric_path String
metric_attribute String
frequency Long
ts timestamp
agg_value Long
max_value Long
min_value Long
value_count Long
agent
metric
values

Map Metric Data to a Single SQL Table
attribute_type Long
source_name String
domain_name String
agent_host String
agent_name String
metric_path String
frequency Long
ts timestamp
agg_value Long
max_value Long
min_value Long
value_count Long
agent
metric
values
§ One table: numerical_metric_data
§ Attribute_type: determines how agg_value,
max_value… are used
§ Metric_attribute: “Responses Per Interval”,
“Average Response Time (ms)”…
§ ts and frequency must be present in every query

Example Use Case: Get Slowest Applications
Diana wants to ask CA APM SQL
which applications
are her worst performers
during the last week
so that she can know which need the most attention and which are improving

Example Use Case: Get Slowest Applications
SELECT agent_host, agent_name, metric_path,
Sum ( value_count ) AS total_count, Avg ( agg_value ) AS mean_agg
FROM numerical_metric_data
WHERE metric_path LIKE ’Frontends|Apps|%'
AND metric_attribute LIKE 'Average Response Time (ms)'
AND ts BETWEEN {ts '2016-11-06 12:00:00.0'} AND {ts '2016-11-14 12:00:00.0'}
AND frequency = 3600
GROUP BY agent_host, agent_name, metric_path
ORDER BY mean_agg DESC, total_count DESC, agent_host, agent_name, metric_path

Demo: CA APM SQL
attribute_type Long
source_name String
domain_name String
agent_host String
agent_name String
metric_path String
frequency Long
ts timestamp
agg_value Long
max_value Long
min_value Long
value_count Long

Reporting with CA APM REST APIs

Relationship
View
Alert status
Spike
graphs
Basic and
custom
attributes
Filters
Timeline
changeeEvents
Perspectives
DA
Alert

APM Team Center Vocabulary
Vertex
Edge
Vertex Group

CA APM Team Center Vocabulary – Attributes
§ What is an attribute: a meta data that is associated
with a vertex and describes a vertex
§ Each vertex comes with OOTB attributes
– agent
– applicationName
– hostname
– name
– type

CA APM Team Center Attributes, Continued
§ Team Center has predefined special attributes:
– Location
– Owner
– Region
– Tier
§ Can define and associate custom attributes
with each vertex

Attribute Benefits
§ Create multiple layers by grouping
§ End User friendly names
§ Group elements with identical context into common groups
§ Assign access/permissions
§ How? By:
– Grouping vertexes
– Renaming components (through grouping)
– Annotating vertexes
– Highlighting vertexes

CA APM Team Center API
§ CA APM REST API allows you to create/update/delete vertex attributes
– Lists existing vertices
– Lists existing attributes and their values
– Creates new CUSTOM attribute for existing vertex
– Updates existing attribute for existing vertex
§ Can be used in scripts for automation
https://docops.ca.com/ca-apm/10-3/en/integrating/api-reference-guide/apm-rest-api

CA APM Team Center API in Action – Get Vertices

Get Vertex ID Attributes List

Update Vertex with New Attribute Value

Check to See if Owner is “Andrew”

Demo: CA APM Team Center REST API

APM Team Center
REST API
• Query vertices and
attributes
• Create or update attributes
• Use in scripts
CA APM
Command Center
• Create agent packages
• Select and customize
bundles
• CA APM Marketplace
• dynamic extensions
CA APM SQL
• CA APM from any UI
• One single table
• Fast, powerful reports
Summary
A Few Words to Review

Thank you.
Stay connected at communities.ca.com

Pre-Con Ed: Simplify Administration and Reporting in CA Application Performance Management 10

More Related Content

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked (11)

Similar to Pre-Con Ed: Simplify Administration and Reporting in CA Application Performance Management 10 (11)

More from CA Technologies (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

Pre-Con Ed: Simplify Administration and Reporting in CA Application Performance Management 10